# Chef Server license
**URL:** https://discourse.chef.io/t/chef-server-license/21665
**Category:** Chef Automate
**Created:** [November 21, 2022, 1:14pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/chef-server-license/21665 "2022-11-21T13:14:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@marmoh](https://discourse.chef.io/u/marmoh)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2022, 1:14pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/chef-server-license/21665/1 "2022-11-21T13:14:28Z")
Hi, folks
I have an environment that contains a fleet of servers that run Windows Server. I need to automate installing different software on it using chef. My question is do I have to purchase a license to use Chef server? and how to buy if I have to?
Thanks in advance
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### Author:  [@Stromweld](https://discourse.chef.io/u/Stromweld)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2022, 3:25pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/chef-server-license/21665/2 "2022-11-21T15:25:30Z")
You need a license to use any of the latest Chef Branded software. The Enterprise license that is most common includes Chef Infra Server, Automate, and Chef Infra Client. If you go to the downloads section of our website it'll ask you to fill out a contact form before allowing the download and then somebody from sales will contact you within a couple of days. It may be next week due to US holiday coming up this week.
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### Author:  [@marmoh](https://discourse.chef.io/u/marmoh)
#### Post date: [November 22, 2022, 3:48am UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/chef-server-license/21665/3 "2022-11-22T03:48:00Z")
@Stromweld Thank you for your reply
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### Author:  [@marmoh](https://discourse.chef.io/u/marmoh)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2022, 7:47am UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/chef-server-license/21665/4 "2022-11-24T07:47:38Z")
@Stromweld Thanks for your support but I have been confused about something and I would be grateful if you give a hand to understand it, what about the following resources? what is the differnece between this license which I suppose to be open source and the commercial license that you talk about?
> **[GitHub - chef/chef: Chef Infra, a powerful automation platform that...](https://github.com/chef/chef)**
>
> Chef Infra, a powerful automation platform that transforms infrastructure into code automating how infrastructure is configured, deployed and managed across any environment, at any scale - GitHub -...
> **[GitHub - chef/chef-server: Chef Infra Server is a hub for configuration data;...](https://github.com/chef/chef-server)**
>
> Chef Infra Server is a hub for configuration data; storing cookbooks, node policies and metadata of managed nodes. - GitHub - chef/chef-server: Chef Infra Server is a hub for configuration data; st...
I will put another two links in another comments because of the limitations of comments.
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### Author:  [@marmoh](https://discourse.chef.io/u/marmoh)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2022, 7:48am UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/chef-server-license/21665/5 "2022-11-24T07:48:08Z")
@Stromweld[GitHub - chef/automate: Chef Automate provides a full suite of enterprise capabilities for maintaining continuous visibility into application, infrastructure, and security automation.](https://github.com/chef/automate)
> **[GitHub - chef/chef-workstation: Chef Workstation gives you everything you...](https://github.com/chef/chef-workstation)**
>
> Chef Workstation gives you everything you need to get started with Chef, so you can automate how you audit, configure, and manage applications end environments. - GitHub - chef/chef-workstation: Ch...
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### Author:  [@Stromweld](https://discourse.chef.io/u/Stromweld)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2022, 9:23am UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/chef-server-license/21665/6 "2022-11-24T09:23:01Z")
Chef code is open source. After chef-client 14.x, starting with chef-client 15.x the license and terms of use changed for the chef brand/trademarks. Much like Redhat the code is opensource but must be compiled and remove all references to chef copyrighted brands and trademarks like centOS did with RHEL to be legally used. Otherwise purchase of a license from Chef enables you to use the Chef Branded, compiled, and supported Chef-Client with support from Chef if there are any issues.
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### Author:  [@Tensibai](https://discourse.chef.io/u/Tensibai)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2022, 12:51pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/chef-server-license/21665/7 "2022-12-23T12:51:44Z")
Guess it worth mentioning a free distro built by the community exists however: [https://www.cinc.sh](https://www.cinc.sh)
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### Author:  [@sethherr](https://discourse.chef.io/u/sethherr)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2023, 1:04am UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/chef-server-license/21665/8 "2023-01-26T01:04:32Z")
One big difference between Chef and Redhat is that Redhat publishes its pricing.
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### Author:  [@sethherr](https://discourse.chef.io/u/sethherr)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2023, 1:29am UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/chef-server-license/21665/9 "2023-01-26T01:29:50Z")
I managed to find the AWS license and the End User License Agreement, which is 0.20/hour (~ $144/month) per node.
I suppose the non AWS version will be slightly cheaper, but that's still quite pricey - and I also resent how difficult it was for me to figure out how much it would cost.