Windows 11 Enterprise Licensing: Which Licenses Include It?
The commercial and GCC High licenses that entitle Windows 11 Enterprise and Enterprise multi-session, with live pricing, the Business Premium GCC High gap, plus the RDS licensing rules for Windows Server session hosts.
Short answer: Windows 11 Enterprise is not sold as a retail license. In the commercial cloud it comes with Microsoft 365 E3, E5, E7, and F3, or standalone as Windows Enterprise E3/E5 and Windows VDA; Business Premium qualifies its users for it on Azure Virtual Desktop. In GCC High it comes with G3, G5, and F3, or standalone as Windows 11 Enterprise G5. Business Premium GCC High does not include it. See all Microsoft licensing segments →
Licenses that include Windows 11 Enterprise and multi-session
These per-user licenses entitle Windows 11 Enterprise, Windows 10 Enterprise, and both multi-session editions on Azure Virtual Desktop, per Microsoft's Windows 11 licensing guidance for virtual desktops. The table covers the commercial and GCC High plans defense contractors buy; Microsoft's education plans (Microsoft 365 A3/A5, Windows Education A3/A5) carry the same entitlement and are quoted on request. Prices are Microsoft MSRP synced from the Carahsoft catalog. Click any license or price for SKU details, part numbers, and a quote.
| License | GCC HighAnnual billing only | Commercial | Request a quote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 E5 The complete suite: advanced security, compliance, eDiscovery, and voice. Sold as Microsoft 365 G5 in GCC High. | $1,170.00/user/yr$97.50/user/mo equivalent | $60.00/user/mo$720.00/user/yr | Get a quote |
| Microsoft 365 E3 Office apps, Exchange, Intune/EMS, and Windows Enterprise in one per-user subscription. Sold as G3 in GCC High. | $793.20/user/yr$66.10/user/mo equivalent | $39.00/user/mo$468.00/user/yr | Get a quote |
| Microsoft 365 F3 Frontline worker plan. Includes Windows Enterprise rights at the lowest suite price, in commercial and in GCC High. | $158.40/user/yr$13.20/user/mo equivalent | $10.00/user/mo$120.00/user/yr | Get a quote |
| Microsoft 365 Business Premium Up to 300 users. The most common CMMC Level 2 starting point for small defense contractors. The commercial edition ships Windows 11 Business and qualifies for Enterprise on Azure Virtual Desktop; the GCC High edition carries no Windows edition. | No Windows 11 EnterpriseAdd Windows 11 Enterprise G5 per user | $22.00/user/mo$264.00/user/yr | Get a quote |
| Windows 11 Enterprise G5 Standalone Windows 11 Enterprise for GCC High (Windows G5 GCCH). The add-on for Business Premium GCC High users who need a virtual desktop. Activated by product key, not subscription activation. | $226.80/user/yr$18.90/user/mo equivalent | GCC High only | Get a quote |
| Microsoft 365 E7 E5 plus Microsoft 365 Copilot, the Entra Suite, and Agent 365. Commercial only; there is no G7. | Not sold in GCC High | $99.00/user/mo$1,188.00/user/yr | Get a quote |
| Windows 10/11 Enterprise E3 Standalone Windows Enterprise upgrade, per user, without the rest of the Microsoft 365 stack. | Not sold in GCC High | $7.60/user/mo$91.20/user/yr | Get a quote |
| Windows 10/11 Enterprise E5 Windows Enterprise plus Defender for Endpoint Plan 2. | Not sold in GCC High | $12.80/user/mo$153.60/user/yr | Get a quote |
| Windows 10/11 Enterprise E3 VDA Windows VDA per user: virtual desktop access from thin clients, BYOD, and non-Windows devices. | Not sold in GCC High | $14.20/user/mo$170.40/user/yr | Get a quote |
GCC High subscriptions bill annually; the monthly figures in that column are equivalents, not a billing option. The commercial Windows Enterprise E3/E5 and VDA SKUs are not sold in GCC High. In that cloud the entitlement comes with Microsoft 365 G3, G5, and F3, or with the standalone Windows 11 Enterprise G5 subscription. Business Premium GCC High is the exception among the suites: the Windows 11 Business edition bundled with commercial Business Premium has not shipped in GCC High, so each Business Premium GCC High user who needs a Windows 11 virtual desktop also needs Windows 11 Enterprise G5. Windows 11 Enterprise in GCC High activates with a product key on the machine; subscription activation is not available on GCC High or DoD tenants. Microsoft 365 G3 and G5 cost less in GCC. GCC meets FedRAMP Moderate; GCC High meets FedRAMP High. Per-device licenses (Windows 11 Enterprise per device with Software Assurance, Windows VDA per device) cover virtual desktops on your own servers or an Authorized Outsourcer but are not accepted for Azure Virtual Desktop. External commercial users are the one exception to this table: they can be covered by per-user access pricing billed through an Azure subscription instead of a license.
