Do I need a separate license for a database server installed on another computer/server?

Need to clarify your information. Do you have a license for QB Desktop 2022 Pro Plus for 5 users OR 5 different licenses for QB Desktop 2022 Pro Plus for single user?

I have five separate 1 user licenses for QB 2022 Pro Plus Annual.

Keep in mind, you can not use a license for single user to run in multi user mode.. Consider to cancel your subscriptions and purchase a new license of QB Desktop 2022 Premier Plus for 5 users. You don't need to spend a license to install on a server/host as storage.

So, if I had one license for five users, I would use that license to install the software six times total? Five for the users' software, and once on the server used to store the database?

The installation wizard doesn't need a license to install QBD on a server as storage.

Hi there, @afuoco. Allow me to share additional information about the multi-user network.

I agree with Fiat Lux - ASIA. You also have the option to install the full version of QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) on your server computer.

Here's how:

1. If you haven't already, follow the steps to download and then install QuickBooks Desktop on your server computer.
2. Select Custom and Network install for the install type.
3. Select I'll be using QuickBooks Desktop on this computer, AND I'll be storing if you want the full version of QuickBooks Desktop on your server computer. If you just want your server computer to host your files, select I will NOT be using QuickBooks Desktop on this computer.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish the installation.

Once done, refer to this article and proceed to Step 2: Set up and install a multi-user network.

For additional reference, you can read this article about access limits in single or multi-user mode: Single-user vs. multi-user mode.

Please keep me posted if you have any other concerns about this process. I want to make sure everything is taken care of for you. Take care and have a great day, @afuoco.

When I run the installation wizard for QuickBooks Desktop (which is how I should be installing the database manager on the server correct?), it asks for a license before I get to choose to install the database manager or desktop.

Following this - https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/install-products/install-quickbooks-d...

Thanks for getting back to us, @afuoco.

Yes, you're right. You'll use the same installation wizard and license for the QuickBooks Database Service Manager (QBDSM). If you only want the QBDSM on your server computer, select I will NOT be using QuickBooks Desktop on this computer. 

Additionally, this article may come in handy if you stumble into some installation issues: Fix QuickBooks Desktop install errors.

Feel free to ask questions if you need more clarification about this setup, @afuoco. I'll be happy to help until you're able to run the network seamlessly. 

Was the other poster correct in that all the licenses need to be together? Like, I need one 5 user license, instead of multiple single user licenses?

---

@afuoco wrote:

Was the other poster correct in that all the licenses need to be together? Like, I need one 5 user license, instead of multiple single user licenses?

---

You can try installing all your licenses to be sure. I would be surprised if you can work in multiuser mode later.

Welcome back to the thread, afuoco. Let me share further details about accessing QuickBooks Desktop on different computers. Then, to ensure you'll be able to achieve your purpose of installing the application in a different location.

Depending on the number of user licenses you have, QuickBooks Desktop Premier allows up to 5 users and Pro allows up to 3 users to work in a company file at the same time. If you need more than 5 users, I recommend using the QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise Solutions. Which allows up to 30 users to work on a company file at the same time. 

On the other hand, the multi-user mode in QuickBooks Pro allows multiple users to collaborate on the same company file at the same time. However, all users must be networked and must each have their own QuickBooks license. With this, you'll need to make sure you have multiple licenses for each workstation. Please note that the multi-user setup will only work for licenses with the same License Number and Product Number. To learn more about this feature, please check out this article: Set up multi-user network.

Additionally, we partner with some hosting service providers. However, we don't have control over how they manage the multi-user setup for QuickBooks Desktop.

Lastly, you may refer to each article below that discuss more details about the access limits and hosting your data in a multi-user mode: 

• Tasks that can be performed in a single or multi-user mode in QuickBooks Desktop. 
• Hosting your company data in multi-user mode in QuickBooks Desktop

I’ll be around if you have follow-up questions about setting up your multi-user. I’m always round-ready to back you up. Keep safe and stay well!