Oracle Database Enterprise Edition: Features Included at No Extra Cost
Oracle Database Enterprise Edition (EE) has many advanced capabilities built in, but it can be unclear which features are included and which require additional licenses.
This article will clarify the key Enterprise Edition features you can use without extra licensing, covering:
- Data Guard (basic standby)
- Basic Compression
- Transparent Data Encryption (cloud environments)
- Oracle Spatial and Graph
- Oracle Machine Learning
- SQL Developer, APEX, and related tools
- Multitenant (limited use)
- Advanced performance features (parallel query, bitmap indexes)
Understanding these features helps you leverage your Oracle investment fully while staying compliant.
Read more Oracle Database Licensing FAQs.
1. Data Guard (Basic Standby Databases)
Included with Enterprise Edition: Yes
Separate Licensing Required: No (unless using Active Data Guard)
Oracle Data Guard allows you to maintain standby databases for disaster recovery purposes. EE includes:
- Physical standby databases are maintained in recovery mode by applying archived redo logs from the primary.
- Basic switchover/failover capabilities: Free usage for cold/passive standby (up to 10 days of active usage per year allowed without additional licensing).
Example Use Case:
You can run an 8-core EE production database and keep an identical standby database in recovery mode, ready for failover, without additional licensing fees.
Note:
Using advanced features—like Active Data Guard, where the standby database is opened for queries—requires a separate license.
Read Are Oracle Database Management Packs Included in Your Database License.
2. Basic Compression
Included with Enterprise Edition: Yes (limited scenarios)
Separate Licensing Required: Only for Advanced Compression features (e.g., OLTP compression)
Enterprise Edition includes basic table compression suitable for specific scenarios:
- Compression during direct-path loads (bulk inserts).
- Compression for read-only tables or partitions.
This basic compression is useful for data warehouse scenarios or historical data.
Not Included:
Advanced Compression options (OLTP compression, RMAN backup compression, etc.) require the separately licensed Advanced Compression option.
Example Use Case:
You can compress historical sales data loaded in bulk without additional licensing. Compressing active transaction data would require Advanced Compression.
3. Transparent Data Encryption (Cloud Only)
Included with Enterprise Edition: Yes (Oracle Cloud only)
Separate Licensing Required: Yes (on-premises via Advanced Security Option)
Oracle Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) encrypts data at rest, ensuring security compliance.
- Included by default when using Oracle Database in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) or Autonomous Database.
- It is not included for on-premises databases; this requires the Advanced Security option.
Example Use Case:
You can spin up a database in Oracle Autonomous Database, and your data is automatically encrypted without additional costs. On-premises, this encryption would require separate licensing.
4. Oracle Spatial and Graph
Included with Enterprise Edition: Yes (from 19c onwards)
Separate Licensing Required: No (as of Oracle 19c)
Previously licensed separately, Oracle Spatial and Graph became free features included in EE (and even Standard Edition 2) as of Oracle Database 19c:
- Spatial: GIS data storage, spatial indexing, and spatial analytics.
- Graph: Graph database management and querying.
Example Use Case:
You can develop location-based analytics and mapping solutions or manage social graph networks directly within Oracle EE without additional licensing.
5. Oracle Machine Learning (Advanced Analytics)
Included with Enterprise Edition: Yes (from 19c onwards)
Separate Licensing Required: No (as of Oracle 19c)
Oracle Machine Learning (formerly Oracle Advanced Analytics) provides powerful in-database machine learning algorithms:
- Predictive modeling, classification, regression.
- Data mining functions are built into SQL and PL/SQL.
- Integration with R and Python is directly in the Oracle Database.
Previously a licensed add-on, Oracle Machine Learning is now free with EE (and SE2).
Example Use Case:
Your data science team can develop predictive customer analytics directly within your existing EE databases at no additional license cost.
6. SQL Developer, APEX, and Related Tools
Included with Enterprise Edition: Yes
Separate Licensing Required: No
Oracle provides several robust development and productivity tools with EE at no extra cost:
- SQL Developer: Graphical client for database management and development.
- Oracle Application Express (APEX): Rapid web application development framework included with Oracle Database.
- Oracle REST Data Services (ORDS): Easily expose database logic and data as REST APIs.
Example Use Case:
You can build web-based departmental applications using APEX or manage databases via SQL Developer at no additional licensing fee.
7. Multitenant (Limited)
Included with Enterprise Edition: Yes (limited to 3 PDBs per CDB)
Separate Licensing Required: Yes (for more than 3 Pluggable Databases)
Oracle Multitenant allows multiple pluggable databases (PDBs) in one container database (CDB), simplifying management and consolidation.
- EE allows up to 3 user-created PDBs per CDB at no additional cost.
- For more than 3 PDBs, you must license the Multitenant option separately.
Example Use Case:
Consolidate 3 separate databases into a single EE CDB without additional licensing.
8. Advanced Performance Features Included with EE
Enterprise Edition also comes with many powerful performance and management features included at no extra cost, such as:
- Parallel Query Execution: Execute queries in parallel for better performance.
- Bitmap Indexing: Optimize queries on low-cardinality columns.
- Transportable Tablespaces: Move tablespaces between databases quickly.
- Online Index Rebuilds: Rebuild indexes without downtime.
- Flashback Query and Flashback Table: Quickly recover from logical errors without restoring from backup.
These features, included by default, significantly enhance database functionality without additional licensing.
Example Use Case:
Accelerate query performance on large reporting datasets using parallel query or bitmap indexes at no additional licensing cost.
Read Running Multiple Oracle Database Instances on One Server.
Quick Reference Table: EE Features Included vs. Licensed Separately
| Feature | Included with EE? | Separate License? |
|---|---|---|
| Data Guard (basic standby) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Active Data Guard (query standby) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (Active Data Guard Option) |
| Basic Table Compression | ✅ Yes (limited) | ❌ No |
| Advanced Compression (OLTP, backups) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (Advanced Compression) |
| Transparent Data Encryption (OCI/Cloud) | ✅ Yes (cloud-only) | ❌ No (OCI only) |
| Transparent Data Encryption (on-prem) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (Advanced Security Option) |
| Spatial and Graph (since 19c) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Oracle Machine Learning (since 19c) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| SQL Developer, APEX, ORDS | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Multitenant (up to 3 PDBs) | ✅ Yes (limited) | ✅ Yes (more than 3 PDBs) |
| Parallel Query, Bitmap Indexes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
Recommendations to Avoid Compliance Risks:
- Regularly review Oracle’s licensing documentation for your specific database version.
- Document which Oracle features you’re using.
- Disable or avoid features that trigger additional licensing unless explicitly licensed.
- Educate your database team on feature licensing requirements and compliance pitfalls.
Final Thoughts
Oracle Database Enterprise Edition offers substantial value with many powerful built-in features at no additional licensing cost. Familiarizing yourself with what’s included helps you fully utilize your Oracle investment and avoid unexpected licensing issues. Always refer to Oracle’s official licensing documentation to validate which features are freely available versus those requiring additional licenses.
