What Are the Differences Between Retail and OEM Keys?

What is different between Retail Keys & OEM CD Keys?

A retail key is intended for end-users. Often sold in boxes, on cards, or as codes, they can be activated by anyone on a chosen machine.

OEM keys are product keys intended for manufacturers of the original hardware. OEM product keys are pre-installed onto machines, and their license can not be transferred to another computer.

Retail keys are more expensive, but these are products that can be activated by anyone on any machine, such as game keys. In contrast, OEM keys are pre-installed by manufacturers, such as laptops or PCs that come with Windows 11 installed.