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Azure

Azure Hybrid Benefit

Migrate to Azure, maximize your savings, and modernize your environment.
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Overview

Embrace migration at a faster pace

Reduce infrastructure costs and accelerate cloud adoption.
  • Allocate more budget towards innovation and competitive differentiation with cost savings from Azure Hybrid Benefit. With free Extended Security Updates (ESU), SQL Server customers can save an average of 76% compared to the leading cloud provider,1 and save up to 76% versus pay-as-you-go pricing with Azure Hybrid Benefit for Linux.2
  • Benefit from 180 days of migration allowance for Windows and SQL Server, allowing you to run workloads on-premises and in Azure simultaneously. Ensure continuous operation and avoid downtime by migrating your RHEL and SLES workloads to Azure without the need for redeployment.
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  • Seize this Azure discount for Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE Linux Enterprise customers with active subscriptions. Azure Hybrid Benefit is also applicable to Azure Local, Azure Kubernetes Services, and Azure Dedicated Host at no cost.
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Eligibility

Apply Azure Hybrid Benefit to Azure solutions

Reduce expenses during your migration to the cloud by applying different Azure rights to your on-premises licenses with Microsoft Software Assurance and active Linux subscriptions.
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Migrate your SQL Server workloads

With the Azure Hybrid Benefit discount, SQL Server customers can save an average of 28% compared to the leading cloud providers.3
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SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines

Host enterprise SQL Server apps in the cloud and save.
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Azure SQL Managed Instance

Modernize SQL Server applications with a managed, always-up-to-date SQL instance in the cloud.
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Azure SQL Database

Build limitless, trusted, AI-ready apps on a fully managed SQL database.
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Azure VMware Solution

Quickly move or extend VMware environments to Azure while maintaining operational consistency.
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Pricing calculator

Discover your savings with Azure Hybrid Benefit

Estimate your savings for specific Azure resources with the pricing calculator or get a broader understanding of Azure Hybrid Benefit cost savings by OS.
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Customer stories

Discover how customer save costs with Azure pricing offers

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  2. Close-up of ABN AMRO logo featuring a blue and yellow triangle on a white background.
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“The solution supports financial awareness; everyone feels accountable for their cloud spend and avoids additional costs. We can budget and forecast, investing in just what we need, without cost spikes.”
Sonal Gupta, Senior Manager of FinOps & Hosting Service Delivery, Carlsberg Group
7–10%
Savings
Products
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“We want to unburden the DevOps teams using Azure by offering cost-efficient solutions, including Azure Reserved Virtual Machine Instances, dev/test subscriptions, Azure Hybrid Benefit, and commitment tiers.”
Hans De Kruif, Platform Engineer and Azure Cost Manager, ABN AMRO
Products
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Resources

Explore additional Azure Hybrid Benefit resources

  1.
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Optimize costs by using Azure Hybrid Benefit

Learn how Azure Hybrid Benefit can apply to your workloads to start saving.
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Azure Hybrid Benefit interactive guides

Learn how to activate this offer for your Windows, Linux, and SQL workloads.
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FAQ

Azure Hybrid Benefit FAQ

  • Azure Hybrid Benefit is an Azure offer that helps organizations reduce expenses during their migration to the cloud. By providing Azure discounts on Windows and SQL Server licenses, as well as Linux subscriptions, Hybrid Benefit supports infrastructure modernization and a cloud-first strategy. You can combine Azure Hybrid Benefit with other strategic pricing offerings like Azure Reserved VM Instance to save up to 80% over the standard pay-as-you-go rate for Windows Server.
  • SQL Server and Windows Server core licenses with active Software Assurance or qualifying subscription core licenses have Azure Hybrid Benefit eligibility in Azure, including: Windows Server Datacenter edition, Windows Server Standard edition, SQL Server Enterprise Edition, SQL Server Standard Edition. If you don't have Software Assurance, please work with your Microsoft account team or a Cloud Service Provider partner. The offer is available in all Azure regions.
  • You can combine Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server and Windows Server when you use SQL Server with Azure Virtual Machines and Azure Dedicated Host. The process of applying Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines depends on the deployment option.
  • Yes. However, to protect data and applications during the end-of-support transition, we recommend adding a subscription for extended security updates. Learn more.
  • With the Azure Hybrid Benefit discount, Windows Server customers can save up to 80% over the standard pay-as-you-go rate.

