Windows Server 2025 Remote Desktop Services (RDS) CALs

No, RDS CALs are valid worldwide with zero geographic restrictions. A license purchased from us in any country can be successfully activated and used on a Windows Server located anywhere else in the world.

The easiest rule of thumb is to count your users and your devices, then license whichever number is smaller:

• Choose RDS User CALs if your employees work from multiple devices (e.g., a laptop, smartphone, and home PC). One User CAL covers one specific person across all their devices.
• Choose RDS Device CALs if multiple people share a single workstation (e.g., shift workers, call centers, or lab kiosks). One Device CAL covers one specific machine, regardless of how many users log into it.

Not sure? Use our RDS CAL Calculator at the top of this page.

Microsoft licenses RDS strictly on a per-user or per-device basis, not concurrently.

• For User CALs: Count every unique person who will ever connect to your RDS environment. Even if an employee only logs in once a month, they still require their own dedicated CAL.
• For Device CALs: Count every physical device connecting to the server. If you have 30 physical workstations accessing RDS, you need exactly 30 Device CALs, regardless of whether 100 different shift workers rotate through those machines.

Yes, Windows Server RDS CALs are backward compatible, but they are not forward compatible.

• Backward Compatible: A newer RDS CAL can be used to access older Windows Server versions. For example, a Windows Server 2025 RDS CAL will work perfectly with Server 2025, 2022, 2019, and 2016 Session Hosts.
• Not Forward Compatible: An older RDS CAL cannot be used to access a newer Windows Server version. For example, if you have a Server 2025 Session Host, you cannot use older Server 2022 or 2019 RDS CALs to access it; you must purchase the 2025 licenses.

Recommendation: If you are currently running an older server but planning a server upgrade in the future, buying the newest 2025 RDS CALs today gives you the most flexibility. They will cover your current setup right now and remain fully valid when you eventually upgrade your server.

Delivery is instant. The moment your secure payment is confirmed, you will receive an email containing:

• Your genuine Microsoft license key(s)
• Link to an installation guide
• Link to our video walkthrough

You can also download your license PDF directly from the checkout success page. If you run into any issues, free expert installation support is included with every order to help you configure your RD Licensing Server.

Yes, you can scale up at any time. You can purchase additional RDS CAL packs as your team grows and install them directly onto your existing RD Licensing Server.

The newly purchased CALs will be instantly added to your available pool alongside your existing licenses. There is no limit to how many times you can expand your server's capacity.

No. An RDS CAL is purely an access license. It does not include the core Windows Server operating system.

Before you can deploy and activate these RDS CALs, you must already have a separately licensed and running copy of Windows Server (Standard or Datacenter edition) with the Remote Desktop Session Host role installed.

Generally, no. Windows Server includes two built-in Remote Desktop sessions out of the box at no additional cost.

However, these two free sessions are strictly for backend server management and maintenance. If your administrators use these remote sessions to run standard business applications (like MS Office, ERPs, or CRM software), Microsoft licensing requires them to have dedicated RDS CALs.

Yes, Per-User RDS CALs strictly require Active Directory. Microsoft tracks User CALs directly through Active Directory user accounts.

If your Windows Server is set up in a Workgroup environment (meaning you do not have a Domain Controller), you cannot use User CALs. Instead, you must purchase Per-Device RDS CALs, which function perfectly in both Workgroup and Domain environments.

For more detailed questions about licensing, compatibility, setup, and troubleshooting, visit our FAQ page