Contents
Key takeawaysWhich product line per pathSource, target and hub countsA worked cost exampleNon Oracle targetsGoldenGate for Big DataSwapping to another CDC toolAlternatives to GoldenGateWhat we see in reviewsWhat Oracle will sayWhat to do nextFAQGoldenGate is licensed per processor at every end of a flow, and the product line depends on what sits at that end. Non Oracle targets, stream and lake targets, and mainframe sources each need their own line.
- An Oracle end needs the Oracle line. The Non Oracle Database line does not cover an Oracle database at either end, so a mixed flow is two products.
- The second leg is full price. Both relational lines list at $17,500 per processor, so an Oracle to SQL Server path carries two full processor counts.
- Big Data has a new name and price. Stream and lake targets need GoldenGate for Distributed Applications and Analytics at $20,000 per processor, the product formerly sold as GoldenGate for Big Data.
- The included streaming right is narrow. The base lines only allow JMS into separately licensed Coherence Grid Edition and Kafka into separately licensed Oracle Stream Analytics.
- You choose the size of cloud delivery hosts. For managed databases and streams, the host running the delivery process is what Oracle counts, so size it deliberately and keep it pinned.
- Mainframe is a different price tier. GoldenGate for Mainframe lists at $100,000 per processor, and mainframe chip families do not get the 0.5 multiplier that halves x86 counts.
- A tool swap can keep the claim. Replacing GoldenGate against an Oracle source leaves the license need in place if the new tool relies on the parameter Oracle licenses on.
Replicate into PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Kafka or a cloud warehouse and a GoldenGate license follows the data to that end, whatever the target itself costs. The harder question is which one. Oracle's price list carries four GoldenGate products for different ends of a flow, and a missing or wrong line is the most common finding we write up.
This page covers the heterogeneous case: non Oracle targets, stream and lake targets, mainframe sources, and the tool swap that leaves the license claim in place. The processor metric, hub arithmetic and Foundation Suite pricing are in our Oracle GoldenGate licensing guide.
Which GoldenGate product line does each replication path need?
What sits at each end of the flow sets the line. An Oracle database end goes on Oracle GoldenGate, a non Oracle relational end on GoldenGate for Non Oracle Database, a stream or lake target on GoldenGate for Distributed Applications and Analytics, and a mainframe source on GoldenGate for Mainframe.
| Path | Product line | List per processor | What it does not cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle to Oracle | Oracle GoldenGate | $17,500 | The database license at either end |
| Oracle at one end, non Oracle at the other | Both lines, one per end | $17,500 each | Nothing is bundled: two products and two processor counts |
| Non Oracle to non Oracle | GoldenGate for Non Oracle Database | $17,500 | Any Oracle database end, plus the Active Data Guard and XStream rights |
| Kafka, object store, lake or warehouse target | GoldenGate for Distributed Applications and Analytics | $20,000 | The relational ends of the same flow |
| Mainframe source such as DB2 for z/OS | GoldenGate for Mainframe | $100,000 | Open systems ends, which stay on their own line |
All prices are from the Oracle Technology Global Price List, before discount. Annual support runs at 22 percent of the net license price, so every line you add also adds a recurring cost.
How mixed Oracle and non Oracle flows are licensed
If an Oracle database sits at either end, that end is licensed on the Oracle GoldenGate line, and every non Oracle end is licensed on its own line. There is no combined product and no discount for the second leg. An Oracle to SQL Server path therefore carries two full processor counts at $17,500 each.
The GoldenGate licensing information manual holds the entitlement text for each product. Read the section for the exact line you are buying. The Oracle GoldenGate license includes Active Data Guard and XStream on an Enterprise Edition database, while the Non Oracle Database license states that it includes neither.
What do the restricted streaming rights in the base lines allow?
Oracle GoldenGate, the Non Oracle Database line and the Mainframe line each include a restricted use license to GoldenGate for Distributed Applications and Analytics. The restriction is tight enough that most teams breach it without noticing.
- JMS traffic. Allowed solely into separately licensed Oracle Coherence Grid Edition.
- Kafka traffic. Allowed solely into separately licensed Oracle Stream Analytics.
- Everything else. A plain Kafka cluster, an object store or a cloud warehouse needs the full line at $20,000 per processor.
Both conditions assume you already own the Oracle product at the far end. Most companies streaming change data into Kafka do not, so the restricted right rarely covers what they run.
Why mainframe sources sit on a different line
GoldenGate for Mainframe lists at $100,000 per processor, 5.7 times the open systems lines. Oracle's licensing manual describes it as capture and delivery for IBM DB2 on z/OS and HP NonStop databases.
