SQL Server 2025 is licensed in the Microsoft Product Terms under two License Models: Per Core and Server/CAL (Date Available 11/25; prior version SQL Server 2022, 11/22). New Enterprise licenses are Per Core only. Standard may use either model. Per Core does not require CALs; Server/CAL does. Licenses are platform agnostic (Windows or Linux).
Editions
Current version in Product Terms: SQL Server 2025 (Date Available 11/25). Prior Version: SQL Server 2022 (11/22). Down Editions include Enterprise Core to Standard (and listed older editions).[1]
| Edition | Server/CAL | Per Core | Notes from Product Terms / educational capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise | Not sold new. Existing SQL Server Enterprise (Server/CAL) customers may renew SA; upgrading customers are referred to November 2019 Product Terms for that model | Yes — SQL Server 2025 Enterprise Core (2-packs of Core Licenses) | Educational: Learn docs still describe a 20-core instance cap for legacy Enterprise Server+CAL. Core-based licensing uses OS maximum. Not a Product Terms floor. |
| Standard | Yes — SQL Server 2025 Standard + SQL Server 2025 CAL. Not available with Pay-as-you-go billing (educational guidance) | Yes — SQL Server 2025 Standard Core (2-packs of Core Licenses) | Educational capacity (Learn / 2025 editions PDF): lesser of 4 sockets or 32 cores; buffer pool 256 GB. 2022 guide used 24 cores / 128 GB — do not copy that as 2025. |
| Express | Free download | n/a | Educational: lesser of 1 socket or 4 cores; 50 GB database (2025 editions PDF) |
| Developer / Evaluation | Non-production (educational guidance) | Evaluation up to 180 days (educational). Standard Developer is new in 2025 editions PDF. | |
| Web | Not in 2025 Product Terms availability | Educational: SQL Server 2022 Web may be available under SPLA. No SPLA use-rights document retrieved. |
SQL Server Licenses are platform agnostic and permit deployment and use on Windows or Linux.[1]
Components cannot be split across OSEs under one license: a container is a Virtual OSE for licensing.[1]
Power BI Report Server (2025 change — do not copy the 2022 guide). With SQL Server 2025, Customer may run Power BI Report Server on the Licensed Server (and allowed Fail-over OSEs, or in Azure) using Standard or Enterprise Edition Core licenses even without SA, on a maximum number of cores equal to the Core Licenses assigned, subject to a minimum of four core licenses per OSE (or per virtual core in Azure, min four). For Enterprise Edition released prior to 2025, PBIRS use rights apply only to Enterprise Edition Core with active SA and expire when SA expires. A Power BI Pro User SL is required to publish shared Power BI reports.[1]
Educational list prices (Open NL USD) from the SQL Server 2025 Pricing PDF: Enterprise 2 core pack $15,123; Standard per core 2 core pack $3,945; Standard server $989; Standard CAL $230. VL from 18 November 2025; other channels January 2026. Footnote: CALs are required for every user or device accessing a server in the Server + CAL licensing model.[2]
Metrics
The catalog has five rows for SQL Server; definitions are on the linked rows.
| # | Microsoft name | Catalog row | Unit | What Microsoft says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Per Core | Per Core | Core | Product Terms License Model heading Per Core. Customer must choose Licensing by Physical Core on a Server or Licensing by Individual Virtual OSE. No CALs for users or devices under this model. |
| 2 | Server/CAL | Server/CAL | Other | Product Terms heading Server/CAL (guidance and price sheet also say Server + CAL). One Server License per entitled Instance plus CALs. |
| 3 | User CAL | User CAL | User | Required under Server/CAL, not under Per Core. One user, any device. |
| 4 | Device CAL | Device CAL | Device | Required under Server/CAL, not under Per Core. One device, any user. |
| 5 | Base CAL | Base CAL | Other | For SQL Server this is SQL Server 2025 CAL. External User Access Requirements: CALs (Server/CAL editions only) — no SQL External Connector in the retrieved Product Terms. |
Do not apply Per Core/CAL (Windows Server 8/16 floors) to SQL Server.
Educational: SQL Server 2025 licensing guidance describes the same two models in non-contractual language. Core-based licensing guidance distinguishes SQL Per Core from Windows Server Per Core/CAL.
Counting / floors
Effective for the live Product Terms publication retrieved 2026-08-31 (latest listed change 10 August 2026; SQL Server 2025 launch terms 18 November 2025).[6]
Per Core — physical. The number of Licenses required equals the number of Physical Cores on the Licensed Server, subject to a minimum of four Licenses per Physical Processor. Enterprise: any number of Instances in a number of Physical and/or Virtual OSEs equal to the number of licenses assigned; additional Enterprise licenses beyond the physical-core requirement allow one additional OSE each. Other editions (Standard): any number of Instances only in the Physical OSE on the Licensed Server.[1] Catalog proof: SQL Server Per Core floor — min four licenses per Physical Processor / per Virtual OSE (backs SQL Server Per Core floor).
