SQL Server Licensing Calculator
Tell it where SQL Server will run and it answers with a recommendation, not a wall of numbers: per-core or Server + CAL on your hardware, an Azure VM with Hybrid Benefit, AWS, or Azure SQL as a managed service. Microsoft license prices are live; every cloud figure is a labeled, editable estimate you replace with your real quote.
01 Where will SQL Server run?
Your answer filters everything below — a managed database is never priced as if it were a box of licenses.
02 Workload
Dev/test? SQL Server Developer Edition is free (full features, non-production). Very small workloads may fit the free Express Edition — up to 10 GB per database.
4-core minimum applies — smaller inputs are rounded up.
03 Purchase model
04 Advanced cloud cost assumptions
These are your assumptions, not Microsoft prices — edit each to match the quote in front of you.
| Breakdown | per-core perpetual | per-core subscription |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed cores / vCores | 8 | 8 |
| 2-core license packs | 4 | 4 |
| Microsoft license cost | $15,776LIVE | $7,452LIVE |
| Infrastructure / yr | yours (not priced here) | yours (not priced here) |
| Year 1 total | $15,776 | $7,452 |
| 3-year total | $15,776 | $18,716 |
Add the number of users or devices in section 03 to compare Server + CAL — every person or device touching the database needs a CAL. It stays out of the cheapest-option logic until it’s real.
For 8 cores of Standard, Server + CAL is cheaper below roughly 65 users. LIVE
Licensing Windows Server too? Windows Server Licensing Calculator →
Four steps, and three scenarios to try.
Quick start
- Choose where SQL Server will run — the options below filter to match.
- Set edition and required cores (4-core minimum applies).
- If you can count who connects, add users or devices to compare Server + CAL.
- Read the recommendation cards, then open the breakdown for the math.
Tip:if you can’t count the people or devices connecting — a public website, an app tier — Server + CAL is off the table and per-core is your model.
Example scenarios
01Small internal app
Standard, 8 cores, 30 known users. Server + CAL vs per-core — headcount decides it.
Load this scenario →Public web workload
Standard, 16 cores, uncountable users. Per-core is the only compliant model.
Load this scenario →Azure migration
Azure VM vs Azure SQL, 8 cores — BYOL with Hybrid Benefit against the managed service.
Load this scenario →Licensing SQL Server without the folklore.
Per-core licensing has a 4-core minimum per server or VM — smaller machines still buy 4 core licenses, sold as 2-core packs.
Server + CAL exists for Standard Edition only. One server license plus a CAL for every user or device that connects — directly or through middleware.
If you can’t count the users, you can’t use CALs. Public-facing workloads license per-core.
Enterprise Edition is per-core only and unlocks unlimited virtualization when every physical core carries SA or an active subscription.
Developer Edition is free for dev and test — full Enterprise feature set, prohibited in production. Small workloads may fit the free Express Edition (up to 10 GB per database).
Managed cloud databases aren’t licenses. Azure SQL bills compute that includes the SQL license, HA, patching, and backups — comparable to a self-managed total only with those services priced in.
What this calculator doesn’t model
- Azure Hybrid Benefit and License Mobility eligibility — both require an active subscription license or Software Assurance; the calculator assumes eligibility, a human verifies it.
- Passive failover-replica rights — a covered passive replica can be license-free under specific conditions this page doesn’t evaluate.
- Licensing by VM vs by physical host on your own hardware — host-level strategies can beat per-VM licensing and need a design conversation.
- Region and currency variation in cloud rates — every cloud figure here is a US-list-based estimate.
- EA and server-subscription channels — this page prices the CSP channel; Enterprise Agreement positions differ.
A human validates every licensing position before you buy — the calculator narrows the options, our engineers confirm the compliant one.
SQL licensing is where audits find money.
Thirty minutes with our engineers and you’ll know exactly which route is yours — and what it costs. Fixed price, pay after approval. Licensing Windows Server too? There’s a calculator for that →