Check the Oracle Processor Core Factor Table row for the processor family before you model the cost. The 0.5 multiplier that halves x86 counts does not apply to mainframe families, so the count lands much closer to raw cores. HPE NonStop X systems run on Intel Xeon, so read the row for the actual system instead of assuming either value.
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How is GoldenGate counted on the source, the target and the hub?
Each end is counted on its own hardware. Multiply the physical cores by the core factor for the chip to get licensable processors, and apply the same rule to non Oracle target hardware. The metric ignores data volume, so a design is priced by its number of ends and the cores behind them.
- Source. The database server GoldenGate reads change data from.
- Target. The database or platform GoldenGate writes into, licensed on its own cores.
- Hub. Any intermediate server running GoldenGate processes, licensed on the cores it runs on.
Read the factor from the current table for the exact chip family. In our reviews the wrong row was used often enough to move the count by 15 to 35 percent, in both directions. Our page on the Oracle core factor walks through the table.
What gets counted when the target is a managed cloud database?
You cannot install anything on a managed database server, so the delivery process runs on a host you provision, and that host is the licensed footprint. This is the one place in GoldenGate licensing where you choose the size of the count yourself.
A delivery host with 8 vCPUs is a smaller license line than one with 32. The size is usually set when the host is launched and rarely revisited. If the platform team later resizes the host for headroom, the license line grows with it and no invoice tells you.
How does the count change on AWS and Azure?
On an authorized cloud, the vCPU rule replaces the core factor. On AWS and Azure with hyperthreading enabled, two vCPUs count as one processor license, and one vCPU counts as one license when hyperthreading is off. The authorized cloud policy page covers the full rule.
That ratio turns the host sizing decision into a price. With hyperthreading on, 8 vCPUs is 4 licenses and 32 vCPUs is 16. On the Non Oracle Database line that is $70,000 against $280,000 at list, for the same data flow.
Oracle GoldenGate Licensing
What GoldenGate costs to license across Oracle, non Oracle and streaming targets. Read it free.
Get the white paper →What does a mixed Oracle, PostgreSQL and Kafka design cost?
A hypothetical design with one Oracle source, one PostgreSQL target and one Kafka feed comes to $360,000 at list, with $79,200 a year in support. The table shows how each end is counted and which line it lands on.
| End of the flow | Where it runs | Licensable processors | Product line | List price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle source | On premises, 16 Intel x86 cores | 16 x 0.5 = 8 | Oracle GoldenGate | $140,000 |
| PostgreSQL target | On premises, 16 Intel x86 cores | 16 x 0.5 = 8 | GoldenGate for Non Oracle Database | $140,000 |
| Kafka delivery | AWS host, 8 vCPUs, hyperthreading on | 8 / 2 = 4 | GoldenGate for Distributed Applications and Analytics | $80,000 |
| Total | 20 | $360,000 | ||
| Annual support at 22 percent | $79,200 |
Two details in this example tend to surprise finance teams. The PostgreSQL target costs as much as the Oracle source, even though PostgreSQL itself is free. The Kafka line is the smallest here only because its host is small.
If the platform team builds the Kafka delivery host at 32 vCPUs instead, the streaming line becomes 16 licenses and $320,000, and the design total rises to $600,000 with $132,000 a year in support. The data flow is identical. Discounts lower every figure in proportion, but they do not change the shape.
Do you need GoldenGate licenses for a non Oracle target?
Yes. Replicating into PostgreSQL, SQL Server, MySQL or any supported non Oracle database requires GoldenGate licensing where the delivery runs for that target. A free target database does not make the GoldenGate path free.
This is where audit findings usually land. The Oracle source was licensed properly at project time, and the targets multiplied afterwards as other teams asked for their own copy of the data.
Check the supported version matrix first
GoldenGate supports a long list of non Oracle databases, listed on the Oracle GoldenGate product page and in the certification matrix. Each supported target type still draws a license, and the supported versions change between releases.
Confirm the matrix before you design the path. A target on an unsupported version is a technical risk, and it is an argument you will lose in a support case.
When a migration project becomes a permanent license line
Most heterogeneous GoldenGate purchases start as a migration: move Oracle to PostgreSQL, run both in parallel for a cutover window, then decommission the source. Then the flow stays because someone wants a fallback path, and a temporary tool becomes a permanent line with 22 percent support attached.
In our review file, flows bought for a six month cutover were still running, and still being paid for, two years later. Price the exit at the start. If Oracle is the source you are leaving, our Oracle and PostgreSQL cost comparison puts the replication line next to the database savings.
