Comparing License Mobility and the Azure Hybrid Benefit

The Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server provides similar financial benefits as License Mobility through SA used with SQL Server, with very different rules and much more limited applicability. The original License Mobility through Software Assurance (SA) benefit offered customers a way to move their licenses to any hosting provider; the Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server applies only to workloads in Azure. For the time being, both options exist for Per Core licensees of SQL Server with SA, and either can be used whether SQL Server is used with Windows Server or Linux, but not both concurrently.

Both models require SA to be maintained. Both are also exclusive—customers can never use one set of licenses to run workloads on-premises and in a hosting provider’s shared services concurrently using the same licenses, with minor exceptions.