Software questions, answered.
The Finder’s frequently asked questions, together in one place. For a decision tailored to your setup, start the finder.
What’s the difference between Windows and Office?
Windows is the operating system that runs your PC. Office supplies apps such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. They are separate products; a bundle can include both. Windows Home can be used for work, but it lacks Pro features such as domain join and Remote Desktop hosting.
Which Office edition should I choose?
Office Home 2024 supplies the personal-use essentials without Outlook. Home & Business adds Outlook and commercial use rights, with a PC-or-Mac listing available here. Professional Plus includes Access for Windows and has different licensing-channel requirements. Confirm the offered terms and eligibility.
Microsoft’s Office edition guide ↗Does “one-time purchase” mean updates forever?
A perpetual license permits continued use of the licensed version under its terms. It does not mean lifetime security updates or free future major versions. Microsoft support has an end date. Office 2021 and Visio 2021 reached the end of support in October 2026.
What are CALs, User CALs and Device CALs?
A Client Access License (CAL) grants access to server services; it is not the server operating-system license. A User CAL covers one named person across devices. A Device CAL covers one device used by different people. RDS CALs add Remote Desktop Services access and generally sit alongside base Windows Server CALs. SQL CALs are a separate product.
Microsoft’s Windows Server licensing guide ↗How do SQL Server licenses differ?
Standard can be licensed per core or using a server license plus SQL CALs for each direct or indirect user or device. Core licensing does not require SQL CALs when all required cores are licensed. Enterprise is typically a core-based choice for advanced workloads. Virtualization rights and Software Assurance requirements must be confirmed for your deployment.
Microsoft’s SQL Server terms ↗How are recommendations and prices chosen?
SoftwareKeep publishes this free finder to compare selected listings in its own store. It uses your answers and a curated set of product rules; it does not inspect your hardware, use a live language model to invent recommendations, or independently verify your existing entitlement. Prices and stock refresh from softwarekeep.digital when the finder opens and every five minutes while it is open. Returning to the tab checks for updates if the last sync is more than five minutes old. Saved values are labeled with their last check time if an update fails. Discount codes and checkout-specific promotions are confirmed at the store.
Guide content was updated October 29, 2026 and links to Microsoft’s documentation. Server, SQL and CAL recommendations are starting points for checking a deployment’s requirements. Read the Microsoft software buying guides for the reasoning behind each choice.