What contract wording should you ask for on a migration flow?
- Term licenses scoped to the cutover window. A term matched to the migration avoids buying perpetual licenses and support for a tool you plan to switch off.
- A written end state. The ordering document should say what happens when the window closes, so extending or ending the flow is a decision rather than a default.
- Named hosts and core counts. Listing the servers and delivery hosts the licenses cover makes a later resize visible to procurement.
- A price hold for extra target processors. Targets multiply, and a hold on the unit price for added processors keeps the next target from being priced from list. Our note on price hold clauses has example wording.
- Support treatment at the end of the window. Ask Oracle to confirm in writing that dropping the migration licenses will not reprice support on the GoldenGate licenses you keep.
Our checklist for reviewing a migration project before you sign the statement of work covers the same point from the project side.
How is GoldenGate for Big Data licensed now?
GoldenGate for Big Data is now sold as GoldenGate for Distributed Applications and Analytics, at $20,000 per processor. It is a separate product from the relational lines, and it covers streaming, NoSQL, messaging, warehouse and lakehouse targets.
Licensing a stream target under the classic product is the second most common error we correct. It looks like the same software, the handlers ship in the same distribution, and nothing at deployment time asks which line you bought.
What the Distributed Applications and Analytics line covers
- Message streams. Kafka and equivalent brokers, delivered through the supplied handlers.
- Object storage and lakes. Cloud object stores, file based lake targets and lakehouse formats.
- Analytic warehouses. Cloud warehouse targets reached through the supported handlers.
- Bundled components. GoldenGate Data Streams, Oracle Transaction Manager for Microservices Enterprise Edition, and a restricted use license to Oracle Stream Analytics for processing data that comes from this product.
The relational ends of the same flow stay on their own lines. An Oracle source feeding a Kafka topic is two products: Oracle GoldenGate on the source and Distributed Applications and Analytics on the delivery side. Oracle's manual also states that this line neither includes nor requires the Oracle or Non Oracle licenses.
Where the delivery process runs decides the count
Streaming targets are almost never servers you can install on. The delivery process runs on a host you provision, and that host carries the processor count.
Two flows delivering into the same Kafka cluster from one delivery host are one licensed footprint. The same two flows split across two hosts for operational tidiness are two. Consolidate the delivery tier before you buy, and size it to the throughput the flows actually need.
Snowflake, BigQuery and object storage targets
Cloud warehouse and object store targets follow the same logic as Kafka. There is no server of theirs to license, so the licensed footprint is your delivery tier, and its size is your decision.
That makes the analytics case unusually controllable. A tightly sized delivery tier feeding a warehouse can be a modest GoldenGate line, while the same flows spread across a fleet of oversized workers can cost more than the warehouse.
What about Oracle's managed GoldenGate service on OCI?
OCI GoldenGate is billed per OCPU per hour. A deployment is created with 1 to 24 OCPUs, and with auto scaling it can grow to 3 times the base count, up to the 24 OCPU ceiling. Auto scaled usage is billed at the highest OCPU count used in each hour.
Data replication deployments can be bought license included or as bring your own license. Hourly billing can suit intermittent or migration workloads, so price it next to the perpetual line before you commit.
Does swapping GoldenGate for another CDC tool remove the license?
Not on the Oracle side of the flow. If the source is an Oracle database, the replacement tool still has to read Oracle change data, and the mechanism many tools use is the one Oracle licenses on.
The database parameter that carries the claim
ENABLE_GOLDENGATE_REPLICATION is the switch. Oracle's database reference states that when it is true you need a valid GoldenGate license or an authorized managed cloud client, including for third party and end user tools. The GoldenGate licensing manual confirms that an Oracle GoldenGate license is what satisfies this requirement.
XStream, the API several commercial capture tools use, is one of the rights a GoldenGate license includes. Qlik Replicate's own documentation, for example, lists a GoldenGate license as a prerequisite for its Oracle XStream endpoint. A team that replaces GoldenGate and sets the parameter to make the new tool work has changed vendors and kept the license claim.
What a clean alternative looks like
A clean swap either avoids the Oracle end of the flow or reads the source through a mechanism the parameter does not govern. That is a technical determination, and it belongs in writing before the migration business case is signed.
Where the source is not Oracle, none of this applies and the alternative market is wide open. The trap is specific to Oracle sources, and it is why so many heterogeneous cost cases fail to deliver. Our GoldenGate guide explains how Oracle finds the parameter during a review.
