---
title: "How much do I need to pay for SQL Server Enterprise Edition?"  
description: "How much do I need to pay for SQL Server Enterprise Edition?"  
author: "Utpal Vishwas"  
published: 2023-08-27  
updated: 2023-08-28  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/159681/how-much-do-i-need-to-pay-for-sql-server-enterprise-edition  
category: "mssql server"  
tags: ["mssql server", "sql server", "sql"]  
reading_time: 2 minutes  

---

# How much do I need to pay for SQL Server Enterprise Edition?

How much do I need to pay for [SQL Server](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12999/what-is-table-valued-function-in-sql-server) [Enterprise](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/246/enterprise-java-beans-ejb) Edition?

## Replies

### Reply by Aryan Kumar

The price of [SQL](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/13115/types-of-keys-in-sql-or-oracle-database) [Server](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/43769/what-is-serverless-architecture-is-it-worth-switching-over) Enterprise Edition depends on the number of cores you need and the licensing model you choose.

**Core-based licensing:** This is the most common licensing model for SQL Server Enterprise Edition. You pay a per-core license fee, and the number of cores you need depends on the number of physical cores in the server. The price per core is $273.75.

**Socket-based licensing:** This licensing model is less common, but it may be more cost-effective for large servers with many cores. You pay a per-socket license fee, and each socket can support up to 16 cores. The price per socket is $1,368.75.

**Per-user licensing:** This licensing model is only available for SQL Server Enterprise Edition with Software Assurance. You pay a per-user license fee, and each user can connect to an unlimited number of servers. The price per user is $129.99.

**Pay-as-you-go:** This licensing model is available for SQL Server Enterprise Edition in Azure. You pay for the amount of time you use the database, and the price per hour depends on the number of cores you need.

The following table summarizes the pricing for SQL Server Enterprise Edition:

| Licensing model | Price per core | Price per socket | Price per user |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Core-based licensing | $273.75 | N/A | N/A |
| Socket-based licensing | $1,368.75 | N/A | N/A |
| Per-user licensing | $129.99 | N/A | N/A |
| Pay-as-you-go | Varies | Varies | Varies |

You can find more information about SQL Server licensing on the Microsoft website.


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Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/159681/how-much-do-i-need-to-pay-for-sql-server-enterprise-edition

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