On-prem Oracle Database is licensed by edition under the Oracle License Definitions and Rules (effective 15 June 2024).[1] Enterprise Edition is licensed by Processor (cores × core factor, rounded up) or Named User Plus. Standard Edition 2 is licensed by occupied-socket Processor and/or Named User Plus, with a 2-socket server cap and a 16 CPU-thread cap per database. Personal Edition is listed as Named User Plus only.
Editions
The Oracle Technology Global Price List dated 3 August 2026 lists these Oracle Database products (USA dollars).[2] The price list itself is marked educational only.
| Edition | Named User Plus license | Processor license | Notes from the price list / defs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Edition 2 | $350 | $17,500 | SE2 Processor is occupied socket, not core factor |
| Enterprise Edition | $950 | $47,500 | Processor uses cores × core factor |
| Personal Edition | $460 | — | No Processor license listed; NUP maximum 1 per database |
Software Update License & Support on the same price-list rows: SE2 NUP $77 / Processor $3,850; EE NUP $209 / Processor $10,450; Personal Edition NUP $101.20.[2]
Metrics
- Named User Plus applies to SE2, Enterprise Edition, and Personal Edition. Count authorized individuals plus non-human devices that can access the Programs; measure at the multiplexing front end if multiplexing hardware or software is used.[1]
- Processor applies to Enterprise Edition (core-factor method). Count processors where the Programs are installed and/or running: aggregate cores, multiply by the core factor, round fractions up.[1]
- Standard Edition 2 Processor applies only to Standard Edition 2. A processor is an occupied socket (multi-chip module: each chip is one occupied socket).[1]
Do not apply Database NUP or Processor rules to Java. Java SE uses a separate Employee metric.
Counting
Named User Plus. An individual authorized to use the Programs on a single server or multiple servers, regardless of whether the individual is actively using them. A non-human operated device that can access the Programs counts as a Named User Plus in addition to all authorized individuals. If multiplexing hardware or software (e.g., a TP monitor or a web server product) is used, this number must be measured at the multiplexing front end. Automated batching of data from computer to computer is permitted. All actual users must be licensed, and published NUP minimums must be maintained.[1]
NUP floors.
- Enterprise Edition: 25 Named Users Plus per Processor.[1] Catalog proof: Named User Plus minimum table — EE 25 NUP per Processor (backs Named User Plus minimum).
- Standard Edition 2: if You purchase NUP licenses, You must maintain a minimum of 10 NUP per server.[1] Catalog proof: SE2 Named User Plus minimum — 10 NUP per server.
- Personal Edition: Named User Plus maximum of 1 Named User Plus per database (not a floor).[1]
SE2 hardware caps. Oracle Database Standard Edition 2 may only be licensed on servers that have a maximum capacity of 2 sockets. Each Oracle Database Standard Edition 2 database may use a maximum of 16 CPU threads at any time.[1] Catalog proof: SE2 socket and thread caps — max 2 sockets; max 16 CPU threads.
Processor (Enterprise Edition). Required licenses = total cores of the processor × the core processor licensing factor from the Oracle Processor Core Factor Table; aggregate cores on all multicore chips first; round all fractions up to the next whole number.[1] Catalog proof: Processor Core Factor — multiply cores by Core Factor Table, round up (backs Processor Core Factor). The Core Factor Table (updated 28 January 2026) lists Intel Xeon processors named in that table and AMD EPYC 9005, 9004, 8004, 7003, 7002, 7001, 4005, 4004 Series at 0.5; catch-all “All Other Multicore chips” is 1.0.[3] License Definitions illustrate the catch-all: a platform not specified in the table uses factor 1.0.[1]
Virtualization
The policy names VMware as an example of soft partitioning, alongside Solaris 9 Resource Containers, AIX Workload Manager, HP Process Resource Manager, Affinity Management, and Oracle VM. Unless explicitly stated elsewhere in that document, soft partitioning (including features/functionality of any technologies listed as examples) is not permitted as a means to determine or limit the number of software licenses required for any given server or cluster of servers.[4] Catalog proof: Hard vs soft partitioning — soft not permitted to limit licenses; approved hard list (backs Hard partitioning / soft partitioning).
