Dedicated servers · VMware ESXi
ESXi dedicated server hosting with VMware already installed when you log in
ESXi dedicated server hosting at Primcast gives you a whole physical server with VMware ESXi 7 or 8 installed by us, at no charge, so your first login opens the ESXi Host Client and you can start building virtual machines. ESXi 8 hosts start at $62.58 a month.
Month to month, no contract. The port is yours alone at the switch and nothing meters it.
- HypervisorVMware ESXi 7 · 8
- Networkvmnic0 VM Network
- Loginroot, SSH switched on
- LicenceEvaluation mode until you add your key
01Day one
What is on your VMware ESXi dedicated server when it arrives
You choose VMware vSphere Hypervisor in the configurator and our installer does the rest. It writes ESXi straight onto the server's own disk, with no other operating system underneath, and starts it on your public address. Here is what that leaves you with.
- Bare metal
- ESXi runs directly on the hardware. Every core, every gigabyte of memory and every disk in the machine belongs to your virtual machines, and nobody else's workload shares them.
- Management
- Your server's first IPv4 address is set on the ESXi management network, on the first network port. Open it in a browser to reach the Host Client.
- VM network
- The installer creates the standard VM Network port group on the same uplink, so a new virtual machine can go online as soon as you give it an address.
- IPv6
- If your order includes IPv6, the addresses and the route are already set on the management interface.
- Access
- You log in as root. SSH is switched on at first boot, so you can script the host from the start. Your login details arrive by email.
- Licence
- No key is entered for you. ESXi starts in VMware's 60-day evaluation mode, and you add your own licence before it ends. See your licence options.
02Hosts and prices
Every server line that takes ESXi, and what it costs
Each row is a line you can configure with the ESXi image. The price is the least a complete machine on that line costs, and the line underneath tells you exactly which machine it is. Add memory, disks or a faster port in the configurator and the total updates as you go.
ESXi 8 does not install on the older Xeon E5 and Opteron processors, so those builds come with ESXi 7. The configurator only offers a version where it runs.
| Server line | ESXi | Sockets | Memory up to | Port up to | Cities | From, per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMD Opteron 6300Rack or blade server, hardware RAID | 7 | 1 or 2 | 256 GB | 20 Gbps | New York, Bucharest, Miami | $51.86AMD Opteron 6366 HE Hexadeca Core 1.80 GHz · 16 GB DDR3 · 1 × SATA 500 GB · 500 Mbps · ESXi 7Configure AMD Opteron 6300 |
| Moonshot m710x cartridgeCartridge, no RAID controller | 8 · 7 | 1 | 64 GB | 10 Gbps | New York, Bucharest, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Miami | $62.58Intel Xeon E3-1585L v5 Quad Core 3.00 Ghz · 32 GB DDR4 · 1 × NVMe-SSD 240 GB · 1 Gbps · ESXi 8Configure Moonshot m710x cartridge |
| Intel Xeon E5-2600 v1/v2Rack or blade server, hardware RAID | 7 | 1 or 2 | 256 GB | 20 Gbps | New York, Bucharest, Miami | $70.93Intel 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 |
| Intel Xeon E5-2600 v3/v4Rack or blade server, hardware RAID | 8 · 7 | 1 or 2 | 1 TB | 40 Gbps | New York, Bucharest, San Francisco, Miami, Amsterdam | $73.47Intel 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 |
| Intel Xeon Silver / GoldRack or blade server, hardware RAID | 8 · 7 | 1 or 2 | 1 TB | 100 Gbps | New York, Bucharest, San Francisco, Miami, Amsterdam | $83.67Intel 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 |
| Moonshot m750 cartridgeCartridge, no RAID controller | 8 · 7 | 1 | 64 GB | 10 Gbps | Bucharest | €105.99Intel Xeon E-2286M 8 CORE 2.40 GHz · 32 GB DDR4 · 1 × NVMe-SSD 240 GB · 1 Gbps · ESXi 8Configure Moonshot m750 cartridge |
| Intel Xeon E5-4600 v1/v2Rack or blade server, hardware RAID | 7 | 4 | 512 GB | 20 Gbps | New York, Bucharest, Miami | $109.694 × 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 |
| Intel Xeon E5-4600 v3/v4Rack or blade server, hardware RAID | 8 · 7 | 4 | 1 TB | 20 Gbps | New York, Bucharest, Miami, San Francisco, Amsterdam | $212.374 × 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 |
| AMD EPYCRack or blade server, hardware RAID | 8 · 7 | 1 or 2 | 1 TB | 20 Gbps | New York, Bucharest | $217.59AMD EPYC 7413 24 CORE 2.65 GHz 128MB L3 CACHE · 32 GB DDR4 · 1 × SATA-SSD 240 GB · 1 Gbps · ESXi 8Configure AMD EPYC |
| Intel Xeon GoldRack or blade server, hardware RAID | 8 · 7 | 4 | 2 TB | 20 Gbps | New York, Bucharest, San Francisco | $409.384 × 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 |
- SetupA server that is already racked, ordered as it stands, has no setup fee. A machine built to your choices pays $29.00 once.
