Dedicated servers · VMware ESXi · monthly
VMware dedicated server ESXi on the metal. Root from the first boot.
A VMware dedicated server is a physical machine that runs the ESXi hypervisor, with every core, disk and network port given to your virtual machines. We install VMware vSphere Hypervisor 8 or 7 at no charge on 10 hardware lines, and a complete ESXi 8 host starts at $62.58 a month.
- ESXi installed, no charge
- Unmetered port
- Remote console on rack and blade lines
- Monthly, no contract
- 5 cities
- AS19624
Pick the machine, choose ESXi on the order form and the install runs unattended. You get the host's IP addresses and the root password by email, SSH already on, and the vSphere Host Client in your browser. The licence and everything inside the hypervisor are yours to run.
ESXi dedicated server lines
Every machine we install ESXi on, with its price
Each row is a hardware line from the order form. The price is the cheapest complete machine on that line with ESXi installed: processor, memory, disks and the included port, priced by the same catalogue the checkout bills from. Configure opens the line with ESXi already chosen.
| Line | ESXi | Sockets | Memory up to | Drive bays | Cities | Cheapest complete build |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMD Opteron 6300Hardware RAID | 7 | 1 or 2 | 256 GB | 12 | New York, Bucharest, Miami | $51.86/moAMD Opteron 6366 HE Hexadeca Core 1.80 GHz · 16 GB DDR3 · 1 × SATA 500 GB · 500 Mbps, ESXi 7Configure AMD Opteron 6300 with ESXi 7 |
| Intel Xeon E3-1585L v5Cartridge, no RAID controller | 8 and 7 | 1 | 64 GB | 4 | New York, Bucharest, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Miami | $62.58/moIntel Xeon E3-1585L v5 Quad Core 3.00 Ghz · 32 GB DDR4 · 1 × NVMe-SSD 240 GB · 1 Gbps, ESXi 8Configure Intel Xeon E3-1585L v5 with ESXi 8 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2600 v1/v2Hardware RAID | 7 | 1 or 2 | 256 GB | 12 | New York, Bucharest, Miami | $70.93/moIntel Xeon E5-2630L Hex Core 2.00 GHz · 32 GB DDR3 · 2 × SATA 500 GB (RAID 1) · 500 Mbps, ESXi 7Configure Intel Xeon E5-2600 v1/v2 with ESXi 7 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2600 v3/v4Hardware RAID | 8 and 7ESXi 8 on 8 of 12 processors | 1 or 2 | 1 TB | 12 | New York, Bucharest, San Francisco, Miami, Amsterdam | $73.47/moIntel Xeon E5-2620 v4 Octo Core 2.10 GHz · 32 GB DDR4 · 2 × SATA 500 GB (RAID 1) · 1 Gbps, ESXi 8Configure Intel Xeon E5-2600 v3/v4 with ESXi 8 |
| Intel Xeon Silver / GoldHardware RAID | 8 and 7 | 1 or 2 | 1 TB | 24 | New York, Bucharest, San Francisco, Miami, Amsterdam | $83.67/moIntel Xeon Silver 4110 8 Core 2.10 GHz · 16 GB DDR4 · 2 × SATA-SSD 240 GB (RAID 1) · 1 Gbps, ESXi 8Configure Intel Xeon Silver / Gold with ESXi 8 |
| Intel Xeon E-2286MCartridge, no RAID controller | 8 and 7 | 1 | 64 GB | 4 | Bucharest | €105.99/moIntel Xeon E-2286M 8 CORE 2.40 GHz · 32 GB DDR4 · 1 × NVMe-SSD 240 GB · 1 Gbps, ESXi 8Configure Intel Xeon E-2286M with ESXi 8 |
| Intel Xeon E5-4600 v1/v2Hardware RAID | 7 | 4 | 512 GB | 12 | New York, Bucharest, Miami | $109.69/mo4 × Intel Xeon E5-4650L Octo Core 2.60 GHz · 64 GB DDR3 · 2 × SATA 500 GB (RAID 1) · 500 Mbps, ESXi 7Configure Intel Xeon E5-4600 v1/v2 with ESXi 7 |
| Intel Xeon E5-4600 v3/v4Hardware RAID | 8 and 7ESXi 8 on 1 of 4 processors | 4 | 1 TB | 12 | New York, Bucharest, Miami, San Francisco, Amsterdam | $212.37/mo4 × Intel Xeon E5-4650 v4 14 Core 2.20 GHz · 128 GB DDR4 · 2 × SATA 500 GB (RAID 1) · 1 Gbps, ESXi 8Configure Intel Xeon E5-4600 v3/v4 with ESXi 8 |
| AMD EPYCHardware RAID | 8 and 7 | 1 or 2 | 1 TB | 12 | New York, Bucharest | $217.59/moAMD EPYC 7413 24 CORE 2.65 GHz 128MB L3 CACHE · 32 GB DDR4 · 1 × SATA-SSD 240 GB · 1 Gbps, ESXi 8Configure AMD EPYC with ESXi 8 |
| Intel Xeon GoldHardware RAID | 8 and 7 | 4 | 2 TB | 24 | New York, Bucharest, San Francisco | $409.38/mo4 × Intel Xeon Gold 6130 16 Core 2.10 GHz · 128 GB DDR4 · 2 × SATA 500 GB (RAID 1) · 1 Gbps, ESXi 8Configure Intel Xeon Gold with ESXi 8 |
