Microsoft SQL 2019 Device CAL Key (1)

What is included in Microsoft SQL 2019 Device CAL?

Device access right –Licenses one device to reach SQL Server 2019.
Unlimited users – Any person on that device may connect.
Server+CAL part – The access half of Standard licensing.
All instances covered – Reaches every SQL instance in the environment.
Backward access – Also valid for 2017 and earlier servers.
Core Capacity – Grants access only, no SQL Server engine included.

What are the main benefits of Microsoft SQL 2019 Device CAL?

A SQL Server 2019 Device CAL is a Client Access License that authorises one physical device to access a SQL Server 2019 instance running under the Server + CAL model. It covers the device itself, so every user who logs in from that machine is permitted without buying a separate licence each.

Shared-device pricing – One licence covers many users per machine.
Shift-work friendly – Ideal for terminals used around the clock.
Predictable counting – Count devices, not fluctuating headcount.
Edition independent –The same CAL works with Standard servers.
Standalone licence – Not tied to one specific SQL server.
Downgrade access – Reaches 2019, 2017, 2016 instances too.

SQL Server Buying Guide: License Models and CALs Explained
How the Server + CAL and Per-Core models work, and how to choose the right SQL product for your environment.

What does a SQL Server 2019 Device CAL do?

It grants one device the legal right to access a SQL Server 2019 instance that is licensed under the Server + CAL model. A CAL is not software and installs nothing; it is a licence document that sits alongside the server licence. Any number of people using that single device may then query, write to, or run applications against the database without each needing their own licence. This makes it the access layer for SQL Server Standard 2019, the only current edition still sold with Server + CAL licensing.

What is the difference between a Device CAL and a User CAL?

A Device CAL licenses one machine for unlimited users, while a User CAL licenses one person for unlimited devices. Device CALs are cheaper when several people share fewer machines, such as 10 shop-floor terminals used by 40 staff across shifts, where 10 Device CALs replace 40 User CALs. User CALs win when one employee works across a laptop, desktop, and phone. Both CAL types cost the same per unit, so the decision comes down to whether your environment has more devices or more users.

SQL Server FAQ: Standard, Enterprise, and CALs
Frequent buyer questions on editions, User CAL versus Device CAL, and which licence fits which scenario.

Does this CAL include SQL Server itself?

No. The Device CAL only grants access; you still need a separate SQL Server 2019 server licence for the machine running the database engine. The Server + CAL model always requires both parts: one server licence per server, plus a CAL for every accessing device or user. If you only buy CALs without a server licence, no SQL Server instance is licensed to run. Buyers using the per-core licensing model do not need CALs at all, because cores cover unlimited access.

Which SQL Server versions can a 2019 CAL access?

A 2019 Device CAL can access SQL Server 2019 and any earlier version, such as 2017 or 2016, but it cannot access SQL Server 2022 or 2025. CALs are backward-compatible but never forward-compatible without active Software Assurance. This matters when planning upgrades: if you move the database engine to SQL Server 2022, the 2019 CALs stop being compliant and must be replaced with 2022 CALs. Always match or exceed the CAL version to the highest server version your devices touch.

Is there a separate CAL for Standard versus Enterprise?

No. There is only one SQL Server CAL per version, and it is used regardless of edition. In practice this means a 2019 Device CAL is paired with SQL Server 2019 Standard, because Enterprise has not been sold under the Server + CAL model for new agreements since April 2012. SQL Server Enterprise is licensed per core only, so it requires no CALs. If your database runs on Enterprise, do not buy CALs; if it runs on Standard with Server + CAL, the same CAL covers it.

Frequently asked questions about Microsoft SQL 2019 Device CAL

How many users can one Device CAL cover?

One Device CAL covers a single device used by any number of users. Ten people working three shifts on the same terminal still need only one Device CAL for that machine.

Does a Device CAL cover access through multiple SQL Server instances?

Yes. A licensed device may access every SQL Server instance in the same licensed environment, including instances on virtual machines, without an extra CAL per instance.

Can I mix Device CALs and User CALs in one environment?

Yes. Many companies use Device CALs for shared production or warehouse terminals and User CALs for office staff who switch between several devices. Both types use the same per-unit price.

Is a SQL Server CAL the same as a Windows Server CAL?

No. A SQL Server CAL only authorises access to SQL Server and is never included with Windows Server CALs, Microsoft 365, or any other CAL bundle. If a device also reaches a Windows Server, that needs its own separate Windows Server CAL.

Legal Information About Our Products

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Below you will find the most important legal information about our products.

Unused and Non-Activated Product Keys

We offer exclusively unused and non-activated product keys. The keys have never been redeemed for activation and are fully available to the purchaser for the first-time activation of the respective product. A key that has already been redeemed could no longer be used for a new activation and is therefore not offered by us.

Trading in these product keys is permissible in the European Union and in Switzerland under current case law, provided that the necessary conditions are met. These conditions are as follows:

• The software must originally have been placed on the market with the consent of the rightholder within the territory of the EU, another contracting state of the EEA, or Switzerland by way of sale.
• The license for the software must have been granted in return for the payment of a fee intended to enable the rightholder to obtain remuneration corresponding to the economic value of the copy of the software.
• The rightholder must have granted the first acquirer the right to use the software permanently (for an unlimited period).
• Any improvements and updates that the subsequently downloaded computer program has compared to the originally downloaded one must be covered by a maintenance agreement concluded between the rightholder and the first acquirer.
• The original licensee must have made their own copies unusable.

This trade is legally permissible because the underlying license was already placed on the market with the consent of the rightholder within the EU/EEA or Switzerland in return for appropriate remuneration. As a result, the so-called principle of exhaustion has taken effect, which permits the resale of individual product keys — in particular those originating from volume license agreements. Microsoft or the respective software provider has already received appropriate remuneration for this.

keys.express and keys.discount ensure that the aforementioned conditions are met and that the lawful use of the software is guaranteed. The requirements arising from European legislation are also observed in Switzerland.

Important note: The acquisition of a product key through the transmission of a combination of numbers and letters in digital form does not, in itself, constitute a license for the lawful use of the program. The license only arises from the respective installation and the associated acceptance of the manufacturer's terms of use.

Further information can be found here:

• Legal assessment by Swiss lawyers

Overview of the Most Important Legal Information

• We offer unused, non-activated product keys for the activation of the respective computer programs. The key alone is not yet a license.
• The license only arises from the respective installation and the resulting acceptance of the terms of use. These terms of use govern the right to use the software between you and the respective manufacturer.
• The principle of exhaustion has, as a rule, taken effect — i.e. the license is "used up" — as soon as it was lawfully placed on the market for the first time. The products concerned are software placed on the market for unlimited-time use in the form of an activatable product key with the option to download the program. Microsoft or the respective software provider has received appropriate remuneration for this.
• You gain access to particularly attractively priced product keys from volume license agreements, which are to be treated legally in the same way as parts of volume licenses upon first acquisition.
• The software itself is always the same original software that is also obtained through official download channels or manufacturer sources. You are therefore not paying for a different or inferior version, but for a valid activation key or a corresponding license.
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