- Paying aheadPay for 3, 6 or 12 months at a time and the monthly price drops, by up to 15% on a year.
- CurrencyServers in Amsterdam and Bucharest are billed in euros, servers in the US cities in dollars.
03Picking the host
Which ESXi host fits your virtual machines
Start from what you plan to run. Count the memory your virtual machines need together, add some room for ESXi itself, and decide how much a failed disk would hurt.
A server with hardware RAID
Rack and blade servers have a RAID controller, so the datastore can sit on a mirror and survive a failed disk. They also come with an out-of-band console (HPE iLO, Dell iDRAC or a Supermicro BMC) for the day a network change locks you out. This is the right choice for anything you would miss. The least expensive one with ESXi 8 is $73.47 a month for Intel Xeon E5-2620 v4 Octo Core 2.10 GHz · 32 GB DDR4 · 2 × SATA 500 GB (RAID 1) · 1 Gbps.
A Moonshot cartridge for a lab
The m710x and m750 cartridges run ESXi on NVMe storage, and the m710x is the least expensive way onto ESXi 8 here. They have no RAID controller, and ESXi has no software RAID of its own, so each disk is its own datastore. Use them for test labs and machines you can rebuild, and keep your backups somewhere else.
Four sockets for a crowded host
When you need dozens of virtual machines on one host, the four-socket lines hold up to 2 TB of memory. Count the licence first: paid vSphere is sold per core, and every processor counts as at least 16 cores. More on our quad CPU server page.
A faster port for busy virtual machines
Every host comes with an unmetered port, and you can raise it in the configurator. A 10 Gbps port is $529.00 a month on every line here, the same figure in euros in Amsterdam and Bucharest. The table above shows the fastest port each line takes. You can add IPv4 addresses for your virtual machines on the order form, up to 8 on the larger lines.
04Licence
The VMware licence: what we install and what you bring
Since Broadcom bought VMware, the licence is the part of an ESXi host that needs planning. We install the hypervisor for nothing. We do not sell VMware licences, so the key is yours to choose.
What you get from us
- ESXi 7 or 8 installed on the server, with no charge on the invoice for the install.
- VMware's 60-day evaluation mode from the first boot, with every feature switched on, so you can test your setup before you buy anything.
- Root access to the host, so you enter your licence key yourself in the Host Client.
What you arrange with Broadcom
- Broadcom's free ESXi 8.0 Update 3e licence works on hosts with up to 2 processors and allows up to 8 virtual CPUs per virtual machine. It has no vCenter, so no vMotion or HA, and no Broadcom support. Broadcom ties it to that build, and the ESXi 8 we install is an earlier 8.0 release, so ask us in chat before you plan on it.
- A paid vSphere Foundation or Cloud Foundation subscription, bought per core, with each processor counted as at least 16 cores.