Per Core — Individual Virtual OSE (subscription or active SA only). The number of Licenses required equals the number of Virtual Cores in the Virtual OSE, subject to a minimum of four Licenses per Virtual OSE. If a Virtual Core is mapped to more than one Hardware Thread, a License is needed for each Hardware Thread. Reassignment within a Server Farm as often as needed; farm-to-farm not within 90 days.[1] Catalog proof: SQL Server Per Core floor — min four licenses per Physical Processor / per Virtual OSE (backs SQL Server Per Core floor).
Containers. A container is a Virtual OSE; cores available to that container are Virtual Cores. If hyperthreading is enabled under the Virtual OSE Per Core model, assign a Core License for each Hardware Thread mapped to a container, minimum four Licenses.[1]
Server/CAL. One Instance in either a Physical OSE or Virtual OSE on a Licensed Server for each Server License. Access requires CALs except access by another Licensed Server. Base Access License: SQL Server 2025 CAL. When licensing by Virtual OSE with subscription/SA, CALs must also be subscription/SA.[1]
No 16-core SQL server floor. That minimum is Windows Server Per Core/CAL, not SQL Server.
Core Factor. Glossary still defines Core Factor, but educational core-based licensing guidance states the SQL Server Core Factor Table is no longer used for SQL Server 2016 and later. Do not apply Core Factor to 2022/2025.[3][5] Catalog proof: SQL Server Core Factor Table no longer used (2016+) — educational (backs SQL Server Core Factor not used (2016+)).
Capacity vs licenses (educational). Standard 32-core / 256 GB (2025) is a compute-capacity limit in Learn / editions materials, not a licensing minimum. The 2022 licensing guide’s 24-core Standard cap is historical.[7][8]
Multiplexing does not reduce Licenses of any type (Universal License Terms).[9]
Virtualization
Without SA/subscription, Standard Per Core runs only in the Physical OSE; Enterprise Per Core may run Instances across OSEs up to the number of assigned licenses. Licensing by Individual Virtual OSE is available for subscription licenses or licenses with active Software Assurance only.[1]
Unlimited virtualization (SA, Enterprise Core, physical-core licensing): When licensing by physical core, customers with active Software Assurance may run any number of instances of the server software in any number of OSEs on any Licensed Server.[1]
Unlimited containers (SA, Standard/Enterprise Core, by Virtual OSE): When licensing by Virtual OSE, customers with active SA may run any number of instances in any number of containers in the Virtual OSE; when electing this benefit, a container is not considered to be a Virtual OSE.[1]
Fail-over (SA). For each Licensed Server: one Fail-over OSE for any purpose including HA on any Server (subject to Outsourcing Software Management); plus two disaster-recovery Fail-over OSEs — one on any Server and one on Microsoft Azure (Azure Fail-over OSE subject to Ratio of Qualified Licenses to Azure vCores in AHB SQL terms — see Cloud / BYOL). Passive replica must not serve SQL data or run active SQL workloads. License count for fail-over must not exceed the primary. Requires SA for the Licensed Server and CALs, if any. Does not apply under License Mobility through SA. Brief DR testing every 90 days. Allowed maintenance: Checkdb, log/full backups, monitoring.[1] Catalog proof: SQL Server fail-over rights — one HA + two DR Fail-over OSEs; passive only (backs SQL Server fail-over (passive) rights).
Server Farm and Licensed Server use the Glossary definitions (same as Windows Server).[3]
License Mobility through Software Assurance: All editions of SQL Server (not Parallel Data Warehouse) are License Mobility–designated. Under LM through SA, Customer may move licensed software to shared servers with Microsoft Azure Services or a qualified License Mobility through Software Assurance Partner; complete and submit the License Mobility verification form; not on a short-term basis (not within 90 days of the last assignment). Per-core: each Core License with active SA coverage — one virtual core, subject to product use rights including a minimum of 4 cores per OSE.[1][10] Catalog proof: License Mobility through SA — shared servers, verification, 90-day, per-core 1:1 (backs License Mobility through Software Assurance).
Flexible Virtualization Benefit: customers with subscription licenses or licenses with active SA may use licensed copies on devices, including shared Servers, under the day-to-day management and control of Authorized Outsourcers; do not expand beyond Universal License Terms / Product Terms.[9] Catalog proof: Flexible Virtualization Benefit — use on Authorized Outsourcers including shared Servers (backs Flexible Virtualization Benefit).
