Why Are Our Microsoft License Prices So Low?
If you’ve compared our prices to Microsoft’s official store, you’ve probably noticed a significant difference. A Windows 11 Pro license that costs $199.99 on Microsoft.com is available at SoftLicenseDeals for $14.99. A legitimate question: how is that possible?
The answer is straightforward — and has nothing to do with piracy, cracked software or grey market keys. Here’s exactly how it works.
How Microsoft Licenses Are Priced
Microsoft sells software licenses at multiple price points depending on who is buying and how many licenses they purchase:
- Consumer retail price — the price Microsoft charges individual consumers at microsoft.com or in physical stores. This is the highest price tier.
- OEM price — the price PC manufacturers pay to pre-install Windows on new computers. Significantly lower than retail.
- Volume licensing price — the price enterprises, governments and authorized resellers pay when purchasing large quantities of licenses. The more you buy, the lower the per-seat cost.
SoftLicenseDeals operates in the volume licensing tier. We source genuine Microsoft licenses through authorized volume licensing channels at significantly lower per-seat costs than retail — and we pass those savings directly to our customers.
The Volume Licensing Advantage
Microsoft’s volume licensing program was designed to help businesses deploy software efficiently at scale. When a company buys 1,000 Windows licenses instead of 1, the per-unit cost drops dramatically. This is the same principle as buying in bulk at a warehouse store — the product is identical, but the price per unit is lower.
Authorized resellers who participate in Microsoft’s volume licensing programs can legally purchase these licenses and resell them to end users. The license you receive from SoftLicenseDeals is the same genuine Microsoft license that a Fortune 500 company would use — just accessed through volume pricing instead of consumer retail pricing.
Is This Legal?
Yes, completely. The resale of genuine software licenses is legal in the United States under the first-sale doctrine and in the European Union under the principle of exhaustion of rights, confirmed by the EU Court of Justice in UsedSoft v Oracle (2012).
What matters legally — and practically — is that the license is genuine. Every key sold by SoftLicenseDeals:
- ✅ Was originally issued by Microsoft
- ✅ Activates through Microsoft’s official activation servers
- ✅ Passes Microsoft’s Genuine Validation
- ✅ Is permanently activated (not a KMS workaround)
What We Don’t Sell
There are illegitimate key sources in the market. We are not one of them. Here is what we do NOT sell:
- ❌ Cracked or modified software
- ❌ KMS activation tools that expire after 180 days
- ❌ Keys sourced from stolen enterprise agreements
- ❌ Keys that activate temporarily and later get revoked
- ❌ Trial versions or evaluation licenses
Why Don’t All Resellers Offer These Prices?
Not all resellers have access to volume licensing channels. Some resellers purchase licenses at retail price and resell them with a small markup — which is why their prices are close to Microsoft’s. Others operate in the grey market with illegitimate sources — which is why their prices are suspiciously low (under $5 for a Windows key, for example).
SoftLicenseDeals sits in the legitimate middle: genuine volume licenses at prices that reflect actual volume purchasing — not retail markup, not grey market risk.
How to Verify Your License is Genuine
After activating your key, you can verify its legitimacy in under a minute:
Verify Windows Activation
- Open Command Prompt as Administrator
- Run:
slmgr /xpr - Result should say: “The machine is permanently activated”
- If you see a KMS expiry date — the key is NOT a genuine MAK or retail key
Verify Office Activation
- Open any Office application
- Go to File → Account
- You should see “Product Activated” under Product Information
Price Comparison — SoftLicenseDeals vs Microsoft Retail
| Product | Microsoft Retail | SoftLicenseDeals | Your Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 11 Pro (1 PC) | $199.99 | $14.99 | Save $185 |
| Windows 10 Pro (1 PC) | $199.99 | $9.99 | Save $190 |
| Office 2024 Pro Plus (1 PC) | $439.99 | $49.99 | Save $390 |
| Office 2021 Pro Plus (1 PC) | $349.99 | $39.99 | Save $310 |
| Windows Server 2022 Standard | $971.00 | $89.99 | Save $881 |
Frequently Asked Questions
If the price is so low, how do I know it’s not a scam?
Verify after activation. Run slmgr /xpr for Windows — if it shows “permanently activated,” the license is genuine. For Office, check File → Account. If it says “Product Activated” with no expiry date, you have a genuine license. Our money-back guarantee ensures you have recourse if anything is wrong.
Will my license get deactivated later?
No. Genuine volume licenses activated through Microsoft’s official servers are permanently valid. Keys that get deactivated after a period are typically KMS-based (not genuine MAK or retail) — which is what we do not sell.
What if Microsoft changes their policy?
Microsoft’s volume licensing and reseller programs have been in place for decades and are a core part of their business model. The legal frameworks governing software license resale are well-established in both the US and EU.
Have more questions? Visit our FAQ page, read our Legitimate Software Licensing guide or contact our support team.