Migration TCO calculator
Pick a source and target, then tune every input. Defaults are illustrative, replace them with your own vendor quotes.
Every figure here is an illustrative estimate, not a vendor quote. Defaults are editable starting points compiled from public information; real, binding pricing comes from the vendor or an authorized distributor. See our methodology.
How this is licensed: vSphere licenses the physical CPU cores of each host (16-core minimum per CPU), not VMs. Count total physical cores across hosts and set $/core to your subscription tier.
Illustrative, editable figures, not vendor pricing (defaults reviewed May 2026).
How this calculator models total cost of ownership
Comparing IT platforms on sticker price alone is how teams end up surprised eighteen months later. This tool models the three-year total cost of ownership (TCO) of staying on your current product versus moving to an alternative, so the number you are weighing is the real one: licensing plus the cost of the migration itself, spread across the period you will actually live with the decision.
The core comparison is deliberately simple so you can reason about it. For each side it takes your unit count (the thing the vendor actually charges for) multiplied by a cost per unit, projected over three years, and then adds the one-time migration cost to the target side. The output is the cumulative spend on each path and the point at which the migration pays for itself. Every input is editable, the defaults are only a starting point to get you to a realistic shape quickly.
Why the unit changes by category
Different products are licensed on completely different meters, and comparing them on the wrong unit produces a meaningless number. This calculator uses the correct meter per category:
- Virtualization is licensed per physical CPU core across your hosts (vSphere counts cores, not VMs, with a 16-core-per-CPU minimum), so you size by total physical cores.
- Databases and operating systems are effectively counted by vCPU (or per-VM subscription) on virtual machines.
- Backup, storage, and data warehousing are billed by capacity (terabytes protected, usable, or managed).
- Identity, monitoring, security, and DevOps price by users, hosts, endpoints, or seats.
Because the meter differs, so does the savings lever. Cutting a per-core hypervisor bill is a different exercise from taming usage-based monitoring spend, and the calculator pre-fills the right unit and a sensible mid-size default for each.
Reading the result honestly
Three things are worth remembering when you interpret the output. First, open-source destinations remove the license but not the cost: budget for infrastructure and, often, a commercial support subscription so the comparison is fair. Second, the migration cost is where estimates go wrong most often, the data movement is rarely the expensive part; validation, application changes, and parallel-running two systems are. Second-guess a migration figure that looks suspiciously clean. Third, a short payback period is reassuring but it is not the whole story: operational risk, in-house skills, and support expectations belong in the decision alongside the number.
From estimate to a real quote
Treat this as a screening tool, not a procurement document. Its job is to tell you, in a few minutes, whether a migration is worth scoping in earnest or clearly is not. When a path looks worth pursuing, open its dedicated page for a phase-by-phase plan and an in-depth guide, then use the requirements builder to generate an RFQ you can send to an authorized vendor or distributor. When their binding quote comes back, plug the real prices in here to close the loop on your TCO. The defaults compiled from public information get you started; your own numbers make it decision-grade.
Frequently asked
Are the default prices real vendor quotes?
No. They are illustrative starting points compiled from publicly reported list prices, meant to get you to a realistic shape fast. Binding pricing depends on your bundle, term length, and negotiation, and only the vendor or an authorized distributor can provide it. Replace the defaults with your own figures for a decision-grade result.
Does a lower three-year cost mean I should migrate?
Not on its own. Cost is one input; migration effort, operational risk, in-house skills, and support expectations matter just as much. Use the number to decide whether a move is worth scoping, then weigh it against the plan and effort shown on each migration path page.
Why do open-source options still show a cost?
Removing a license fee does not remove infrastructure, operations, or optional commercial support. A fair comparison keeps those on the open-source side, which is why the calculator lets you set a support tier and infrastructure cost rather than assuming free means zero.
What is the single most under-estimated input?
The migration cost, specifically validation and parallel-running rather than data movement. Teams routinely under-budget the testing, application-SQL or config changes, and the period of running both systems side by side. If your migration figure looks too clean, it probably is.