For legitimate use, always check VMware’s official website or Broadcom support portal.

Traditional 25-character license keys are being replaced by subscription-based license files managed through a centralized console.

With the release of VMware ESXi 9.x and VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.0, Broadcom fundamentally changed how the software is activated: VMware Blogs No More Static Keys:

Under Broadcom, VMware has moved to a . Even if you find a "permanent" license key on GitHub, the software is designed to look for an active subscription. For home lab enthusiasts, this has made "gray market" keys much less reliable than they were in the ESXi 6.7 era. 4. Legal and Safe Alternatives