What are the alternatives to GoldenGate for heterogeneous paths?
For many non Oracle and streaming paths, native replication, open source change data capture and cloud provider services replace GoldenGate at a fraction of the license cost. The right fit depends on latency, throughput, transformation needs and who carries support.
- Native replication. The target database's own tooling for like to like paths, which is free and well understood.
- Open source change data capture. Log based capture for heterogeneous paths, trading vendor support for engineering ownership.
- Managed cloud services. Provider run replication and migration services, priced by consumption.
Open source change data capture
Log based open source tooling handles a large share of relational to relational and relational to streaming paths. The license cost approaches zero while the operational cost does not, so budget the engineering ownership realistically.
Where it fits, the saving is large, because a single 16 processor GoldenGate target line at list pays for a lot of engineering time.
What to say when engineering wants GoldenGate anyway
Make the trade explicit instead of arguing about the tool. A useful script: "This path is 16 processors, which is $280,000 at list plus $61,600 a year in support, before any discount. What does the alternative cost us in engineering time over three years?"
Sometimes GoldenGate still wins, and that is a fine answer once it is a priced decision. The failure is choosing it by default and discovering the line at renewal.
Why owning Oracle Database licenses does not cover your replication
A common assumption is that GoldenGate licensing follows the Oracle database, so a team that owns Database licenses believes its replication is covered. We disagree. In the reviews I led, the unlicensed exposure sat on the non Oracle targets and the streaming delivery side, while the Oracle source was usually in order.
The better course is to map every source and target pair and license GoldenGate where it actually runs. Then test whether native or open source tools can carry the heterogeneous paths, since those are the ends where the cost sits.
GoldenGate is licensed where it runs. A non Oracle target still carries an Oracle license line.
What have we seen in recent GoldenGate reviews?
Across roughly 25 to 35 Oracle GoldenGate engagements I reviewed in 2024 and 2025, the licensed footprint usually covered the source and missed part of the target set. Four patterns came up again and again.
- Unlicensed non Oracle targets. PostgreSQL, SQL Server and Kafka targets were live without licenses in about 50 percent of the environments we reviewed.
- Stream targets on the wrong product. Big data targets licensed under the classic line exposed a true up of 20 to 40 percent of the GoldenGate line.
- Core factor errors. The wrong row for the target hardware inflated processor counts by 15 to 35 percent before we corrected it.
- Migration flows that never ended. Replication bought for a six month cutover was still running, and still being paid for, two years on.
How to check your own position before Oracle does
- List every process. Run INFO ALL in GGSCI or the Admin Client on each deployment, or read the Extract and Replicat list in the Microservices web console, to see every capture and delivery process.
- Find the targets. Each Replicat's parameter file names the database it writes into. For stream targets, the gg.handlerlist entry in the Replicat properties file shows whether the handler is Kafka, a file writer or a warehouse.
- Check the Oracle databases. SHOW PARAMETER enable_goldengate_replication in SQL*Plus tells you which Oracle databases have the switch on, whichever tool set it.
- Count the cores. Use lscpu on Linux hosts and the instance type in the cloud console for delivery hosts, and note whether hyperthreading is enabled.
- Match to entitlement. Line up each end against the product line on your ordering documents, then price any gap at list before you open a conversation.
What will Oracle's account team say, and how should you answer?
Expect the conversation to start with the gaps Oracle can see, then move to a bundle that closes them. These are the lines we hear most often on heterogeneous GoldenGate deals, with replies that keep the discussion on your count.
| What you may hear | What to say back |
|---|---|
| "Your Kafka feeds run on the GoldenGate distribution, so they need the full Distributed Applications and Analytics line." | "Agreed where they do. Here are the delivery hosts, their pinned vCPU counts and the cloud policy ratio. The Kafka cluster itself runs no GoldenGate process." |
| "Your non Oracle targets were never licensed, so we will calculate the gap from list." | "Show us the count per target with the core factor row you used. We have our own count and will reconcile it line by line." |
| "Moving to another CDC tool will not reduce your GoldenGate need." | "Tell us which feature the tool would use. If it runs without ENABLE_GOLDENGATE_REPLICATION set to true, show us the licensing text that still applies." |
| "Perpetual licenses are the better value for the migration." | "Quote term licenses for the cutover window as well. We will compare both over the real project length, support included." |
| "Add the Foundation Suite and clean everything up in one order." | "The suite requires a base line and adds Studio, Veridata and the Management Pack. Price it separately so we can see whether we use them." |
If a review has already started, keep the source and target inventory as your own document and share counts from it. Our Oracle audit page covers the wider process.
