Licensing

AzSQLVMKit does not grant SQL Server, Windows Server, Azure, or third-party licenses. The toolkit only helps create Azure resources and run setup scripts.

Microsoft licensing terms are definitive

This page is only a reminder for AzSQLVMKit users. If anything here differs from Microsoft Product Terms, Microsoft Learn, your agreement, or guidance from your licensing representative, the Microsoft source is definitive.

Free full SQL Server is non-production only

As of May 2026, the full SQL Server edition used by the toolkit default image is free only for non-production development and test use. Production SQL Server workloads must use a valid paid or otherwise approved Microsoft licensing path. Do not treat the toolkit default as a free production SQL Server license.

Toolkit Default

The default VM image is:

vm:
  image:
    publisherName: "MicrosoftSQLServer"
    offer: "sql2022-ws2022"
    skus: "sqldev-gen2"
    version: "latest"

That is a SQL Server Developer image on Windows Server. Use it for demos, labs, learning, development, and test scenarios only unless your own licensing review says otherwise.

Production SQL Server on Azure VM usually needs one of these licensing paths:

• a pay-as-you-go SQL Server image where SQL Server licensing is included in VM runtime billing
• Azure Hybrid Benefit with eligible licenses and active Software Assurance or qualifying subscription rights
• another Microsoft-approved licensing path for your agreement and workload

Free Editions

Microsoft currently documents SQL Server Developer as free for non-production development and testing. Microsoft also documents SQL Server Express as a free, limited edition for lightweight desktop, web, and small server applications.

Do not generalize from those free editions to Standard, Enterprise, Web, or production SQL Server workloads. Use the Microsoft pages below for the current rules, edition limits, and billing behavior.

Azure VM Licensing

SQL Server on Azure VMs has Azure-specific licensing and registration behavior. Microsoft documents pay-as-you-go, Azure Hybrid Benefit, and HA/DR license models for SQL Server VMs. The SQL IaaS Agent extension and the selected Azure Marketplace image can affect manageability, license type, and billing.

Changing the SQL Server image, installing SQL Server yourself, changing edition, or moving from Developer to Standard or Enterprise must be reviewed against Microsoft licensing rules before use.

Microsoft References

• Microsoft Product Terms
• SQL Server Licensing Resources and Documents
• SQL Server downloads
• SQL Server 2022 editions and supported features
• SQL Server on Azure VM overview
• SQL Server on Azure VM FAQ
• Change the license model for a SQL VM in Azure

Practical Checklist

Before using a deployment for anything beyond a disposable lab, confirm:

• the SQL Server edition is allowed for the workload
• the workload is development/test or production
• the Azure VM SQL license type is correct
• Azure Hybrid Benefit is only used when your organization is eligible
• Windows Server licensing and Azure compute charges are understood
• third-party sample databases, scripts, and tools are reviewed before manual use or future automation
• your organization has documented who approved the licensing model