ESXi 8 is not sold on Intel Xeon E5 v1, v2 and v3 processors, because VMware's own ESXi 8 installer stops on them. Where a line mixes generations, the table counts the processors ESXi 8 runs on and prices the cheapest of those. Lines billed in euros are sold only in Europe. A configured build pays a one-time $29 setup fee; a ready server ordered as it stands pays none. Paying 3, 6 or 12 months ahead takes up to 15% off the machine.
VMware ESXi hosting, set up for you
What our ESXi install does
The host is installed from our network boot server with a kickstart file, not by hand, so every ESXi server starts the same way.
- ESXi goes onto the first local disk, which is wiped first. On the blades that disk is the RAID volume.
- The management network is set on the first network port with your public IPv4 address, and the default VM port group is created on it.
- IPv6 addresses on the order are added to the management interface.
- SSH is enabled and started on first boot. You log in as root.
- The setup email carries the IP addresses and the root password. Open the host's address in a browser for the vSphere Host Client.
A machine already racked is handed over about 30 minutes after the order is approved. A build to order takes 4 to 24 hours from the same point. Reinstalls from the control panel are free.
# accept the licence, wipe and install
vmaccepteula
install --firstdisk=usb,local --overwritevmfs
# management network on vmnic0
network --bootproto=static --device=vmnic0
--addvmportgroup=1
# first boot
%firstboot --interpreter=busybox
vim-cmd hostsvc/enable_ssh
vim-cmd hostsvc/start_sshLicensing after Broadcom
The ESXi licence is yours to bring
We install the hypervisor and do not sell VMware licences. A fresh install runs in VMware's 60-day evaluation mode with every feature on. Before it ends, apply your own key. There are two ways to get one.
Free ESXi
Broadcom brought back a free hypervisor with ESXi 8.0 Update 3e. It covers up to 2 physical processors per host and 8 vCPUs per virtual machine, managed through the Host Client, with no vCenter and no support from Broadcom. It fits any one- or two-socket host in the table that runs ESXi 8. Our own ESXi 8 image is an earlier 8.0 build without that licence, so download the free image with a Broadcom account and install it through the virtual media of a rack or blade server's console.
Paid vSphere
16 cores
vSphere is now sold as a subscription per core, through VMware vSphere Foundation or VMware Cloud Foundation. Broadcom counts at least 16 cores per processor and, since April 2025, sets a 72-core minimum per order. That is the licence you need for vCenter, vMotion, HA, or a four-socket host.
ESXi 7
Oct 2025
vSphere 7 reached the end of general support on 2 October 2025. We still install ESXi 7 because it is the only version for the older processors, AMD Opteron 6300 and Xeon E5 v1 to v3. For a new host, pick a line that runs ESXi 8.
Sources: Broadcom knowledge base articles 399823 (free ESXi 8.0 Update 3e) and 415405 (end of general support for vSphere 7.0). Licence terms are Broadcom's and change on Broadcom's schedule; check them with your VMware reseller before you buy.
Datastores
Storage on an ESXi server
ESXi has no software RAID of its own. Redundancy has to come from the controller underneath it, and that decides which line suits a production host.
Rack and blade lines
The disks sit on a hardware RAID controller. ESXi sees one volume per array and formats it as a VMFS datastore. Choose RAID 1, 5, 6 or 10 on the order form, where the controller allows it, and the datastore keeps running through a failed disk.
Moonshot cartridges
No RAID controller. Each NVMe drive becomes its own datastore, so a failed drive takes its virtual machines with it. Good for a lab, a build farm or anything you can rebuild. Keep copies of what matters off the host.
