SharePoint 2019 licensing

SharePoint supports intranet, extranet, and Internet applications from a single, integrated platform. The specific licenses you need depend on three factors: what capabilities are used, how SharePoint is deployed, and where the system is hosted. The terms and conditions for how you can use the software are defined in the Product Terms document.

• SharePoint Online is licensed on a per-user basis. You can purchase SharePoint Online as a standalone plan or included as part of Microsoft 365 plans. Learn more. Licensing details are available here.
  
• For On-Premises, intranet sites are licensed using a Server/CAL (Client Access License) model. SharePoint Server 2019 is required for each running instance of the software, and CALs are required for each person or device accessing a SharePoint Server.
                                   
  • SharePoint Standard CAL: the Standard CAL delivers the core capabilities of SharePoint
    
    
    • Sites: a single infrastructure for all your business websites
      
    • Communities: an integrated collaboration platform
      
    • Content: enterprise content management (ECM) for the masses
      
    • Search: people and expertise search, visual previews, visual best bets
       
  • SharePoint Enterprise CAL: the Enterprise CAL delivers the full capabilities of SharePoint
    
    • Sites: a single infrastructure for all your business websites
      
    • Communities: an integrated collaboration platform
      
    • Content: ECM for the masses
      
    • Search: standard search features plus entity extraction, video search, item recommendations
      
    • Business solutions (includes Access Services and InfoPath Services)
      
    • Business Intelligence for everyone (includes Power View, PerformancePoint Services, Excel Services, and Visio Services)

Resources

• View features available in SharePoint 2019, for both SharePoint Online and on-premises.
  
• IT pro resources you will need to try SharePoint 2019 for on-premises, including details about installation, upgrade, migration, and services.

Notes

• SharePoint Enterprise CAL is additive: to access the Enterprise edition features of SharePoint, a person/device must have both the SharePoint Standard CAL and the SharePoint Enterprise CAL.
  
• In SharePoint 2019, for extranet and Internet sites scenarios, no CALs are required for external users.
  
  • External users means users that are not either your or your affiliates’ employees, or your or your affiliates’ onsite contractors or onsite agents.
    
  • SharePoint 2013 customers with Software Assurance (SA) can leverage Volume Licensing downgrade rights to run SharePoint 2013 bits with SharePoint 2019 use rights.