Windows Server Licensing Calculator
Compare Datacenter vs Standard licensing costs
How to use Windows Server Licensing Calculator
- 1Enter the number of physical cores in each Windows Server host.
- 2Select the edition and the licensing model (per core with CALs, or subscription).
- 3Read the minimum core licenses required and total cost including CALs.
Windows Server licensing basics
coreLicenses = max(16, coresPerHost) × hosts; cost = coreLicenses × corePrice + cals × calPriceWindows Server is licensed per physical core with a minimum of 16 cores per server, so small servers still buy a 16-core pack.
User/Device CALs are licensed separately and are easy to forget; the model you pick changes the breakeven dramatically at scale.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum cores per server?
16 cores; even a 4-core box requires 16 core licenses.
Are CALs always required?
For most on-prem access models yes, though Azure Stack HCI and subscription options differ.
Standard vs Datacenter?
Standard covers limited OSEs per host; Datacenter is better when you run many VMs per host.
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