Windows Server session hosts: RDS licensing (2016, 2019, 2022, 2025)
Sessions on Windows Server take a different path. Each user or device needs an RDS Client Access License with active Software Assurance, or an RDS User Subscription License. Per-user access pricing is not available for Windows Server. Pricing on these SKUs is quote-based.
| License | What it covers | Billing | Request a quote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Server 2025 Remote Desktop Services - 1 User CAL | One named user on any device. Perpetual RDS CAL; pair with Software Assurance for AVD session hosts. | One-time | Get a quote |
| Windows Server 2025 Standard - 8 Core License Pack | The Windows Server OS itself for self-hosted session hosts (Azure PAYG VMs already include it). | One-time | Get a quote |
The catalog lists Windows Server 2025 SKUs; RDS CALs for Server 2016, 2019, and 2022 are quoted on request. The same RDS rules apply to every supported Windows Server version.
CMMC virtual desktops in Azure Government, live in under 10 minutes
Secureframe sets up virtual desktops in Azure Government for CMMC enclaves in under 10 minutes, on Windows 11 Enterprise multi-session or Windows Server 2025 session hosts. You pick the entitlement from the tables above, we handle the host pool, profiles, and baseline configuration. Request a quote with your user count and we reply within 1 business day. Secureframe's CMMC platform is at secureframe.com/cmmc.
In GCC High the Windows 11 Enterprise upgrade right comes with Microsoft 365 G5 GCC High at $1,170.00/user/yr ($97.50/user/mo equivalent), G3 at $793.20/user/yr ($66.10/user/mo equivalent), or F3 at $158.40/user/yr ($13.20/user/mo equivalent). Business Premium GCC High at $429.60/user/yr ($35.80/user/mo equivalent) covers orgs under 300 users but does not include the upgrade, so each of its users who needs a virtual desktop also needs a Windows 11 Enterprise G5 subscription at $226.80/user/yr ($18.90/user/mo equivalent).
How entitlements and audits work under AOS-G
Defense contractors buy GCC High licensing through the AOS-G agreement, ordered through a contractor vehicle rather than directly from Microsoft. The mechanics differ from a commercial CSP agreement in ways that matter at renewal and at audit time.
What you actually own
Subscription licenses are temporary. Your right to run Windows 11 Enterprise ends when the subscription that carries it ends. The Use Rights in effect when you order or renew stay locked for that term, so a mid-term change Microsoft makes to the product rules does not apply to you until renewal. You can add seats mid-term through the contractor, and added seats expire with the existing term, so everything co-terms at renewal. Subscriptions renew automatically unless you give notice before the term ends.
The audit clause
The agreement requires you to keep records of all product use and distribution. Microsoft can verify compliance with 30 days written notice, at its own expense, through an independent auditor under confidentiality, during normal business hours. It can offer a self-audit as an alternative to the third-party visit, and in practice that is the common path.
If verification finds unlicensed use, you have 30 days to order enough licenses to cover it. The number that matters is 5%: if unlicensed use reaches 5% of purchased licenses, you also reimburse Microsoft's verification costs. Come back clean and Microsoft cannot re-verify you for at least a year.
Frequently asked questions
What buyers ask most about Windows 11 Enterprise and virtual desktop licensing.
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