Day: October 3, 2015
The Master List: VMware ESXi Release and Build Number History (Updated 2026) | Lazy Admin Blog
Is your host up to date? Checking the “About” section in your vSphere Client is step one, but cross-referencing that number against this list is how you confirm if you’re on a General Availability (GA) release, an Update, or an Express Patch.
vSphere ESXi 9.0 (Latest)
The new generation of the hypervisor, optimized for AI workloads and DPUs.
| Name | Version | Release Date | Build Number |
| VMware ESXi 9.0.2 | 9.0.2 | 2026-01-20 | 25148080 |
| VMware ESXi 9.0.1 | 9.0.1 | 2025-09-29 | 24957450 |
| VMware ESXi 9.0 GA | 9.0 GA | 2025-06-17 | 24755225 |
vSphere ESXi 8.0
The enterprise workhorse for 2024-2026.
| Name | Version | Release Date | Build Number |
| VMware ESXi 8.0 Update 3 | 8.0 U3 | 2024-06-25 | 24022510 |
| VMware ESXi 8.0 Update 2 | 8.0 U2 | 2023-09-21 | 22380479 |
| VMware ESXi 8.0 Update 1 | 8.0 U1 | 2023-04-18 | 21495797 |
| VMware ESXi 8.0 GA | 8.0 GA | 2022-10-11 | 20513097 |
vSphere ESXi 7.0
Note: This version introduced the new Lifecycle Manager (vLCM).
| Name | Version | Release Date | Build Number |
| VMware ESXi 7.0 Update 3w | 7.0 U3w | 2025-09-29 | 24927030 |
| VMware ESXi 7.0 Update 3 | 7.0 U3 | 2021-10-05 | 18644231 |
| VMware ESXi 7.0 GA | 7.0 GA | 2020-04-02 | 15843807 |
vSphere ESXi 6.x Legacy (Archive)
| Name | Version | Release Date | Build Number |
| VMware ESXi 6.7 Update 3 | 6.7 U3 | 2019-08-20 | 14320388 |
| VMware ESXi 6.5 Update 3 | 6.5 U3 | 2019-07-02 | 13932383 |
| VMware ESXi 6.0 Update 1a | 6.0 U1a | 2015-10-06 | 3073146 |
| VMware ESXi 6.0 GA | 6.0 GA | 2015-03-12 | 2494585 |
How to Verify Your Build Number
If you aren’t at your desk and only have SSH access to the host, you can find your build number instantly with this command:
vmware -v
Example Output:
VMware ESXi 8.0.0 build-20513097
Lazy Admin Tip 💡
Always remember the vCenter Interoperability Rule: Your vCenter Server must always be at a build version equal to or higher than your ESXi hosts. If you patch your hosts to vSphere 9.0 while vCenter is still on 8.0, your hosts will show as “Not Responding” or “Disconnected.”
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