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VMware ESXi VS VMware vSphere_

As of 4 November 2026, VMware vSphere is named by 1,122 companies and VMware ESXi by 972; VMware ESXi skews to companies under 200 people (37% vs 35%), VMware vSphere to companies over 1,000 (38% vs 37%).

As of 4 November 2026 · refreshed daily · counts move as websites, DNS and career sites are re-read.

The website-and-DNS footprint is not comparable between a marketing suite and a CRM: VMware ESXi's script and mail records show on hundreds of thousands of small sites, VMware vSphere rarely leaves a trace outside its own apps. Compare on the job-posting numbers; use the footprint for reach.

VMware ESXi: 2–200 employees
37%
VMware vSphere: 2–200 employees
35%
VMware ESXi: 1,000+ employees
37%
VMware vSphere: 1,000+ employees
38%
Postings per company, 90 days
2.5 · 2.6
Website or DNS footprint
0 · 0
972companies name VMware ESXi
1,122companies name VMware vSphere
739name both
2,474 · 2,908postings in 90 days, VMware ESXi · VMware vSphere
02 — Side by side

Who chooses which

Share of each tool's companies in every segment. "Leans" marks a gap of more than two points.

By company size
SegmentVMware ESXishareVMware vSphereshareLeans
Self-employed101%161%even
2-10 employees455%575%even
11-50 employees11011%10810%even
51-200 employees20922%23221%even
201-500 employees15116%17616%even
501-1000 employees909%1059%even
1001-5000 employees17118%21319%even
5001-10000 employees576%646%even
10,001+ employees12913%15113%even
By industry
SegmentVMware ESXishareVMware vSphereshareLeans
Technology & software40442%47542%even
Business & finance services16717%18016%even
Manufacturing & industry16417%19517%even
Utilities & infrastructure445%383%even
Public, community & associations414%363%even
Health care293%343%even
Commerce & trade253%323%even
Consumer services & leisure192%323%even
Property & construction192%202%even
Automotive182%212%even
Transport, logistics & rental182%242%even
Media & content172%252%even
By country
SegmentVMware ESXishareVMware vSphereshareLeans
United States55857%65358%even
Germany778%1029%even
United Kingdom515%605%even
France333%333%even
Canada202%262%even
India182%121%even
Belgium131%121%even
Spain131%131%even
Austria111%111%even
Netherlands111%121%even
Italy101%202%even
Poland91%––outside top 12
Switzerland––121%outside top 12
Postings by team (share of each tool's postings)
SegmentVMware ESXishareVMware vSphereshareLeans
IT operations & business systems2,11464%2,54364%even
Engineering (non-software)3029%3298%even
Software engineering2929%3549%even
Customer service & success491%471%even
Product, program & project management351%541%even
Sales281%441%even
Data & AI140%50%even
Quality, safety & environment50%20%even
skilled trades and field service50%160%even
Education & training40%241%even
Unclassified40%50%even
arts media and entertainment30%30%even
construction and civil30%20%even
General management & consulting30%50%even
hospitality and food service30%20%even
Administration & office20%20%even
Marketing & communications20%––outside top 12
public safety and protective services20%20%even
Business development & strategy10%10%even
social care and community10%––outside top 12
Travel, leisure & events10%––outside top 12
Human resources––10%outside top 12
logistics warehouse and transport––10%outside top 12
Go deeper

The companies behind each column

Companies using VMware ESXi →
Companies using VMware vSphere →
virtualization vdi ranked →

Cite this

Quote the sentence with the date and the link. The numbers change daily; the link always shows the current ones.

VMware vSphere is named by 1,122 companies in job postings and VMware ESXi by 972; 739 name both. (Breaknorm, 4 November 2026, https://breaknorm.co/compare/vmware-esxi-vs-vmware-vsphere)
How we know

Read from the source, not self-reported

Every number on this page can be traced to a page we crawled or a posting we read. Full methodology →

  • Job postingsRead hourly from career sites. A tool counts when the employer's own text names it as the team's system; both tools can count for one company.
  • Website and DNSScripts and embeds on the company's pages, plus SPF, DKIM, MX and CNAME records of its domain that point at the vendor.
  • SegmentsCountry, size and industry from the company profile built from its website.
  • Not a reviewNo ratings, prices or feature claims. For those, read the vendors.
FAQ

VMware ESXi vs VMware vSphere: questions

Which is more used, VMware ESXi or VMware vSphere?

By companies naming it in their own job postings, VMware vSphere (1,122) over VMware ESXi (972). By website-and-DNS footprint, VMware vSphere (0 vs 0), because its scripts and mail records sit on many small company sites.

Who chooses VMware ESXi?

37% of VMware ESXi companies have 2 to 200 employees, against 35% for VMware vSphere. 37% of VMware ESXi companies have over 1,000 employees, against 38% for VMware vSphere.

Do companies run both?

739 companies name both in their postings, usually VMware ESXi in marketing and VMware vSphere in sales, or during a migration.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the employer's own text in job postings read hourly from career sites, and from scripts found on company websites in our crawl. No vendor data, no surveys.

Companies and people

Get either list your way

The same data as a search, over MCP and the API, as bulk files, or pushed to you as it changes.

SearchCompany searchFilter on what a company actually does→SearchPeople searchDecision makers, normalized and verified→MCP and APICompanies over MCP and APICount, search and export from your agent→DatasetCompany and People datasetThe whole market in your warehouse→DataCoverage by countryCheck your market before you start→SearchLocal businessesThe same database, by category and city→

Every company on either tool,
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