VMware vSphere 6 Editions Overview

This article describes all the important differences between the various VMware vSphere 6
editions.
Information about the price differences can be found at Thomas Krenn VMware vSphere 6
License Configurator (Downgrade to vSphere 5 possible)

Contents
1 VMware vSphere 6 Editions for Smaller Environments
2 VMware vSphere 6 Editions for Larger Companies
3 VMware vSphere Acceleration Kits with Operations Manager (vSOM)
4 VMware vSphere Remote Office Branch Office Editions
5 References
6 Additional Resources

VMware vSphere 6 Editions for Smaller Environments

VMware vSphere 6 Essentials and VMware vSphere 6 Essentials Plus packages must be
considered separately. They have been specifically designed for small businesses and can
virtualize up to three physical servers. Central management of these servers is only possible via
vCenter Server for Essentials. vCenter Server Standard, which allows central management of
any number of physical host servers, can only be used with regular vSphere licenses with or
without vSOM.
The essential packages can be upgraded to the various Acceleration Kits! Please contact us for
specific inquiries.

Feature VMware Essentials Essentials Plus

Hypervisor
(prev. ESXi
Single Server)

Phys. RAM limit Host limit 12TB Host limit 12TB Host limit 12TB

vCenter Server None vCenter Server for vCenter Server for

compatibility Essentials (up to 3 Essentials (up to 3
physical servers) physical servers)

Licenses For 1 physical For 3 physical servers For 3 physical servers

server (max. 2 processors per (max. 2 processors per
server) server)

Unlimited number of No known limit No known limit No known limit

virtual machines?
128 128
vCPU limit 128
vCenter Server for Yes Yes
Essentials Agent
Update Manager Yes Yes
vStorage APIs for Yes Yes
Data Protection(prev.
VCB)
HA functionality Yes
Data recovery Yes
vMotion Yes
vSAN Yes, optional
Cores per CPU No limits No limits No limits
Support and Can be One-year subscription Must be acquired with
subscriptions acquired included in price (Support min. 12
separately is acquired on a per months Basic or Product
incident basis, more ion Support
information available from
VMware) No Basic or
Production Level
subscriptions possible
multi-year subscriptions
can be purchased
Upgradeable? Yes Yes Yes
Price see Thomas Krenn VMware vSphere 6 License
Configurator (Downgrade to vSphere 5 possible)
Feature VMware Essentials Essentials Plus
Hypervisor
(prev. ESXi
Single Server)

VMware vSphere 6 Editions for Larger Companies

Product VMware Standard Enterprise Enterprise Plus
Hypervisor (prev.
ESXi Single
 Server)

Type of licensing Per CPU Per CPU Per CPU

128 128 128 128
vCPU limit
vCenter Server None vCenter vCenter vCenter Server
compatibility Server Server Standard
Standard Standard
Thin provisioning Yes Yes Yes Yes
vSAN Yes, optional Yes, optional Yes, optional
Update Manager Yes Yes Yes
Data recovery Yes Yes Yes
High availability Yes Yes Yes
vMotion Yes Yes Yes
Storage APIs for data Yes Yes Yes
protection
Hot add Yes Yes Yes
Replication Yes Yes Yes
vShield zones Yes Yes Yes
Fault tolerance Yes Yes Yes
Storage vMotion Yes Yes Yes
Virtual Serial Port Yes Yes
Concentrator
Storage APIs for storage Yes Yes
integration
Storage APIs for Yes Yes
multipathing
Distributed Resource Yes Yes
Scheduler + DPM
Big data extentions Yes Yes
Reliable memory Yes Yes
Storage I/O control Yes
Network I/O control Yes
Distributed switch Yes
Host profiles Yes
Auto deploy Yes
Storage DRS Yes
Profile Driven Storage Yes
SR-IOV Yes
Flash read cache Yes
AppHA Yes
vSOM Not available The individual licenses are available with and
without vSphere Operations Management
Price see Thomas Krenn VMware vSphere 6 License
 Configurator (Downgrade to vSphere 5 possible)[1]
Product ESXi Hypervisor Standard Enterprise Enterprise Plus
(only with ESXi) (only with (only with (only with ESXi)
ESXi) ESXi)

VMware vSphere Acceleration Kits with Operations

Manager (vSOM)
The vSOM Standard licenses from the vSOM Standard Acc. Kits can be combined with existing
Standard licenses without vSOM and managed via vCenter. Should one wish to add vSOM, this
can be activated on request via an upgrade.

Info/feature Acc. Kit Standard Acc. Kit Enterprise Acc. Kit Enterprise Plus with
with vSOM with vSOM vSOM

Features vSphere Standard + vSphere Enterprise + vSphere Enterprise Plus +

vCenter Operations vCenter Operations vCenter Operations
Management Suite Management Suite Management Suite
for 6 processors for 6 processors for 6 processors

vCenter Server vCenter Standard vCenter Standard vCenter Standard

Version

Unlimited Yes Yes Yes

number of VMs?

Price see Thomas Krenn VMware vSphere 6 License Configurator (Downgrade to

vSphere 5 possible)[1]

Info/feature Acc. Kit Standard Acc. Kit Enterprise Acc. Kit Enterprise Plus with
with vSOM with vSOM vSOM

VMware vSphere Remote Office Branch Office Editions

Info/feature vSphere Remote Office vSphere Remote Office Branch Office
Branch Office Standard Advanced

vMotion Yes Yes

Storage vMotion Yes Yes

High availability Yes Yes

Data protection Yes Yes

Fault tolerance Two vCPUs Two vCPUs

vShield Endpoint Yes Yes

vSphere Replication Yes Yes

Hot add Yes Yes

Host Profiles and Auto Yes

Deploy

Distributed switch Yes

Info/feature vSphere Remote Office vSphere Remote Office Branch Office

Branch Office Standard Advanced