How many cores does VMware actually bill?
After Broadcom, VMware licenses per core with a minimum of 16 cores per populated CPU. Enter your hosts to see your billable cores — and how much the floor adds over the cores you physically run.
Your hosts
Enter a representative host profile. Mixed fleets can be run in groups.
Most servers have 2.
Sockets with fewer than 16 cores license at the 16-core minimum.
The 16-core-per-CPU minimum raises your billable cores above the cores you physically run. On sub-16-core sockets, you license capacity you don’t have.
This is the list-rule estimate
It applies the per-CPU minimum to the host profile you entered. Your real position depends on every host in your fleet and which editions they run — reconcile it against what your fleet actually runs.
How this is calculated
For each populated physical CPU, VMware licenses the greater of its core count or 16. Billable cores are the sum across every socket in the fleet. This calculator counts cores only — it does not quote a price, because list rates and discounts vary by agreement. It is an indicative estimate of the core count, not a quote; confirm the current rules and your pricing with Broadcom or your reseller.
VMware, vSphere, vSAN, VCF, and VVF are trademarks of Broadcom Inc. and/or its affiliates. RenewalIntel is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Broadcom.