Windows Server Pricing

Windows Server 2016 moves to a Core + Client Access License (CAL) model for licensing, as opposed to its predecessor’s Processor + CALs model. Listed are all the license types associated with Windows Server, the various suites that include them, and pricing under Windows Server 2016 and 2012 R2. All figures are Open No Level prices quoted in U.S. dollars and represent the highest price a U.S.-based customer would likely pay.

Server-side licenses for Windows Server 2016 are sold as two-core packs, with a minimum purchase of 16 cores for single or dual processor servers and 32 cores for quad-processor servers. If physical servers have the same or fewer cores than these minimums, server-side licensing fees end up being the same as under Windows Server 2012 R2; otherwise, server-side licensing costs increase.

For all Windows Server-associated licenses, the annual cost of Software Assurance (SA) is 25% of the underlying license price.