NVIDIA vGPU licenses enable virtual desktops and applications to use powerful GPU acceleration in environments like VMware, Citrix, and Microsoft RDS. These licenses ensure each virtual machine receives the right level of graphics performance for smooth workflows, from everyday office tasks to advanced 3D design. Without proper licensing, performance is severely limited. NVIDIA vPC, vApps, and vWS provide flexible options tailored to different user needs and workloads.
License Types
NVIDIA offers three different VDI license types, each designed for specific use cases.
Licensing Model
All NVIDIA GRID licenses for virtual desktops are sold on a concurrent user basis. For example, if an organization has 500 registered users but no more than 400 are logged in at the same time, only 400 licenses are required.
NVIDIA offers two licensing models for virtual desktop environments:
Model 1 - Subscription (rental)
Licenses are rented for a minimum of one year. During the subscription period, customers receive access to the latest GRID software versions and can contact NVIDIA support. When the subscription expires, GRID functionality for the associated number of users becomes unavailable unless the subscription is renewed. Renewal terms can be synchronized, allowing different purchase periods to align. A subscription model is suitable when future VDI requirements are uncertain or when GPU-accelerated VDI is needed only for a limited time.
Model 2 – Perpetual License + Maintenance (Perpetual + SUMS)
Licenses are purchased outright and include a mandatory maintenance plan with a minimum duration of four years. As long as the maintenance agreement is active, customers receive software updates and NVIDIA support. After the maintenance period ends, the software may continue to be used with the features available at the time the plan expired, but support is no longer included. Maintenance extensions are available. This model is more cost-effective over the long term if the solution is expected to be used for at least four years, although it involves a higher initial investment compared to the subscription model, which has lower upfront cost but higher ongoing operational expenses.
Ready to Upgrade Your VDI Experience?
If you’re exploring NVIDIA’s vGPU licensing—whether vApps, vPC, or vWS—and want expert guidance on choosing the right model or deploying it efficiently, we’re here to help. Reach out to our team for tailored advice, architectural planning, and best-practice implementation support to ensure your virtual desktops perform at their best.
NVIDIA RTX vWS GRID, Subscription (3 years) - 1 CCU
Unlock the full power of GPU-accelerated virtualization with the NVIDIA RTX vWS subscription license — ideal for enterprises, service providers, and workstation-class virtual desktop environments.
What’s Included:
3-Year Subscription License:This subscription provides three years of usage rights for one concurrent user (1 CCU), including full access to updates, new releases, feature enhancements, and security improvements throughout the subscription term. Ideal for organizations that prefer predictable operational costs and always up-to-date software.
RTX vWS (Virtual Workstation) functionality:Deliver high-performance, GPU-accelerated virtual desktops or workstations designed for demanding workloads such as CAD, advanced 3D modeling, rendering, AI-enhanced workflows, video production, and scientific visualization.
Enterprise-grade licensing:Perfect for businesses, organizations, and service providers that need secure, scalable, and high-performance virtual workstation environments — fully supported and regularly updated during the entire subscription period.
Are you a university or educational institution? Contact us for special EDU pricing and licensing options.
NVIDIA vWS GRID, Subscription (4 years) - 1 CCU
Unlock the full power of GPU-accelerated virtualization with the NVIDIA vWS GRID subscription license — ideal for enterprises, service providers, and workstation-class virtual desktop environments.
What’s Included:
4-Year Subscription License:This subscription provides four years of usage rights for one concurrent user (1 CCU), including continuous access to updates, new releases, feature enhancements, and security improvements throughout the full subscription term. A great choice for organizations that want long-term stability, predictable costs, and always-current software.
vWS (Virtual Workstation) functionality:Deliver high-performance, GPU-accelerated virtual desktops or workstations for demanding workloads such as CAD, 3D modeling, rendering, video production, scientific visualization, and other graphics-intensive tasks.
Enterprise-grade licensing:Ideal for companies, organizations, and service providers that require secure, scalable, and high-performance virtual workstation environments — fully supported and regularly updated for the entire subscription period.
