Capacity Planner
How many VMs fit on a host while balancing cost and performance? Set your ESXi capacity and VM classes, choose a mix, and read planned consumption across the allocation, reservation and utilisation models. Aim for 90 to 110%.
ESXi host capacity
The physical host. Usable capacity removes hypervisor overhead; reservation is capped at base clock.
Classes of service
Overcommit ratios per class. CPU and memory each have their own; Bronze is the densest.
VM sizing
One representative VM per class. Gold is 4× Bronze, Silver 2×. Utilisation and reservation are set per class.
VM mix
How many of each class on this host. The six numbers below are planned consumption; aim for 90 to 110% on the binding one.
You run out of capacity when any number reaches 100%. Green is 90 to 110%; amber is headroom; red is over capacity.
Cost comparison
Public cloud has no class of service: every VM is priced the same. Private cloud cost is per host over five years.
Interactive version of the Capacity Planning worksheet from the guide. Defaults reproduce it; change any green field to model your estate.