The two bundles
- VCF
VMware Cloud Foundation
The full private cloud stack, including 1 TiB of vSAN capacity per core.
- VVF
vSphere Foundation
The compute-focused tier, including 0.25 TiB of vSAN capacity per core.
Both are term subscriptions of one, three or five years. Perpetual licenses are no longer sold, and Broadcom does not publish list prices.
How cores are counted
Every physical core on a licensed host counts, including cores deactivated in the BIOS. Hyper-threading does not. Each processor licenses a minimum of 16 cores, even when the CPU has fewer. Additional vSAN capacity is sold as an add-on.
What it means at renewal
Many VMware customers signed their first Broadcom subscriptions in 2024 and 2025, and those terms are now coming up for renewal. The bundle, the core count and the term are all decided before anyone discusses a discount, and each moves the price.
Where Deal IQ comes in
Understanding where the cost sits is useful. Lowering it on your own contract is the negotiation itself. Deal IQ has run 50+ VMware negotiations covering $250M+ in contract value, with a network of 350+ former vendor sales, pricing and deal desk leaders that includes people who sold for VMware. We negotiate directly with VMware or behind the scenes with your team, and our fee comes from the savings.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between VCF and VVF?
VMware Cloud Foundation is the full private cloud stack with 1 TiB of vSAN per core. vSphere Foundation is the compute-focused tier with 0.25 TiB per core.
How does Broadcom count VMware cores?
Every physical core on a licensed host, including disabled cores, with a minimum of 16 cores per processor. Hyper-threading does not count.
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