made a free version of ESXi 9.0 available for personal or home lab use; it is currently only available as part of paid subscriptions like VMware vSphere Foundation 9.0 VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 vInfrastructure Blog Licensing Options for ESXi 9.0
GitHub, a popular platform for developers and open-source enthusiasts, occasionally hosts repositories containing VMware ESXi license keys. These repositories often claim to provide "free" or "cracked" license keys, which can be tempting for users seeking to avoid licensing costs. However, it's essential to understand the risks associated with using GitHub-based solutions: vmware esxi 9 license key github better
: If you still want to use VMware for a home lab, a VMUG Advantage subscription (~$200/year) provides legal licenses for almost all VMware products for non-production use. Free ESXi: Restrictions and Limitations - NAKIVO made a free version of ESXi 9