This is something we get asked about a great deal when talking to OEM and System Builder partners, and while you can find the latest version over on TechNet, I’ve simplified it a little here by highlighting the areas that differ between the two main Windows Server editions.
Locks and Limits
| Locks and Limits | Windows Server 2016 Standard | Windows Server 2016 Datacenter |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum number of users | Based on CALs | Based on CALs |
| Maximum SMB connections | 16777216 | 16777216 |
| Maximum RRAS connections | unlimited | unlimited |
| Maximum IAS connections | 2147483647 | 2147483647 |
| Maximum RDS connections | 65535 | 65535 |
| Maximum number of 64-bit sockets | 64 | 64 |
| Maximum number of cores | unlimited | unlimited |
| Maximum RAM | 24 TB | 24 TB |
| Can be used as virtualization guest | Yes; 2 virtual machines, plus one Hyper-V host per license | Yes; unlimited virtual machines, plus one Hyper-V host per license |
| Server can join a domain | yes | yes |
| Edge network protection/firewall | no | no |
| DirectAccess | yes | yes |
| DLNA codecs and web media streaming | Yes, if installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, if installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
Server roles
| Windows Server roles available | Role services | Windows Server 2016 Standard | Windows Server 2016 Datacenter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Directory Certificate Services | Yes | Yes | |
| Active Directory Domain Services | Yes | Yes | |
| Active Directory Federation Services | Yes | Yes | |
| AD Lightweight Directory Services | Yes | Yes | |
| AD Rights Management Services | Yes | Yes | |
| Device Health Attestation | Yes | Yes | |
| DHCP Server | Yes | Yes | |
| DNS Server | Yes | Yes | |
| Fax Server | Yes | Yes | |
| File and Storage Services | File Server | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | BranchCache for Network Files | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | Data Deduplication | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | DFS Namespaces | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | DFS Replication | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | File Server Resource Manager | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | File Server VSS Agent Service | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | iSCSI Target Server | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | iSCSI Target Storage Provider | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | Server for NFS | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | Work Folders | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | Storage Services | Yes | Yes |
| Host Guardian Service | Yes | Yes | |
| Hyper-V | Yes | Yes; including Shielded Virtual Machines | |
| MultiPoint Services | Yes | Yes | |
| Network Controller | No | Yes | |
| Network Policy and Access Services | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | |
| Print and Document Services | Yes | Yes | |
| Remote Access | Yes | Yes | |
| Remote Desktop Services | Yes | Yes | |
| Volume Activation Services | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Services (IIS) | Yes | Yes | |
| Windows Deployment Services | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | |
| Windows Server Essentials Experience | Yes | Yes | |
| Windows Server Update Services | Yes | Yes |
Features
| Windows Server Features installable with Server Manager (or PowerShell) | Windows Server 2016 Standard | Windows Server 2016 Datacenter |
|---|---|---|
| .NET Framework 3.5 | Yes | Yes |
| .NET Framework 4.6 | Yes | Yes |
| Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) | Yes | Yes |
| BitLocker Drive Encryption | Yes | Yes |
| BitLocker Network Unlock | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| BranchCache | Yes | Yes |
| Client for NFS | Yes | Yes |
| Containers | Yes (Windows containers unlimited; Hyper-V containers up to 2) | Yes (all container types unlimited) |
| Data Center Bridging | Yes | Yes |
| Direct Play | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| Enhanced Storage | Yes | Yes |
| Failover Clustering | Yes | Yes |
| Group Policy Management | Yes | Yes |
| Host Guardian Hyper-V Support | No | Yes |
| I/O Quality of Service | Yes | Yes |
| IIS Hostable Web Core | Yes | Yes |
| Internet Printing Client | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| IPAM Server | Yes | Yes |
| iSNS Server service | Yes | Yes |
| LPR Port Monitor | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| Management OData IIS Extension | Yes | Yes |
| Media Foundation | Yes | Yes |
| Message Queueing | Yes | Yes |
| Multipath I/O | Yes | Yes |
| MultiPoint Connector | Yes | Yes |
| Network Load Balancing | Yes | Yes |
| Peer Name Resolution Protocol | Yes | Yes |
| Quality Windows Audio Video Experience | Yes | Yes |
| RAS Connection Manager Administration Kit | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| Remote Assistance | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| Remote Differential Compression | Yes | Yes |
| RSAT | Yes | Yes |
| RPC over HTTP Proxy | Yes | Yes |
| Setup and Boot Event Collection | Yes | Yes |
| Simple TCP/IP Services | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support | Installed | Installed |
| SMB Bandwidth Limit | Yes | Yes |
| SMTP Server | Yes | Yes |
| SNMP Service | Yes | Yes |
| Software Load Balancer | Yes | Yes |
| Storage Replica | No | Yes |
| Telnet Client | Yes | Yes |
| TFTP Client | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| VM Shielding Tools for Fabric Management | Yes | Yes |
| WebDAV Redirector | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Biometric Framework | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| Windows Defender features | Installed | Installed |
| Windows Identity Foundation 3.5 | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| Windows Internal Database | Yes | Yes |
| Windows PowerShell | Installed | Installed |
| Windows Process Activation Service | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Search Service | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| Windows Server Backup | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Server Migration Tools | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Standards-Based Storage Management | Yes | Yes |
| Windows TIFF IFilter | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| WinRM IIS Extension | Yes | Yes |
| WINS Server | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless LAN Service | Yes | Yes |
| WoW64 support | Installed | Installed |
| XPS Viewer | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| Features available generally | Windows Server 2016 Standard | Windows Server 2016 Datacenter |
|---|---|---|
| Best Practices Analyzer | Yes | Yes |
| Direct Access | Yes | Yes |
| Dynamic Memory (in virtualization) | Yes | Yes |
| Hot Add/Replace RAM | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Management Console | Yes | Yes |
| Minimal Server Interface | Yes | Yes |
| Network Load Balancing | Yes | Yes |
| Windows PowerShell | Yes | Yes |
| Server Core installation option | Yes | Yes |
| Nano Server installation option | Yes | Yes |
| Server Manager | Yes | Yes |
| SMB Direct and SMB over RDMA | Yes | Yes |
| Software-defined Networking | No | Yes |
| Storage Management Service | Yes | Yes |
| Storage Spaces | Yes | Yes |
| Storage Spaces Direct | No | Yes |
| Volume Activation Services | Yes | Yes |
| VSS (Volume Shadow Copy Service) integration | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Server Update Services | Yes | Yes |
| Windows System Resource Manager | Yes | Yes |
| Server license logging | Yes | Yes |
| Inherited activation | As guest if hosted on Datacenter | Can be host or guest |
| Work folders | Yes | Yes |