Our Oracle advisory services team can review the GoldenGate footprint with you. The Oracle Database licensing guide has the processor and core factor rules in full, and the Oracle knowledge hub holds the wider library.
What to do next
- Map every path. List every GoldenGate source and target pair, Oracle and non Oracle, with the cores or vCPUs behind each end.
- Label each end with its product line. Oracle GoldenGate, Non Oracle Database, Distributed Applications and Analytics, or Mainframe. Check the restricted streaming rights before you rely on them, because they only help if you own the Oracle product at the far end.
- Apply the right count. Use the correct core factor row for every server, including non Oracle target hardware, and the vCPU rule on authorized clouds.
- Size and pin the delivery hosts. Managed and streaming targets are counted on those hosts, so fix their size in your infrastructure code.
- Price the gaps. Flag any live target with no GoldenGate license against it and price the exposure before Oracle does.
- Put an end date on every migration flow. License the migration window instead of buying perpetual by reflex, and write the end state into the order.
- Compare alternatives per path. Set the GoldenGate cost against native, open source and cloud options over three years, engineering time included, and confirm whether the alternative still needs the Oracle replication parameter.
- Keep the record current. Document the licensed position before any Oracle review and refresh it whenever a path changes. The GoldenGate licensing white paper has the full cost model.
Want a second opinion on your Oracle position? Our Oracle licensing consultants are former Oracle insiders who now work only for buyers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Oracle GoldenGate licensed on the target as well as the source, and how are processors counted?
Yes. Every server where GoldenGate captures or delivers data is licensed per processor on its own cores, including non Oracle targets and any hub. On premises you multiply physical cores by the Oracle core factor for the chip; on an authorized cloud such as AWS or Azure the vCPU rule replaces the core factor.
Do I need GoldenGate licenses to replicate into PostgreSQL?
Yes. PostgreSQL costs nothing to license, but the GoldenGate delivery into it does, at the same $17,500 per processor as the Oracle line. If PostgreSQL is fed from an Oracle source you pay for both ends, and if the database is Amazon RDS or Azure Database for PostgreSQL, the count sits on the host running delivery.
Which GoldenGate product covers a non Oracle to non Oracle flow?
Oracle GoldenGate for Non Oracle Database. It covers supported non Oracle open systems databases at both ends, for example SQL Server to PostgreSQL. It does not cover an Oracle database at either end and carries no Active Data Guard or XStream rights, so any flow touching Oracle also needs the Oracle GoldenGate line.
What replaced GoldenGate for Big Data?
GoldenGate for Distributed Applications and Analytics, listed at $20,000 per processor. It carries the handlers for Kafka, NoSQL, messaging, object stores, warehouses and lakehouses. It has no GoldenGate prerequisite, but any relational database at the capture end of the flow still needs its own Oracle or Non Oracle line.
Do the base GoldenGate lines include any streaming rights?
Only a restricted use right. It allows JMS delivery solely into Oracle Coherence Grid Edition and Kafka delivery solely into Oracle Stream Analytics, each licensed separately. A company feeding its own Kafka cluster, Snowflake or an object store falls outside it and needs the full Distributed Applications and Analytics line.
How is a managed cloud database target counted?
On the host where the delivery process runs, because you cannot install GoldenGate on a managed database server. Oracle counts that host's vCPUs under its cloud policy, so a small, pinned delivery host keeps the line small, and a resize for headroom raises the line whether or not anyone tells procurement.
What is the most common GoldenGate audit finding?
Unlicensed targets. Companies license the Oracle source properly at project time, then add delivery into non Oracle databases or streaming platforms as other teams ask for data. Those targets surface as a true up at renewal or audit, usually priced from list unless you bring your own count.
Can open source tools replace GoldenGate?
For many heterogeneous and streaming paths, yes. Open source change data capture, native replication and cloud services cover common cases. Against an Oracle source, first check whether the tool needs ENABLE_GOLDENGATE_REPLICATION set to true or reads through XStream, because either one keeps the Oracle claim alive.
What does GoldenGate for Mainframe cost?
It lists at $100,000 per processor, 5.7 times the open systems line, and covers capture and delivery for IBM DB2 on z/OS and HP NonStop. The open systems end of the same flow is licensed separately, so a mainframe to Oracle feed carries both lines.
Does Redress resell Oracle GoldenGate?
No. Redress Compliance is 100 percent independent of Oracle. We do not resell or implement Oracle software and take no vendor fees. We review the GoldenGate footprint and licensing position for the customer and support the negotiation that follows.