While VMware ESXi 6.5 was once a staple for home labs and small businesses through its free edition, Broadcom officially discontinued the free vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi) in February 2024
If you find a genuine copy of ESXi 6.5, you can activate the using a generic license key. (Note: These keys are product-specific. A key for 6.0 won't work on 6.5, and a key for 7.0 won't work on 6.5). vmware esxi 6.5 download iso free