Updated October 25, 2026
· ~2 min read
Broadcom ended perpetual VMware licences and moved customers to subscription bundles after its 2023 acquisition, and renewals rose sharply for many. The question for most VMware customers is no longer whether to look at alternatives, but which one fits which part of the estate.
The options split into two groups: replace the hypervisor and keep running a data center, or leave the data center for a cloud.
Hyper-V Server 2019 was the last free, standalone Hyper-V product, supported until January 2029; Hyper-V Server 2016 ends on January 12, 2027. Hyper-V itself continues as a role in Windows Server, where Datacenter edition licensing covers unlimited Windows Server virtual machines on the licensed host. If you were running free Hyper-V Server as a cheap VMware alternative, the cost picture is different now.
Question 1 of 2
Do you want to keep running a data center?
**Stay on-premises, change hypervisor:** Nutanix for an enterprise-grade, supported platform with its own HCI stack; Proxmox VE for cost-sensitive teams comfortable with open source; Hyper-V or Azure Local if you are licensed for Windows Server Datacenter or committed to Microsoft. **Leave the data center:** Amazon EVS to move VMware as-is with minimal change (you keep paying Broadcom), or rehost onto EC2 with AWS Application Migration Service to drop VMware entirely. Most estates end up split: EC2 for most VMs, a short EVS stay for what cannot move yet, nothing left on-premises at the end.
VMware Exit to AWS
Move off VMware before the next renewal: most VMs rehosted to right-sized EC2 with AWS Application Migration Service, a time-boxed Amazon EVS landing for what cannot move yet, and the data center contract ended on a date you choose.
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As of October 25, 2026. Provided as is, for general information, and accurate to the best of our knowledge on the date shown. Not legal, compliance, tax, financial or other professional advice. Prices, limits and vendor services change; check current vendor documentation before relying on anything here. Terms of use.