Your cluster & quotes
VMware renewal vs migration — 3 years
Verified model (June 2026): Broadcom VMware is subscription-only and priced per core, with a 16-core-per-CPU minimum and a disputed 72-core order minimum (toggle above) — so “cores billed” can exceed your physical cores. We use your own VMware quote (authoritative) and cost the alternative from an adjustable per-socket subscription; Proxmox VE list is €120 / €370 / €550 / €1100 per socket/yr. Confirm every figure with your reseller.
Why VMware renewals jumped — and how to model the alternative
Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware reset the economics: perpetual licences ended in 2024 and everything moved to per-core subscription. For many organisations the renewal arrived several times higher than the old perpetual-plus-support cost — driven less by the headline per-core rate and more by the minimums. This calculator models that honestly and compares it with a re-platform, using your own renewal quote as the anchor.
The core-counting rules that catch smaller estates out.
The minimums that inflate the bill
Two rules do most of the damage to smaller clusters. First, a 16-core-per-CPU minimum: a 6-core CPU is still billed as 16. Second, from April 2025, a 72-core minimum per order — so a modest two-host cluster can be billed for 72 cores regardless of what it physically has. The calculator shows the “cores Broadcom bills” next to your physical cores so the gap is explicit. (The 72-core rule has been disputed and revised since launch, so we make it a toggle and flag it to confirm with your reseller.)
What the alternatives actually cost
The leading exit is Proxmox VE — open-source, with optional support priced per CPU socket per year. Proxmox’s official list is €120 / €370 / €550 / €1,100 per socket/year (Community / Basic / Standard / Premium), and notably every tier includes the full feature set (HA, live migration, clustering); the tiers differ only on support. Nutanix and other HCI platforms are per-node subscriptions; Hyper-V leans on Windows Server Datacenter licensing; XCP-ng is open-source with paid support. Pick a platform to pre-fill an indicative figure, then override it with your real quote.
Migration isn’t free — but it often pays back fast
Re-platforming means converting VMs, rebuilding your backup and HA integrations, retraining and a careful cutover — so the calculator includes a one-off migration line and shows the payback period. When the renewal jump is large, the saving frequently covers that one-off within months. If you’re also weighing cloud, run the cloud vs on-premise TCO calculator alongside it.
⇄ Planning your VMware exit? Servnet scopes and runs VMware-to-Proxmox/HCI migrations end to end — licensing, hardware fit and a zero-drama cutover. Scope a migration →
VMware migration cost — common questions
How does Broadcom price VMware now?
Since acquiring VMware, Broadcom ended perpetual licences (2024) and moved everything to subscription, priced per CPU core. Two minimums matter: you must license at least 16 cores per physical CPU even if it has fewer, and (from April 2025) Broadcom introduced a 72-core minimum per order. The result for many organisations has been a steep increase versus their old perpetual + support cost.
Why does the “cores billed” number exceed my physical cores?
Because of those minimums. A single 6-core CPU is still billed as 16 cores; a small two-socket host with 8-core CPUs (16 physical cores) can be billed as 72 under the order minimum. The calculator shows the gap so you can see how much capacity you’re paying for but don’t have — a big driver of the “VMware got expensive” experience for smaller estates.
Is the 72-core minimum definitely still in force?
It was introduced in April 2025 and has been widely reported, but the rules around it have shifted and been disputed since. We make it a toggle so you can model both, and we label it as a figure to confirm with your reseller rather than treat as fixed — accuracy matters more than a confident-looking number.
What does Proxmox VE cost as an alternative?
Proxmox VE is open-source; you pay only for an optional support subscription, priced per CPU socket per year. Proxmox’s official list is €120 (Community), €370 (Basic), €550 (Standard) and €1,100 (Premium) per socket/year — and every tier includes all features (HA, live migration, clustering); the tiers differ on support level. The calculator defaults to an indicative Standard-tier figure in £, which you should adjust to your quote and FX.
What about Nutanix, Hyper-V or XCP-ng?
Pick the platform and the calculator pre-fills an indicative per-socket figure you can override: Proxmox and XCP-ng are open-source with paid support; Nutanix is a per-node HCI subscription; Hyper-V leans on Windows Server Datacenter licensing. All of these are starting points — enter your actual quotes for an accurate comparison.
Does migration cost more than just licensing?
Yes — that’s why the calculator has a one-off migration line and a payback figure. Re-platforming means converting VMs, rebuilding HA/backup integrations, retraining staff and a careful cutover. A genuine migration can still pay back quickly when the renewal jump is large, but the one-off effort is real and should be in the sum.
How accurate are the figures?
The model is verified (per-core subscription, 16-core/CPU and 72-core order minimums) and the maths is exact for your inputs. We deliberately don’t fabricate a VMware per-core price — you enter your own renewal quote, which is authoritative — and the alternative is costed from adjustable, clearly-labelled per-socket figures.