Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has announced a year-long free trial of its “HPE Morpheus Software—VM Essentials” offering, aiming to lure customers away from high-priced VMware alternatives.

The move comes as VMware’s parent company has eliminated perpetual licenses and bundled products into expensive packages, causing frustration among end users and resellers. HPE claims VM Essentials could bring up to 90% cost savings while helping businesses eliminate vendor lock-in and simplify hybrid IT management.

“New VM Essentials customers can receive a year of free licenses for the software, $1 worth of HPE Zerto for non-disruptive migration support, and 0% interest on software through HPE Financial Services,” an HPE press release states. Additionally, from March 1 to June 30, HPE is offering a free year of VM Essentials via rebate to customers who buy AMD servers with a one-year license.

HPE’s approach contrasts sharply with that of its competitor Broadcom, which has drastically reduced the number of resellers allowed to sell VMware products. The shift towards per-core licensing by VMware also adds pressure on businesses seeking cost-effective solutions.

Jeremiah Jenson, VP of HPE’s North American channel and partner ecosystem, told CRN: “Customers are feeling quite a bit of pain in the change that some of the virtualisation companies have put there, specifically Broadcom.”