Windows Server 2025 or 2022? For a new server, Windows Server 2025 is the obvious choice: Microsoft delivers security updates until November 14, 2034, for Windows Server 2022 only until October 14, 2031. Two reasons speak for 2022: your application is not yet certified for 2025, or you already have version 2022 CALs and want to keep using them. The licensing model by cores is the same in both versions.
Quick decision
| Your situation | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| New server, software is certified for 2025 | Windows Server 2025 |
| Line-of-business application names 2022 as the highest supported version | Windows Server 2022 |
| Version 2022 CALs are available, budget is tight | Windows Server 2022, or 2025 with new CALs |
| Older hardware without SSE4.2 and POPCNT | Windows Server 2022 |
| Server should run as long as possible without a version change | Windows Server 2025 |
First check what your software vendors have certified. An inventory management system or industry software that does not yet support 2025 decides the question.
Support and lifetime
| Feature | Windows Server 2022 | Windows Server 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Available since | August 18, 2021 | November 1, 2024 |
| End of mainstream support | October 13, 2026 | November 13, 2029 |
| End of extended support | October 14, 2031 | November 14, 2034 |
Mainstream support for Windows Server 2022 ended on October 13, 2026. Since then there have been security updates but no new features. If you install 2022 today, you have just under five years until security updates end; with 2025 it is eight. The dates of all versions are in
Windows Server end of support: all versions.
Features compared
The information comes from Microsoft’s edition comparison and its overview of what is new.
| Feature | Windows Server 2022 | Windows Server 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| SMB over QUIC as a server | Datacenter: Azure Edition only | Standard and Datacenter |
| Hotpatching (updates without a restart) | Datacenter: Azure Edition only | Standard and Datacenter via Azure Arc |
| GPU partitioning for VMs | not listed | Yes |
| Direct in-place upgrade from 2012 R2 | No | Yes |
| Credential Guard | to be set up manually | enabled by default on suitable hardware |
| OpenSSH server | to be installed afterwards | preinstalled |
| Active Directory with 32k database pages | No | Yes (optional, new functional level) |
| Delegated Managed Service Accounts | No | Yes |
| SMB signing for outbound connections | enforced only for SYSVOL and NETLOGON | required by default |
| Bluetooth for mouse, keyboard and headset | No | Yes |
According to Microsoft, Windows Server 2025 supports up to 4 petabytes of memory and 2,048 logical processors per Hyper-V host, and up to 240 TB and 2,048 virtual processors per generation 2 virtual machine. For most small environments these are no reasons to buy. The stricter security defaults and the longer lifetime are more tangible. A detailed list is in
Windows Server 2025: the most important new features.
Hardware requirements
| Feature | Windows Server 2022 | Windows Server 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | 64 bit, 1.4 GHz, NX/DEP, CMPXCHG16b, LAHF/SAHF, PrefetchW, SLAT | as 2022, plus SSE4.2 and POPCNT |
| Minimum memory | 1 GB (Server Core), 2 GB (Desktop Experience) | 2 GB, 4 GB recommended with Desktop Experience |
| Minimum disk space | 32 GB | 32 GB |
The minimum values say little about operation. What matters is the processor row: very old server CPUs without SSE4.2 and POPCNT cannot run Windows Server 2025.
Licenses and CALs
The model is the same: all physical cores, at least 8 per processor and 16 per server, two virtual machines with Standard, an unlimited number with Datacenter. A server with two processors of 8 cores each needs 16 core licenses in both versions, and 32 with four VMs on Standard. The model is explained in
Licensing Windows Server: cores, VMs, CALs.
The difference lies in the client access licenses:
| Existing CALs | Access to Windows Server 2022 | Access to Windows Server 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Server 2022 CAL | Yes | No |
| Windows Server 2025 CAL | Yes | Yes |
| RDS CAL 2022 | Yes | No |
| RDS CAL 2025 | Yes | Yes |
A CAL is valid for its own version and for earlier ones. If you move from 2022 to 2025, you need new CALs and new RDS CALs. If you buy CALs today and run both versions, take version 2025. Details in Which CAL version fits which server.
An upgrade of the server version is not included in the license either: Microsoft points out that every new Windows Server version requires its own license.
Upgrade paths
According to Microsoft, you can upgrade to Windows Server 2025 directly from Windows Server 2012 R2, 2016, 2019 and 2022 (in-place upgrade across up to four versions). To Windows Server 2022 this was only possible across two versions, i.e. from 2016 and 2019. In a failover cluster, only one version step at a time is possible. Back up the server completely before every upgrade.
Typical cases
New server for an office with 15 workstations. The hardware is current, the software certified. Windows Server 2025 Standard with 16 core licenses and 15 version 2025 user CALs. The server runs with security updates until 2034.
Industry software certified for 2022 only. Take Windows Server 2022. Buy the CALs in version 2025 anyway if a later move is foreseeable: they are valid for both servers.
Existing 2022 server with 30 CALs, a second server is added. If the new server stays on 2022, the existing CALs remain valid. If it becomes 2025, all users who access it need version 2025 CALs.
Terminal server. RDS CALs are tied to the version as well. A session host with 2025 requires RDS CALs 2025, see
RDS CAL: licensing Remote Desktop Services.
At VivaKeys
- Windows Server 2025 Standard, 16 Core and Windows Server 2025 Datacenter
- Windows Server 2022 Standard, 16 Core and Windows Server 2022 Datacenter, 16 Core
- CALs: Windows Server 2025 User CAL, Windows Server 2022 User CAL
The license calculator works out the quantities for both versions; you select the server version there. All offers are in the categories
Windows Server and
CALs. Whether 2022 or even 2019 is still worthwhile today is covered in
Buying Windows Server 2019 or 2022 today.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Windows Server 2025 and 2022? 2025 receives security updates for three years longer, brings SMB over QUIC and hotpatching to Standard and Datacenter, stricter security defaults and the direct upgrade from 2012 R2. In return it requires newer processors and version 2025 CALs.
Are Windows Server 2022 CALs valid for Windows Server 2025? No. CALs entitle access to the same or earlier versions. For Windows Server 2025 you need 2025 CALs. These are also valid for Windows Server 2022.
When does support for Windows Server 2022 end? Mainstream support ended on October 13, 2026; extended support with security updates ends on October 14, 2031.
When does support for Windows Server 2025 end? Mainstream support ends on November 13, 2029, extended support on November 14, 2034.
Can I upgrade Windows Server 2022 directly to 2025? Yes, an in-place upgrade from 2022 to 2025 is supported. You need a license for Windows Server 2025 for it and version 2025 CALs for access.
Is Windows Server 2022 Standard or Datacenter licensed differently from 2025? No. Core counting, minimum quantities and VM rights are the same. You will find the edition comparison for 2025 in
Windows Server 2025 Standard or Datacenter.
Sources
Checked on 2026-11-10 against the publisher’s information:
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-server-2025
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-server-2022
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/whats-new-windows-server-2025
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/editions-comparison
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/hardware-requirements
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/upgrade-overview
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/remote/remote-desktop-services/rds-client-access-license
- www.microsoft.com/licensing/terms/productoffering/WindowsServerStandardDatacenterEssentials/EAEAS