Microsoft Licensing Calculator

Per-core licensing covers all users and devices without CALs, making it ideal for internet-facing applications, unpredictable user counts, or high-density environments. Server+CAL is often cheaper for small teams with a known, fixed number of internal users accessing one or two SQL Server instances. This calculator compares both models side by side so you can see the cost difference.

SQL Server Standard is limited to the lesser of 4 sockets or 24 cores, and a maximum of 128 GB of RAM per instance. If your server has more than 24 cores, or your workload requires more than 128 GB of memory, you need Enterprise edition. The calculator automatically detects when your configuration exceeds these limits.

No. Per-core licensing covers unlimited users and devices. You only need CALs if you choose the Server+CAL licensing model, which is available for Standard edition only.

No. Microsoft requires per-core licensing for any SQL Server workload accessed by users outside your organization, including websites, public APIs, SaaS applications, and any service accessed by non-employees. Server+CAL is restricted to internal users and devices.

With per-core licensing, you can license individual VMs instead of the entire physical host. Each VM requires a minimum of 4 core licenses. Alternatively, licensing all cores on the physical host with Enterprise edition and Software Assurance grants unlimited VM rights on that host.

Enterprise is required when Standard's limits are exceeded (more than 24 cores or 128 GB RAM). Beyond limits, Enterprise provides features like Always On Availability Groups (unlimited replicas), in-memory OLTP, data compression, and columnstore indexes. For high availability, large databases, or mission-critical workloads, Enterprise often pays for itself in reduced downtime and better performance.