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MSLicenseHub
About · the team

An independent reference for Microsoft licensing.

MSLicenseHub explains every Microsoft licensing track in plain English — editions, CALs, Volume Licensing, CSP, Software Assurance and the subscription transition for Microsoft 365.

MSLICENSEHUB
Editorial promise

Independent, no kickbacks, no OEM key shilling, no vendor agenda.

Product references
40+
Windows, Office, Server, SQL, Visual Studio, Visio, Project, Exchange, SharePoint.
Tracking since
2007
Started as a consulting reference; published openly since 2020.
Buying channels
3
Retail, Volume Licensing and CSP — explained side by side.
OEM keys promoted
0
OEM is supplied pre-installed by hardware makers, never as standalone keys.
What we do

Translate Microsoft's catalog into decisions you can defend

The same product can be sold five ways. A misread can cost six figures at audit time — or push you onto a SKU you did not need. We make sure that doesn't happen to the people who read us.

Mission
Plain English, every time

If a Microsoft licensing concept can be explained in a sentence, we'll write the sentence. If it really takes a diagram, we'll draw one.

Method
Read the Product Terms

Every claim is checked against Microsoft's current Product Terms, Licensing Briefs and published EULAs — not against what a reseller hopes you'll believe.

Posture
No affiliate selling

We do not sell licenses. We point readers to legitimate channels and explain how to read a quote so you can pressure-test it.

What we will not do

A short list of things you will not find here

Never #1
Recommend standalone OEM keys

OEM licensing is reserved for hardware manufacturers shipping pre-installed software. Standalone OEM keys sold to end users violate Microsoft's distribution terms. Anyone selling them online is, at best, distributing a key they have no right to.

Never #2
Push a single channel

Retail isn't evil. Volume Licensing isn't always cheaper. CSP isn't always right. We compare them against your actual scale — not against a partner commission rate.

Coverage

What MSLicenseHub covers, by category

Relative depth of our reference library across Microsoft product families.

Reference depth by family
Windows desktop9
Windows Server9
Office & Microsoft 36510
SQL Server8
Visual Studio7
Exchange & SharePoint6
Project & Visio6
Retail / FPPIndividuals & small teams

Boxed or ESD keys, transferable, registered to a Microsoft account.

Volume LicensingMid-market & enterprise

MAK / KMS activation, centralized VLSC, optional Software Assurance.

CSP / Microsoft 365Subscription, per user

Monthly / annual seats, managed through partner or admin center.

OEM is not a buying channel for end users. OEM keys are supplied pre-installed by hardware manufacturers and are not sold standalone — choose Retail, Volume or CSP instead.
Site structure

Where to find what

Section
Products

Every major Microsoft product — what's in the box, how editions differ, how it's licensed.

Open →
Section
Magazine

Long-form analysis of changes, edition swaps and licensing shifts worth tracking.

Open →
Section
FAQ

The questions that come up most in licensing conversations — answered shortly and exactly.

Open →
Section
Glossary

CAL, SA, VLSC, KMS, MAK, CSP, OSE — every acronym defined with the procurement implication.

Open →
A short history

How MSLicenseHub came to be

2007
Internal reference

Started as a wiki for our consulting team — a single place to settle CAL arguments.

2020
Public launch

Published openly so CTOs, IT admins and procurement leads stop guessing.

2025+
Bilingual reference

Full English and Persian editions, updated against the current Product Terms.