Network
One port per host, unmetered
Every ESXi server has its own switch port with no transfer cap and no overage price. Most lines include 1 Gbps; the older ones include 500 Mbps and move to 1 Gbps for $79 a month.
Faster ports
a month for 10 Gbps, the same on every line that takes it. 20 Gbps is $1,629. The change is made on the switch, on the same host. See 10 Gbps dedicated servers.
Addresses for VMs
+8 IPv4
on the order form on the larger lines, $42 a month for all of them. One IPv4 address and one or two IPv6 addresses come with the host at no charge.
Where
5 cities
New York, Miami, San Francisco, Amsterdam and Bucharest, on our own network, AS19624. Each line in the table lists its own cities.
Dedicated VMware hosting or something else
VMware or Proxmox on the same hardware
Both hypervisors install at no charge, on most of the same lines. The difference is the licence and the tools your team already knows.
Answers
Questions about ESXi servers
What is an ESXi server?
An ESXi server is a physical machine running VMware ESXi, a type-1 hypervisor that installs straight onto the hardware with no operating system underneath. It divides the processors, memory, disks and network ports among virtual machines, which you manage from the vSphere Host Client or from vCenter.
How much does a VMware dedicated server cost?
A complete ESXi 8 host starts at $62.58 a month: Intel Xeon E3-1585L v5 Quad Core 3.00 Ghz · 32 GB DDR4 · 1 × NVMe-SSD 240 GB · 1 Gbps. The cheapest machine with a hardware RAID controller and ESXi 8 is $73.47 a month: Intel Xeon E5-2620 v4 Octo Core 2.10 GHz · 32 GB DDR4 · 2 × SATA 500 GB (RAID 1) · 1 Gbps. The ESXi install costs nothing. The VMware licence comes from Broadcom or a reseller.
Is the VMware licence included with the server?
No. We install VMware vSphere Hypervisor and sell no VMware licence. The host starts in VMware's 60-day evaluation mode. Before it ends, apply a paid vSphere Foundation or Cloud Foundation key, or reinstall the host with Broadcom's free ESXi 8.0 Update 3e image, which carries its own free licence. Our ESXi 8 image is an earlier 8.0 build, so the free licence does not come with it.
Can I run the free version of ESXi on a dedicated server?
Yes, on a rack or blade host with one or two processors that runs ESXi 8. Download Broadcom's free ESXi 8.0 Update 3e image and install it yourself through the server's out-of-band console. It has no vCenter, so no vMotion or HA, no Broadcom support, and at most 8 vCPUs per virtual machine. Our four-socket lines need a paid licence.
Which ESXi versions do you install?
VMware vSphere Hypervisor 8 on 7 lines and 7 on all 10. ESXi 8 does not run on Intel Xeon E5 v1 to v3 or AMD Opteron 6300, so those processors get ESXi 7 only, which left VMware's general support on 2 October 2025. On a rack or blade server you can install another build yourself through the out-of-band console.
Can I run vCenter on a VMware dedicated server?
Yes, as the vCenter Server Appliance in a virtual machine on one of your hosts. vCenter needs a paid vSphere licence, and the appliance takes memory of its own, 14 GB at its smallest size in vSphere 8, so size the host for it.
How do my virtual machines get public IP addresses?
One IPv4 address comes with the host and the ESXi management network uses it. Add more on the order form, up to 8 extra on the larger lines. The one or two IPv6 addresses that come with the host at no charge are set on the management interface by the install.
Do you offer RAID on ESXi dedicated servers?
Yes, on the rack and blade lines: the disks sit on a hardware RAID controller and ESXi sees one volume. The Moonshot cartridges have no RAID controller, and ESXi has no software RAID, so each disk there is its own datastore.
How fast is a VMware server delivered?
About 30 minutes after the order is approved when the machine is already racked, and 4 to 24 hours when it is built to order. ESXi is installed before the handover. Payment and fraud checks come first and are the part that varies.
What support comes with an ESXi server?
Chat answers in seconds with an AI assistant that can check your account and your server, and a person takes over when you ask. We look after the hardware, the network and the ESXi install. The virtual machines and what runs inside them are yours to manage.
Where are your VMware servers located?
New York, Miami, San Francisco, Amsterdam and Bucharest, on our own network, AS19624. The table above shows the cities for each line.
Build the ESXi host
Choose a line, set the memory and disks, and pick VMware vSphere Hypervisor on the order form. The price updates as you go.