SQL Server Licensing Guide: Editions, Cores and CALs

This SQL Server licensing guide explains how SQL Server is sold and licensed: the Standard and Enterprise editions, the free Express and Developer editions, the versions 2019, 2022 and 2025, and the two licensing models, per core and server plus client access licenses (CALs). By the end you will know which edition and version to choose and what to check in Microsoft's terms before you buy.

IMPORTANT: This guide is general information. Microsoft sets the licensing rights of each edition, and its licensing terms decide what your setup needs. Check Microsoft's SQL Server licensing documents for your case.

IMPORTANT: The SQL Server keys in our shop are RETAIL Licenses. Each key activates the edition named on its product page, on 1 server, and you can activate all cores.

1. SQL Server editions

An edition is a version of SQL Server with a fixed set of limits and features. The four you will meet most often:

• Enterprise: for large, demanding and business-critical workloads. Microsoft sets no limit on compute capacity and buffer pool memory other than the operating system maximum, and it includes features such as full Always On availability groups, online index create and rebuild, and online page and file restore.
• Standard: for departmental and small to mid-size workloads. It has limits on compute capacity and memory, and it supports basic availability groups (two replicas, one database).
• Developer: free from Microsoft and licensed for development and testing, not for production. In SQL Server 2025 it comes as Enterprise Developer and Standard Developer.
• Express: free, with small resource limits, for learning and small applications.

Developer and Express are free from Microsoft, so there is no key to buy for them. We sell the paid editions, Standard and Enterprise, as RETAIL Licenses.

2. Standard or Enterprise: the limits that matter

Limits and features per instance of the Database Engine, according to Microsoft:

• Compute capacity: Standard is limited to the lesser of 4 sockets or 24 cores in SQL Server 2019 and 2022, and to the lesser of 4 sockets or 32 cores in SQL Server 2025. Enterprise has the operating system maximum.
• Buffer pool memory: Standard has 128 GB in 2019 and 2022, and 256 GB in 2025. Enterprise has the operating system maximum.
• Always On availability groups: basic availability groups in Standard, full availability groups in Enterprise.
• Online index create and rebuild: not in Standard, yes in Enterprise.
• Online page and file restore: not in Standard, yes in Enterprise.

Source: Microsoft Learn, Editions and supported features of SQL Server 2025, SQL Server 2022 and SQL Server 2019. Last reviewed: October 2026.

Choose Standard if its limits and features cover your workload. Choose Enterprise if you need full availability groups, online index operations, or more compute capacity and memory than Standard allows. Many small and mid-size applications run well on Standard.

3. SQL Server versions: 2019, 2022 and 2025

Pick the version your application vendor supports. Microsoft's support dates:

• SQL Server 2025: mainstream support until January 6, 2031; extended support until January 6, 2036.
• SQL Server 2022: mainstream support until January 11, 2028; extended support until January 11, 2033.
• SQL Server 2019: mainstream support until February 28, 2025; extended support until January 8, 2030.

Dates are in US Pacific Time. As a rule of thumb: SQL Server 2025 for new projects, SQL Server 2022 when your application is certified for it, and SQL Server 2019 only to match an existing environment.

Our SQL Server products:

• SQL Server 2025: Standard and Enterprise
• SQL Server 2022: Standard and Enterprise
• SQL Server 2019: Standard

4. How SQL Server is licensed: per core, or server plus CAL

Microsoft offers two licensing models for SQL Server.

• Per core: you license the cores of the server where SQL Server runs, with a minimum number of core licenses per processor. Core licenses are sold in packs of two cores. Both Standard and Enterprise can be licensed this way.
• Server plus CAL: you license the server and then each person or device that connects with a client access license (CAL). Microsoft makes this model available for the Standard edition.

Which model fits your setup depends on how many cores your server has and how many people or devices connect, and Microsoft's licensing terms define what your setup needs. Check them before you buy.

The keys in our shop are RETAIL Licenses for 1 server and they activate all cores of the server. The number of core licenses or CALs that Microsoft requires for your setup is a separate question, answered by Microsoft's terms.

5. SQL Server 2022 licensing in practice

SQL Server 2022 licensing questions usually come down to three checks:

• Edition: does Standard cover your workload (24 cores and 128 GB of buffer pool memory per instance), or do you need Enterprise?
• Model: per core, or server plus CAL (section 4)?
• Where it runs: on a physical server, or on a virtual machine? Microsoft's terms define how SQL Server is licensed in virtual environments, so read them if you plan to virtualize.

Once you have your key, read How to Install SQL Server 2022 and Enter Your Product Key.

6. How to choose

• Is it for learning, testing or development? Developer is free from Microsoft; you do not need to buy a key.
• Is it a small application with small data? Check whether Express covers it.
• Is it production, and do the Standard limits cover it? Choose Standard.
• Do you need full availability groups, online index operations or more than the Standard limits? Choose Enterprise.
• Which version does your application support? Use that version (section 3).
• Do you need a server for it? Read our Windows Server licensing guide and browse Windows Server license keys.

7. How your license is delivered

Right after your payment is confirmed, we email you a secure link to your license, and your invoice comes with the order. You reveal your license with the "Get my license" button when you are ready to install it, not before: revealed licenses can't be cancelled or refunded. If a license doesn't work, tell us within 24 hours of revealing it and we will replace it right away. Your statutory rights are not affected.

RETAIL Licenses are single-use: one key activates once. If you later reinstall the software or the operating system, or change the server's hardware, that activation can't be used again, and our warranty doesn't cover it. Read How our licenses work for the details.

8. Frequently asked questions