Are you a university or educational institution? Contact us for special EDU pricing and licensing options.
NVIDIA RTX vWS Subscription License 5 Years, 1 CCU
Unlock the full power of GPU-accelerated virtualization with the NVIDIA RTX vWS subscription license — ideal for enterprises, service providers, and workstation-class virtual desktop environments.
What’s Included:
5-Year Subscription License:This subscription provides five years of usage rights for one concurrent user (1 CCU), including full access to updates, new releases, feature enhancements, and security improvements for the entire subscription period. A long-term option for organizations that want stable budgeting, minimal renewal overhead, and always-current software.
RTX vWS (Virtual Workstation) functionality:Deliver high-performance, GPU-accelerated virtual desktops or workstations for demanding workloads such as CAD, advanced 3D modeling, rendering, AI-enhanced workflows, video production, and scientific visualization.
Enterprise-grade licensing:Designed for businesses, organizations, and service providers that require secure, scalable, and high-performance virtual workstation environments — fully supported and regularly updated throughout the entire five-year subscription term.
Are you a university or educational institution? Contact us for special EDU pricing and licensing options.
NVIDIA vWS GRID, Perpetual License - 1 CCU
Unlock the full power of GPU-accelerated virtualization with the official NVIDIA vWS GRID perpetual license — ideal for enterprises, service providers, and workstation-class virtual desktop environments.
What’s Included:
Permanent (perpetual) license:/ This license provides indefinite usage rights for one concurrent user (1 CCU). A valid SUMS (Support, Update & Maintenance Subscription) agreement is required for access to updates, new releases, and technical support.
Full vWS (Virtual Workstation) functionality: Deliver high-performance, GPU-accelerated virtual desktops or workstations for demanding workloads such as CAD, 3D modeling, rendering, video production, scientific visualization, and other graphics-intensive tasks.
Enterprise-grade licensing:Ideal for organizations and service providers that need secure, reliable, and scalable GPU-accelerated virtual workstation environments — with predictable, long-term licensing options.
Are you a university or educational institution? Contact us for special EDU pricing and licensing options.
NVIDIA vCompute Server GRID, Subscription (1 year) – 1 GPU (Max 10 CC VMs per GPU)
Accelerate AI, data science, and high-performance compute workloads with the NVIDIA vCompute Server (vCS) subscription license — designed for virtualized GPU compute environments, cloud infrastructures, and modern containerized AI pipelines.
What’s Included:
1-Year Subscription License:This license provides one year of usage rights for one physical GPU, including full access to updates, new releases, feature enhancements, and security improvements throughout the subscription term. Supports up to 10 concurrent compute VMs per GPU (depending on vGPU profile).
vCompute Server (vCS) functionality:Enable secure, virtualized GPU acceleration for AI inference, AI training (depending on hardware), data analytics, HPC workloads, and containerized compute applications. Fully supports CUDA, cuDNN, TensorRT, NGC containers, Kubernetes deployments, and multi-instance GPU operations in supported environments.
Enterprise-grade compute virtualization:Perfect for data centers, research institutions, and organizations running AI/ML pipelines, simulation workloads, or GPU-accelerated compute services — providing efficient GPU sharing, strong isolation, and continuous updates throughout the subscription period.
Are you a university or educational institution? Contact us for special EDU pricing and licensing options.
NVIDIA RTX vWS GRID, Subscription (1 year) - 1 CCU
Unlock the full power of GPU-accelerated virtualization with the NVIDIA RTX vWS GRID subscription license — ideal for enterprises, service providers, and workstation-class virtual desktop environments.
What’s Included:
1-Year Subscription License:This subscription provides one year of usage rights for one concurrent user (1 CCU), including full access to updates, new releases, feature enhancements, and security improvements during the subscription term. A flexible option for organizations that prefer short renewal cycles or are beginning with GPU-accelerated virtualization.
