Vsphere Kubernetes License _verified_ -

As of 2025/2026, there are two primary ways to license Kubernetes on vSphere:

If you do not want to use VMware's proprietary Tanzu stack, you can run "Vanilla" Kubernetes (or distributions like RKE2, K3s, or OpenShift) on standard vSphere VMs. vsphere kubernetes license

VMware has moved away from perpetual licenses and per-CPU socket pricing. All new licenses are now and based on the number of physical CPU cores . As of 2025/2026, there are two primary ways

Deep integration with vSphere storage/network policies, automated VM-based K8s nodes, lifecycle management. As of 2025/2026

Unlike traditional VMs, Kubernetes licensing on vSphere is technically enforced at the level:

These were historically the entry-level licenses for running Kubernetes. Tanzu Basic allowed you to run K8s on top of vSphere, while Standard added multi-cloud management capabilities.