Windows Server, SQL Server & RDS CAL Licenses

Start with your workload, physical cores and access requirements. Windows Server operating system licenses, SQL Server database licenses, base CALs and Remote Desktop Services CALs serve different purposes.

Windows Server operating systems

Under physical-core licensing, cover every physical core, with minimums of 8 cores per processor and 16 per server. Standard’s two virtual operating system environments and Datacenter’s unlimited virtual environments require full coverage of the host’s required cores.

Base CALs and Remote Desktop CALs

User CALs are assigned to people; Device CALs are assigned to devices. Neither is simply a pool of concurrent sessions. RDS CALs generally supplement base access rights and do not include the server OS.

SQL Server

SQL Server licensing is separate from Windows Server. Compare the edition, core count or Server + CAL model, and deployment rights on each product. Unlimited client access under per-core licensing is different from unlimited virtualization rights.

SQL Server 2025 Standard 16 Core · SQL Server 2025 Enterprise 16 Core

Licensing guides

Core coverage and CAL examples · Standard vs Datacenter · RDS User vs Device CALs · SQL Server edition and licensing comparison

Delivery, support and license terms

Instant digital delivery by email after payment confirmation. Installation and activation assistance is available 24×7 for USA and global customers. Device count, license type and transfer rights are specific to each listing. A perpetual license does not include lifetime Microsoft support or future major-version upgrades.

Delivery policy · Refund policy · Help Center

Business purchasing and focused catalogs

SQL Server licenses · RDS User and Device CALs · Business purchasing and quote requests