| Platform | Per year | 3-year | vs VMware |
|---|---|---|---|
| VMware VCF (stay put) | £67,072 | £201,216 | — |
| Proxmox VE ✓ | £3,760 | £11,280 | save £189,936 |
| XCP-ng | £2,400 | £7,200 | save £194,016 |
| Azure Local (Hyper-V) | £24,000 | £72,000 | save £129,216 |
| Nutanix (AHV) | £20,800 | £62,400 | save £138,816 |
Cost to leave VMware, by estate size
Indicative Proxmox VE migration for typical estates (4 vCPU / 16 GB / 200 GB per VM). Size your own scenario in the tool above.
| VMs | Hosts | VMware VCF / yr | Proxmox / yr | Hardware | 3-yr saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 3× | £50,304 | £2,820 | £107,892 | £142,452 |
| 100 | 4× | £67,072 | £3,760 | £137,856 | £189,936 |
| 250 | 8× | £134,144 | £7,520 | £257,712 | £379,872 |
| 500 | 15× | £251,520 | £14,100 | £467,460 | £712,260 |
| 1,000 | 28× | £469,504 | £26,320 | £874,992 | £1,329,552 |
Indicative only. VMware VCF estimated at ~$350/core/yr with the 16-core/CPU + 72-core minimums; Proxmox at the Standard tier. Subject to change.
How we work it out
- ›Capacity model: physical cores = ceil(Σ vCPU / vCPU-per-core overcommit × growth); hosts-per-dimension = ceil(requirement / (per-host capacity × target utilisation)); total hosts = max(core-, RAM-, storage-bound) + N+1, floored at the platform minimum.
- ›Broadcom VMware VCF is per-core subscription with a 16-core/CPU minimum (72-core order minimum, Apr 2025) — lib/cost/vmware.ts.
- ›Target-platform per-socket subscription defaults (Proxmox VE list €120–1,100/socket/yr; Nutanix/Azure Local indicative) — editable.
- ›Hardware capex is indicative reseller guide pricing; monthly via the site rental-factor finance engine.
Plan the move
VMware-exit FAQs
How much does VMware cost after the Broadcom changes?
VMware is now subscription-only and priced per core — VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) at roughly $350 per core per year, with a 16-core-per-CPU minimum and a 72-core order minimum, so you often pay for cores you do not use. Enter your cluster in the calculator to see your indicative annual figure and the "wasted cores" you are billed for.
What are the main alternatives to VMware?
The four common exits are Proxmox VE (open-source KVM, lowest licence cost), Nutanix AHV (a full HCI stack), Microsoft Azure Local / Hyper-V, and XCP-ng (open-source Xen). Each has a different licence model, minimum node count and storage approach — the calculator sizes and prices all four against staying on VMware.
How many hosts do I need to replace my VMware cluster?
It depends on your total vCPU, RAM and storage, your consolidation ratio and your redundancy. The calculator sizes the cluster from your VM counts: physical cores = total vCPU ÷ overcommit, then it takes the greater of the CPU-, RAM- and storage-bound host count and adds N+1. Enter your estate above for the number.
Is it cheaper to migrate off VMware?
On licensing, almost always — the alternatives cost a fraction of Broadcom VCF per year. Whether the whole migration pays back depends on your hardware and one-off migration cost; the calculator shows the 3-year TCO of staying versus migrating and how quickly the Broadcom licence saving repays new hardware.
Are the figures a formal quote?
No — every figure is indicative for planning. Licence prices vary by reseller and deal size, and hardware capex uses guide pricing. Request a quote and a migration specialist will turn the sizing into a firm, buildable quotation with finance options.
Can Servnet handle the migration?
Yes — we supply the hardware across Dell, HPE, Lenovo and Nutanix, arrange finance, and run the migration. See our VMware-to-Nutanix, VMware-to-Azure-Local and VMware-to-Proxmox programmes.