Licensing SQL Server

SQL Server offers customers two main licensing models: Per Core and Server + CAL.

Per Core Licensing:

This model provides a more precise measure of computing power and a consistent licensing metric, irrespective of the deployment scenario (physical servers, virtual, or cloud environments).
Per Core licensing is suitable when counting users or devices is impractical, or when dealing with Internet/Extranet workloads or systems that integrate with external-facing workloads.
Customers can license based on the full physical core count of the server or the virtual cores allocated to a virtual machine.

Server + CAL Licensing:

This model allows customers to license users and/or devices, offering low-cost access to incremental SQL Server deployments.
Each server running SQL Server software requires a server license.
Each user or device accessing a licensed SQL Server requires a SQL Server CAL (Client Access License) of the same version or newer. For example, to access a SQL Server 2019 Standard Edition server, a user would need a SQL Server 2019 or 2022 CAL.
Each SQL Server CAL provides access to multiple licensed SQL Servers, including Standard Edition, Business Intelligence, and Enterprise Edition servers from previous versions.

Customers should review the official licensing documentation and consult with a Microsoft licensing specialist to ensure compliance and determine the most suitable licensing approach for their specific requirements.

Additional materials from Microsft:

Licensing SQL Server 2022 on-premises

Licensing guide - Microsoft SQL Server 2022