Cloud / BYOL
Product Terms: when using SQL Server on Azure under Azure Hybrid Benefit or Disaster Recovery Rights, indicate such use in the Azure portal or Azure command line APIs. Fail-over on Azure is subject to the Ratio of Qualified Licenses to Azure vCores in the Azure Hybrid Benefit terms for SQL Server.[1][11]
Azure Hybrid Benefit — SQL Server (Cited). Qualified License to Azure vCore ratios (selected Product Terms rows): SQL Server Enterprise (Core) → Azure SQL Database / Managed Instance General Purpose / SSIS Standard / SQL Standard VMs — 1 Core License : 4 vCores; Enterprise (Core) → Business Critical / SSIS Enterprise / SQL Enterprise VMs — 1 Core License : 1 vCore; SQL Server Standard (Core) → General Purpose / SSIS Standard / SQL Standard VMs — 1 Core License : 1 vCore; Standard (Core) → Business Critical / Enterprise VMs — 4 Core Licenses : 1 vCore. AHB is not available in the serverless compute tier of Azure SQL Database. Subject to a minimum of four Core Licenses per Virtual Machine.[11] Catalog proof: Azure Hybrid Benefit SQL Server — Qualified License to Azure vCore ratios (backs Azure Hybrid Benefit SQL Server core ratios). Product Terms publish no AHB Server+CAL→vCore conversion.
Educational PAYG rates (SQL Server 2025 Pricing PDF): Enterprise $274/month ($0.375/hour); Standard $73/month ($0.100/hour), Azure Arc. Server+CAL is not available with PAYG (2025 guidance).[2][4]
Distributed Availability Groups on Standard Edition: database replication with Azure resources only.[1]
Programs
These Product Terms are shown for EA/EAS/SCE. SQL Server 2025 SKUs are Additional Product / Server and Tools Product as listed. Qualified User Exemption: Per Core Products only. Reduction Eligible (SCE): All editions.[1]
1 April 2026 change: MCA Subscription Product Terms consolidated; Subscription license customers receive rights equivalent to Software Assurance customers for SQL Server.[6]
10 August 2026 change: Azure Arc SQL Server deployment clarification (Microsoft Azure terms; not expanded here).[6]
Related programs: Software Assurance; Azure Hybrid Benefit (AHB SQL proof Azure Hybrid Benefit SQL Server — Qualified License to Azure vCore ratios); Flexible Virtualization Benefit (FVB proof Flexible Virtualization Benefit — use on Authorized Outsourcers including shared Servers); License Mobility through Software Assurance (LM proof License Mobility through SA — shared servers, verification, 90-day, per-core 1:1 — SQL editions are LM-designated).
SA table: Disaster Recovery all editions (see Fail-over Rights); License Mobility all editions except PDW; Self Hosting all editions; SA Equivalent Rights Yes.[1]
Buy-out under EAP: Customer may renew SA for SQL Server Enterprise Server/CAL, but the only buy-out option at enrollment end is core Licenses.[1]
SPLA: named only as a possible channel for 2022 Web on educational pages. No SPUR was retrieved, so SPLA metrics are not covered here.
Out of scope
- Windows Server Per Core/CAL and the 8/16 core floors — see Windows Server licensing.
- AHB Server+CAL→vCore — Product Terms are silent. (AHB SQL Core→vCore ratios are Cited above.)
- SPLA / SPUR, EA true-up math, and License Mobility partner lists beyond the Product Terms sentence above.
- SQL Server 2022 Licensing guide PDF (November 2022) — last official long-form SQL PDF; educational and historical. Flag versus 2025: Power BI Report Server now includes Standard Core without SA; Standard capacity 32 cores not 24; 2025 guide is web-only.
- Introduction to Microsoft Core Licensing PDF (April 2017) — stale; not current SQL counting.
- Existing SQL Server white papers and the Microsoft SQL Server 2022 licensing guide gallery in this wiki are archives; this page sits alongside them.
Catalog rows
Sample catalog rows for this article, grouped by table.
- Metrics
- Rules
- Evidence
- SQL Server Per Core floor — min four licenses per Physical Processor / per Virtual OSE
- SQL Server Core Factor Table no longer used (2016+) — educational
- Azure Hybrid Benefit SQL Server — Qualified License to Azure vCore ratios
- SQL Server fail-over rights — one HA + two DR Fail-over OSEs; passive only
- Flexible Virtualization Benefit — use on Authorized Outsourcers including shared Servers
- License Mobility through SA — shared servers, verification, 90-day, per-core 1:1
- Programs
- Catalogs