- ESXi 7 reached the end of VMware's general support on 2 October 2025. Choose ESXi 8 wherever the processor allows it.
Would you rather skip the licence question? Proxmox VE is free to run with every feature, and we install it the same way.
05Ordering
From order to your first virtual machine
- 01
Pick the host
Choose the line, processor, memory, disks, port, city and VMware vSphere Hypervisor in the configurator. The price updates with every choice.
- 02
We install ESXi
A racked server is online about 30 minutes after your payment is approved. A build to your choices takes 4 to 24 hours.
- 03
Log in and build
Open the Host Client on your server's address, add your licence key, upload your ISO images to the datastore and create your virtual machines.
- 04
Help when you want it
Our AI chat answers in seconds and can check your account and your server. Ask for a person whenever you like. Failed hardware is replaced within 24 hours on the included support plan.
06Questions
ESXi dedicated server questions, answered
01What is ESXi dedicated server hosting?
It is a physical server you rent by the month with VMware ESXi installed directly on the hardware. ESXi is a type 1 hypervisor: it splits the server's processors, memory, disks and network among your virtual machines, and you manage them from the Host Client in your browser. No other customer shares the machine.
02How much does a VMware ESXi dedicated server cost?
The least expensive ESXi 8 host is $62.58 a month for Intel Xeon E3-1585L v5 Quad Core 3.00 Ghz · 32 GB DDR4 · 1 × NVMe-SSD 240 GB · 1 Gbps. The table on this page shows the starting price on every line. The ESXi install costs nothing; a VMware licence, if you need a paid one, comes from Broadcom or a reseller.
03Is the VMware licence included?
No. We install ESXi and you add the licence. The host runs in VMware's 60-day evaluation mode from the first boot, which gives you time to choose between Broadcom's free ESXi 8.0 Update 3e licence and a paid vSphere subscription.
04Can I use the free version of ESXi?
On a host with one or two processors, yes. Broadcom's free licence allows up to 8 virtual CPUs per virtual machine and has no vCenter, no vMotion and no Broadcom support. Four-socket servers are beyond its limit, so they need a paid licence. If you are unsure which build to install for the free licence, ask us in chat before you order.
05Which ESXi versions can you install?
VMware vSphere Hypervisor 8 on 7 server lines and 7 on all 10. ESXi 8 does not support Intel Xeon E5 v1 to v3 or AMD Opteron 6300 processors, so builds with those get ESXi 7.
06Do you offer managed VMware ESXi dedicated servers?
We look after the hardware, the network, the out-of-band console and reinstalls. Inside ESXi, the virtual machines, networks and datastores are yours to run. The order form also offers support plans above the included one, with faster response, faster hardware replacement and monitoring. If you want someone to administer the hypervisor itself, tell us in chat what you need before you order.
07Is ESXi installed on bare metal or inside another virtual machine?
On bare metal. ESXi is written to the server's own disk and boots straight from it, with no host operating system or second hypervisor between ESXi and the hardware.
08How do my virtual machines get public IP addresses?
Add IPv4 addresses on the order form, up to 8 on the larger lines, and assign them to your virtual machines on the VM Network port group. The first address is used by ESXi's own management network. IPv6 addresses can be added to the order as well.
09Do I get RAID and a remote console?
On rack and blade servers, yes to both: a hardware RAID controller for the datastore and an HPE iLO, Dell iDRAC or Supermicro BMC console. The Moonshot cartridges have no RAID controller. The m710x has a console of its own; for the m750, ask us in chat before you count on one.
10How soon is my ESXi server ready, and can I cancel?
A server that is already racked is online about 30 minutes after your payment is approved, with ESXi installed. A build to your choices takes 4 to 24 hours. There is no contract: cancel before your billing month ends and nothing more is charged.
Ready to set up your ESXi host?
Pick a line, choose VMware vSphere Hypervisor in the configurator, and log in to ESXi on your own server. Questions first? Our chat answers in seconds, and a person is there when you ask.