Hard partitioning is a separate, named list in the same policy (capped configurations of specified technologies). Do not infer vCenter- or cluster-scope counting from VMware version; that is not stated in the 14 February 2022 policy.
Cloud / BYOL
Licensing Oracle Software in the Cloud Computing Environment (as of 12 June 2024) applies to Amazon EC2 and RDS, Microsoft Azure Platform, and Google Cloud Platform (Authorized Cloud Environments). The document is educational, not contractual.[5]
For Processor licensing in ACE, count the maximum vCPUs of an instance type: 2 vCPUs = 1 Oracle Processor license if multi-threading of processor cores is enabled; 1 vCPU = 1 Oracle Processor license if multi-threading is not enabled. The Oracle Processor Core Factor Table is not applicable when counting Processor licenses in Authorized Cloud Environments.[5] Catalog proof: ACE vCPU to Processor — 2 vCPUs = 1 Processor if multi-threaded; Core Factor N/A (backs ACE vCPU to Processor).
SE2 in ACE: Oracle Standard Edition 2 may only be licensed on Authorized Cloud Environment instances up to eight Amazon vCPUs, eight Azure vCPUs, or eight GCP vCPUs. If licensing Database Standard Edition 2 by Named User Plus, the minimums are 10 NUP licenses per 8 Amazon vCPUs or 8 Azure vCPUs or 8 GCP vCPUs. For SE-family Processor/socket counting in ACE, instances with four or fewer vCPUs count as 1 socket; instances with more than four vCPUs: every four vCPUs used (rounded up to the nearest multiple of four) equate to one socket.[5] Catalog proof: ACE Standard Edition socket counting — ≤4 vCPUs = 1 socket; SE2 NUP 10 per 8 vCPUs (backs ACE Standard Edition socket counting).
Licenses acquired under unlimited license agreements (ULAs) may be used in Authorized Cloud Environments, but customers may not include those licenses in the certification at the end of the ULA term.[5] Catalog proof: ULA licenses in ACE — usable in ACE but excluded from ULA certification.
BYOL to PaaS / OCI. Oracle’s Bring Your Own License FAQ states that one Processor license maps to two OCPUs for eligible Database services.[6] Catalog proof: BYOL FAQ — one Processor License maps to two OCPUs (backs BYOL Processor to OCPU). Service-line ratios in Universal Credits (for example Analytics Cloud Professional-BYOL and Autonomous Database EE BYOL) are catalogued as UCM Analytics Cloud Professional-BYOL — Processor→2 OCPU; 25 NUP→1 OCPU and UCM Autonomous Database EE BYOL — Processor/25 NUP → 8 ECPUs or 2 OCPUs; Oracle publishes no further conversion beyond those excerpts.
Programs
Unlimited License Agreement is named in the ACE policy as above (ULA licenses usable in ACE but excluded from end-of-term certification; proof ULA licenses in ACE — usable in ACE but excluded from ULA certification). Related cloud programs: Authorized Cloud Environments; BYOL to PaaS. PULA (and ULA contract-term math: certification formulas, remaining-term true-up, or conversion quantities) is not defined in the PDFs retrieved for this page — treat as contract-specific; do not apply generic certification math here.
Out of scope
- Java SE uses Employee, not Database NUP or Processor. Do not mix those metrics.
- Middleware (WebLogic, SOA, Coherence, and related) is outside this Database page even where the same License Definitions booklet defines overlapping metrics.
- Oracle VM VirtualBox is a separate Program with its own Socket / Named Workstation User rules in the License Definitions; it is not Oracle Database licensing.
Catalog rows
Sample catalog rows for this article, grouped by table.
- Metrics
- Rules
- Evidence
- Programs
- Catalogs