StarWind Software

I am currently working on migrating virtual machines from a host running ESXi 5 to a new host running ESXi 8. Since there is a significant gap in versions, I would appreciate any guidance or best practices you can offer to ensure a smooth migration process.
Specifically, I'm looking for advice on:
Compatibility considerations between ESXi 5 and ESXi 8. Steps to safely move the VMs, including any tools that could assist with the migration. Thank you in advance for your help!

Welcome to StarWind Forum!

ESXi 5 and ESXi 8.

I guess that's more a question for Broadcom, too, if VMs from ESXi5 can be just moved to ESXi without having anything updated on their end.
In the worst case, you can recreate the VM using the old disks.
StarWind V2V converter allows conversions for 5.5 or later. You could just convert VMs to templates and import those. You can give it a try, converting the VMs as is (shutting them down may be needed).