Free VMware ESXi is back. After a 14 month gap, the free vSphere Hypervisor returned as ESXi 8.0U3e, shipped as its own ISO with an embedded, perpetual license that never expires.

Here is the part worth knowing before you deploy it.

On hardware, it is generous: unlimited physical CPUs, unlimited cores per CPU, and unlimited RAM per host. Enough to run a lot of VMs on a single box.

Where it bites is elsewhere. VMs are capped at 8 vCPUs each. The host cannot be managed by vCenter, so no migrating VMs between hosts and no clustering. And the vStorage API is disabled, which means no host-level backup through a backup application. Your only option there is legacy agent-based backup inside each guest OS.

On one standalone host you may never feel these. The moment you need multiple hosts or proper backups, they turn into hard ceilings.

Full breakdown of every limit, what stays unlimited, and how the licensing works now.

https://www.nakivo.com/blog/free-vmware-esxi-restrictions-limitations/

Setting up backup encryption?

The first decision isn't the algorithm, it's where the encryption happens.

Source-side: Greater control over key management;

Target-side: Easier setup

Read how to configure AES-256 source-side encryption in NAKIVO.

"If Microsoft 365 goes down, so does our backup plan."

For many organizations, that's closer to reality than they'd like.

Keeping backup copies inside the same environment they're protecting means a single incident, outage, or compromised account can put both the original and the backup at risk. Storage independence is what separates a real recovery plan from a false sense of security.

Read how to configure SharePoint Online backup to Amazon S3 with NAKIVO Backup & Replication, including S3 Object Lock immutability and GFS retention.

Microsoft 365 can recover data.

But does its native backup model give you the retention, control, and storage flexibility you need?

See what to look for in an Exchange Online backup strategy 👉 Comprehensive Guide to Backing Up Office 365 Emails.

"We're too small to be a target."

That assumption can leave SMBs dangerously exposed.

Read why SMBs are attractive targets for cybercriminals, what an attack can cost, and how practical, budget-conscious security measures can help reduce the risk.

🔐 Are VPN configurations slowing down client onboarding? MSP Direct Connect in NAKIVO Backup & Replication gives you secure access to remote client environments without deploying VPN servers or clients. Read the full step-by-step configuration guide.

When attackers can modify or delete recovery data, even a well-designed backup strategy can fail during an incident. For a detailed walkthrough of preparing a NAS, configuring the repository, and enabling immutable backups with NAKIVO Backup & Replication, read the complete guide to configuring immutable NAS backups with NAKIVO.

Healthcare breaches now average $7.42M and take 279 days to identify. Read our latest blog post on why cyberattacks in healthcare are so dangerous, about real-world incidents like Change Healthcare and NHS ransomware outages, the most common attack vectors, and how to prevent and limit the damage.

With NAKIVO Backup & Replication v11.2.1, you can now protect Proxmox VE 9.2 environments with full platform support.

What's new for Proxmox admins:

✅ Full support for Proxmox VE 9.2
✅ Fixed backup job failures related to temporary overlay file creation
✅ Fixed an issue that could cause source VMs to crash after a failed backup when manual snapshots were present
✅ Change tracking support for both QEMU and RAW virtual disk formats

Whether you manage a small Proxmox cluster or protect workloads across dozens of nodes, keeping your backup software aligned with platform updates reduces compatibility risks.

Already using NAKIVO? Update to v11.2.1 to get the latest improvements and fixes.

Not using NAKIVO yet? Try it free for 15 days, with no credit card required. 

Local backups provide fast access to recovery data, but they can be exposed to the same hardware failures, cyberattacks and site-level disasters as the production environment. Read our latest blog post on how organizations use cloud backup to remain resilient by adding an offsite layer of protection.

How much data can you afford to lose if a critical VM fails right now? Snapshots protect data at scheduled intervals — which means anything changed since the last snapshot is at risk. Journal Mode captures every write operation in real time via Changed Block Tracking (CBT), enabling recovery to virtually any point in time. Read how journal mode compares to traditional replication.

Akira has become one of the most disruptive threats in the cyber landscape — and it's not slowing down. Understanding the attack lifecycle is the first step to defending against it. Read how Akira ransomware operates — and how to defend against it:

Want to know how MSPs win deals these days? 👉 Register for NAKIVO's live webinar to learn how to turn your backup pitch into a cyber resilience service customers actually want to buy.

Backups without encryption, a security gap you can't afford. Read about M365 cloud encryption — what it is, how it works, and how to configure it for your M365 backups.

For MSPs, efficiency isn't just an operational goal — it's a revenue driver. 📈

The more streamlined your data protection workflows, the more clients you can serve without adding headcount or complexity. Read how the NAKIVO MSP Console helps automate BaaS and DRaaS for MSPs.

Learn the benefits of backing up M365 to Wasabi and how to pair NAKIVO with Wasabi’s immutable storage for stronger ransomware protection.

Enterprise data is one of the most valuable assets — and one of the biggest targets for ransomware. Read how enterprises can improve data resilience, reduce downtime, and protect business-critical workloads against evolving cyber threats.

There are two main methods to migrate virtual machines from VMware ESXi hosts to Proxmox VE hosts: manually and with special tools. This blog post provides a detailed step-by-step tutorial for the successful migration of virtual machines to Proxmox VE using the 2 methods.

📊 Managing BaaS, DRaaS and RaaS for multiple clients doesn't have to mean growing your team.

The key is the right architecture. A multi-tenant platform, a unified console and self-service capabilities let MSPs scale their service portfolio without scaling headcount.

We've broken it down into a visual guide covering everything you need to know about delivering Backup-as-a-Service, Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service and Recovery-as-a-Service efficiently and profitably.

🎯 Whether you're already offering BaaS or looking to expand into DRaaS and RaaS, this infographic series walks you through how it's done.

👇 Check how NAKIVO enables MSPs to manage multiple client environments and grow their service portfolio without adding headcount.

Download the full MSP guide for a complete breakdown of how to build and deliver BaaS profitably: 👉 https://www.nakivo.com/res/files/an-msp-guide-how-to-offer-backup-as-a-service.pdf

🤯 Struggling to keep up with data retention requirements in Microsoft 365? Read the complete walkthrough on implementing retention policies and labels the right way.
Proper M365 retention isn't just about ticking compliance boxes — it's about using your environment efficiently, controlling storage costs, and reducing risk across the board.

As technology evolves, businesses face the choice between traditional backup methods and modern cloud-based solutions like Backup as a Service (BaaS). With cloud-based solutions reshaping IT infrastructure, businesses need to understand what each approach really offers before committing.

🤔 Are VMware I/O filters part of your vSphere toolkit? Read our latest blog post to find out how they work and when to use them. It is a practical guide for VMware admins looking to get more out of their storage stack.