Microsoft Licensing Guides
How Microsoft licensing actually works: cores, CALs, OEM against volume, and what you must buy.
45 articlesWindows 11 Pro vs Pro for Workstations: Who Actually Needs ReFS?
Higher memory and socket ceilings, ReFS and SMB Direct define Pro for Workstations. Find out whether your high-end machine benefits…
Running Office on a Terminal Server: Which Licences Are Even Allowed?
Consumer and OEM Office cannot legally run on shared session hosts. Learn which Office licences permit RDS use and how…
Windows 11 Pro vs Enterprise: What the Enterprise Licence Really Adds
Management, deployment and security features that only appear in Enterprise, plus why it is bought as a subscription rather than…
Visio and Project: Perpetual Licence or Subscription Plan in 2026?
Occasional users, shared machines and cloud co-authoring pull this decision in different directions. Compare buying Visio and Project outright with…
Microsoft 365 Business Basic vs Standard: Do You Need Desktop Office?
Basic is web and mobile only while Standard installs the full desktop apps. Learn which staff need installed Office and…
Office Home & Business 2024 vs Office LTSC Professional Plus 2024: Where Access Lives
There is no retail Office Professional 2024. Access ships only in the volume-licensed Office LTSC Professional Plus 2024, and Publisher…
Windows Server Essentials or Standard: Where the Small Server Ends
Essentials suits very small deployments with built-in limits while Standard scales with CALs. Learn which fits a first server and…
SQL Server Web vs Standard: Web Edition Ends at SQL Server 2022
SQL Server 2025 has no Web edition. Web was hoster-only through SPLA and stops at 2022, so check the release…
Microsoft 365 Apps for Business vs Enterprise: Which Office Install?
Both install the desktop Office apps, but device limits, shared computer activation and management differ. Learn which Apps plan your…
Exchange Server SE or Exchange Online: Should You Keep Mail On-Prem?
Control, compliance and hardware costs weighed against a hosted service. A structured comparison for organisations deciding the future of their…
Microsoft 365 F1 vs F3: Licensing Frontline Staff Who Share Devices
What the frontline plans include, the mailbox and app limits that apply, and how to licence shift workers who share…
E3 Plus Add-Ons or Straight to E5? Building the Cheaper Security Stack
How to weigh a targeted stack of E3 add-ons against a full E5 upgrade, including which add-ons overlap and where…