RTX vWS (Virtual Workstation) functionality:Deliver high-performance, GPU-accelerated virtual desktops or workstations for demanding workloads such as CAD, advanced 3D modeling, rendering, AI-enhanced workflows, video production, and scientific visualization.
Enterprise-grade licensing:Ideal for companies, organizations, and service providers that require secure, scalable, and high-performance virtual workstation environments — fully supported and updated throughout the active subscription period.
Are you a university or educational institution? Contact us for special EDU pricing and licensing options.
NVIDIA vPC GRID Virtual PC, Subscription (5 years) - 1 CCU
Enable fast, responsive virtual desktops with the NVIDIA vPC GRID subscription license — ideal for organizations delivering scalable VDI environments for office users, knowledge workers, and productivity-focused workloads.
What’s Included:
5-Year Subscription License:This subscription provides five years of usage rights for one concurrent user (1 CCU), including full access to updates, new releases, feature enhancements, and security improvements for the entire subscription period. A cost-effective long-term choice for organizations seeking stability, predictable budgeting, and continuously updated GPU-accelerated VDI performance.
vPC (Virtual PC) functionality:Deliver smooth, GPU-accelerated virtual desktops for applications such as office productivity suites, browsers, collaboration tools, video conferencing, and modern graphical interfaces — all benefiting from GPU acceleration without requiring workstation-level 3D performance.
Enterprise-grade licensing:Ideal for organizations that require secure, scalable, and efficient VDI environments — ensuring consistent performance, high user density, and full support over the entire five-year term.
Are you a university or educational institution? Contact us for special EDU pricing and licensing options.
NVIDIA vPC GRID Virtual PC, Subscription (3 years) - 1 CCU
Enable fast, responsive virtual desktops with the NVIDIA vPC GRID subscription license — ideal for organizations delivering scalable VDI environments for office users, knowledge workers, and productivity-focused workloads.
What’s Included:
3-Year Subscription License:This subscription provides three years of usage rights for one concurrent user (1 CCU), including full access to updates, new releases, feature enhancements, and security improvements throughout the subscription term. A long-term option for organizations seeking predictable costs and stable, up-to-date GPU-accelerated VDI performance.
vPC (Virtual PC) functionality:Deliver smooth, GPU-accelerated virtual desktops for applications such as office productivity suites, browsers, collaboration tools, video conferencing, and modern graphical interfaces — all benefiting from GPU acceleration without requiring workstation-level 3D performance.
Enterprise-grade licensing:Designed for organizations that need secure, scalable, and efficient VDI environments — ensuring consistent user experiences, high session density, and full support for the entire subscription period.
Are you a university or educational institution? Contact us for special EDU pricing and licensing options.
NVIDIA vPC GRID Virtual PC, Perpetual License - 1 CCU
Enable fast, responsive virtual desktops with the NVIDIA vPC GRID perpetual license — ideal for organizations delivering scalable VDI environments for office users, knowledge workers, and productivity-driven workloads.
What’s Included:
Permanent (perpetual) license:This license provides indefinite usage rights for one concurrent user (1 CCU). A valid SUMS (Support, Update & Maintenance Subscription) agreement is required for continued access to updates, new releases, and technical support.
vPC (Virtual PC) functionality:Deliver smooth, GPU-accelerated virtual desktops for applications such as office productivity suites, browsers, collaboration tools, video conferencing, and graphical interfaces that benefit from GPU acceleration — without the full 3D capabilities of a workstation license.
Enterprise-grade licensing:Designed for organizations that need secure, scalable, and efficient VDI environments with predictable, long-term licensing options — ensuring a great user experience across large deployments.
Are you a university or educational institution? Contact us for special EDU pricing and licensing options.
NVIDIA vPC GRID Virtual PC, Subscription (1 year) - 1 CCU
Enable fast, responsive virtual desktops with the NVIDIA vPC GRID subscription license — ideal for organizations delivering scalable VDI environments for office users, knowledge workers, and productivity-focused workloads.
