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Windows Server Licensing Calculator 2026

Enter your hosts, sockets, cores and Windows VMs. The calculator counts the core licences you need and prices Standard, Datacenter and Azure Arc pay-as-you-go at Microsoft's suggested prices, with the arithmetic shown for every line.

Data as of 2026-10-11. Data version 1. Methodology, sources and embed code. Comparing hypervisors instead? Use the hypervisor licensing calculator.

Your servers
Same servers.
CPUs per server.
Not hyper-threads.
Same on every host.
For per-VM and pay-as-you-go.
Term for pay-as-you-go
Perpetual licences are a one-off cost, so the term only changes pay-as-you-go.

Core licences and cost by option

OptionCoresPacksCost, USDArithmetic

Pay-as-you-go includes CAL rights for base functionality, per Microsoft, so no base CALs are added. Remote Desktop Services CALs are still needed. It has no unlimited virtualisation: each VM is licensed on its own and the physical host is not priced here. It needs Windows Server 2025 on an Azure Arc-enabled server.

Optional: Software Assurance and CALs

Optional
Only reveals the per-VM licensing option. It never adds a price: Microsoft publishes no Software Assurance price.
Blank means no CAL line.
Microsoft lists no stand-alone price for Windows Server User or Device CALs, so enter your own CAL price. Blank adds no CAL cost.

Windows Server support dates

Dates as the data states them, ISO format. Microsoft gives each end date as a timestamp at the end of that day, US Pacific time, and the table shows the US Pacific calendar date. A phase runs to the end of its end date.

ReleaseStartMainstream support end dateExtended support end dateStatus

Assumptions, exclusions and sources

Data as of 2026-10-11. Data version 1. Full methodology, sources, FAQ and embed code on the calculator page. How Sysprobs Data collects and checks figures: hub methodology.

    Sources

    KeyPublisherTitlePublishedRetrieved

    Related: Windows Server licensing calculator page with methodology and charts. Hypervisor licensing calculator to compare Windows Server with Proxmox, XCP-ng, Azure Local and VMware.