What’s Included:
1-Year Subscription License:This subscription provides one year of usage rights for one concurrent user (1 CCU), including full access to updates, new releases, feature enhancements, and security improvements throughout the subscription term. A flexible option for organizations deploying or expanding GPU-accelerated VDI environments.
vPC (Virtual PC) functionality:Deliver smooth, GPU-accelerated virtual desktops for applications such as office productivity suites, web browsers, collaboration platforms, video conferencing, and modern graphical interfaces — all benefiting from GPU acceleration without requiring workstation-level 3D performance.
Enterprise-grade licensing:Built for organizations that need secure, scalable, and efficient VDI environments — ensuring consistent performance, high user density, and full support throughout the subscription period.
Are you a university or educational institution? Contact us for special EDU pricing and licensing options.
NVIDIA vApps GRID Virtual Applications, Perpetual License - 1 CCU
Unlock the efficiency of GPU-accelerated application virtualization with the NVIDIA vApps GRID perpetual license — ideal for organizations delivering published applications, remote desktops, and multi-session environments at scale.
What’s Included:
Permanent (perpetual) license:This license provides indefinite usage rights for one concurrent user (1 CCU). A valid SUMS (Support, Update & Maintenance Subscription) agreement is required for ongoing access to updates, new releases, and technical support.
vApps (Virtual Applications) functionality:Enable fast, responsive, GPU-accelerated access to virtualized applications in environments such as Citrix Virtual Apps, VMware Horizon Apps, and Microsoft RDSH. Ideal for productivity apps, browsers, office suites, design review tools, collaboration platforms, and multi-session deployments.
Enterprise-grade licensing:Designed for organizations that require secure, scalable, and efficient application streaming — ensuring excellent user experiences across large deployments with predictable long-term licensing options.
Are you a university or educational institution? Contact us for special EDU pricing and licensing options.
NVIDIA vApps GRID Virtual Applications, Subscription (3 years) - 1 CCU
Unlock the efficiency of GPU-accelerated application virtualization with the NVIDIA vApps GRID subscription license — ideal for organizations delivering published applications, remote desktops, and multi-session environments at scale.
What’s Included:
3-Year Subscription License:This subscription provides three years of usage rights for one concurrent user (1 CCU), including full access to updates, new releases, feature enhancements, and security improvements for the entire subscription period. An excellent long-term option for organizations seeking stable budgeting and consistently up-to-date software.
vApps (Virtual Applications) functionality:Enable fast, responsive, GPU-accelerated access to virtualized applications in environments such as Citrix Virtual Apps, VMware Horizon Apps, and Microsoft RDSH. Ideal for productivity tools, browsers, office suites, collaboration platforms, and large-scale multi-session deployments.
Enterprise-grade licensing:Perfect for organizations that require secure, scalable, and efficient application streaming — providing high-density user support, smooth performance, and full updates throughout the subscription term.
Are you a university or educational institution? Contact us for special EDU pricing and licensing options.
NVIDIA vApps GRID Virtual Applications, Subscription (1 year) - 1 CCU
Unlock the efficiency of GPU-accelerated application virtualization with the NVIDIA vApps GRID subscription license — ideal for organizations delivering published applications, remote desktops, and multi-session environments at scale.
What’s Included:
1-Year Subscription License:This subscription provides one year of usage rights for one concurrent user (1 CCU), including full access to updates, new releases, feature enhancements, and security improvements during the subscription term. A flexible choice for organizations that want predictable costs and up-to-date software for virtualized application delivery.
vApps (Virtual Applications) functionality:Enable fast, responsive, GPU-accelerated access to virtualized applications in environments such as Citrix Virtual Apps, VMware Horizon Apps, and Microsoft RDSH. Ideal for productivity tools, browsers, office software, collaboration applications, and large multi-session deployments.
Enterprise-grade licensing:Designed for organizations requiring secure, scalable, and efficient application streaming — ensuring excellent user experiences across high-density environments with full support throughout the subscription period.
Are you a university or educational institution? Contact us for special EDU pricing and licensing options.