    To qualify for Azure Hybrid Benefit for Windows Server, you need on-prem core licenses for Windows Server with active Software Assurance or qualifying subscription licenses. Software Assurance and qualifying subscription licenses are only available as part of certain commercial licensing agreements. To learn more about commercial licensing, see Microsoft Licensing.
  • Azure Solutions that can attest for AHB include Azure SQL, Azure SQL Managed Instance, Azure Kubernetes Services, Azure Dedicated Host, Azure Local, Azure VMs, Azure VMWare Solution.
  • Azure Hybrid Benefit can be used in three ways:
    • Windows Server Standard edition: A set of eight-core licenses entitles you to run an instance up to eight cores. You’ll also get 180 days of dual use rights on-prem while migrating servers.
    • Windows Server Datacenter edition for VMs: Choose to apply your Azure Hybrid Benefit to individual virtual machines or to the entire host.
    Learn more about Azure Dedicated Host.
  • SQL Server customer can save up to 85% versus the pay-as-you-go rate.
    Azure Hybrid Benefit is applicable to these products and services for SQL Server on Azure:
    • vCPU-based service tiers of Azure SQL Database (excluding serverless)
    • Azure SQL Managed Instance
    • SQL Server in Azure Virtual Machines
    • SQL Server Integration Services
    • Azure Arc–enabled SQL Managed Instance
    For more details go to Azure Hybrid Benefit - Azure SQL Database & SQL Managed Instance | Microsoft Learn. 
  • It applies to highly virtualized workloads on-prem, and is only available for Azure SQL DB (General Purpose and Hyperscale service tiers, excluding serverless), Azure SQL MI (General Purpose service tier), SQL Server Standard Virtual Machines, Azure Data Factory, and SQL Server Integration Services (Standard). You can convert one core of SQL Server Enterprise edition with Software Assurance to receive up to four vCores or four vCPUs.
  • No. Your licenses must be used either on premises or in the cloud, but you'll have 180 days of concurrent use rights while migrating servers.
  • To use Azure Hybrid Benefit for Windows and SQL Server, your Software Assurance or subscriptions must be active. If you choose not to renew your Software Assurance when it expires, you'll need to remove your Azure Hybrid Benefit selections from your resources in the Azure portal.
  • Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server gives you more value from your SQL Server licenses and savings of up to 55%* on SQL Server Integration Services. You can apply the benefit to SQL Server Enterprise Edition and SQL Server Standard Edition core licenses covered by active Software Assurance or qualifying subscriptions, and use your SQL Server licenses to run SQL Server Integration Services packages on Azure at a lower base rate.

    *Actual savings may vary based on region, instance type, or usage.
  • If you're eligible for Azure Hybrid Benefit, you can apply it to Azure Dedicated Host under the same terms and conditions as individual virtual machines. Additionally, if you have Software Assurance with SQL Server Enterprise Edition and license Azure Dedicated Host at the host level, you'll get unlimited virtualization rights. Learn more about Azure Dedicated Host.
  • The Azure Hybrid Benefit applies to Linux subscription, allowing customers running Red Hat Enterprise Linux or SUSE Linux Enterprise Server licenses.
  • No, you can't. Trying to enter a license type that incorrectly matches the distribution running on your virtual machine will not update any billing metadata. But if you accidentally enter the wrong license type, updating your virtual machine again to the correct license type will still enable Azure Hybrid Benefit.
  1. [1]
    Based on comparisons with AWS equivalent VM types and prices plans, when applying WS and SQL Server licenses with AHB and free ESUs. Calculated using sample VMs such as StandardB2ms, StandardD2sv3, and StandardD4s_v3 across various regions, including US West (Oregon), Frankfurt, and Paris. Based on on-demand pricing and include License and SA, and ESU costs. Actual savings may vary depending on the region, instance size, compute family, and customer agreement. Prices are as of September 2024 and are subject to change.
  2. [2]
    The 76% savings is based on one standard D2s v3 Azure VM with RHEL or SLES subscription in the East US region running at a pay-as-you-go rate vs a reduced rate for a 3-year Reserved Instance. Based on Azure pricing as of October 2022. Prices subject to change. Actual savings may vary based on location, instance type, or usage.
  3. [3]
    Based on comparisons to AWS equivalent VM types and price plans, when applying the AHB to WS and SQL Server licenses. They are calculated using sample VMs such as StandardB2ms, StandardD2sv3, and StandardD4s_v3 across various regions, including US West (Oregon), Frankfurt, and Paris. Based on on-demand pricing and include License and SA costs. Savings may vary depending on the region, instance size, compute family, and customer agreement. Prices are as of Sept 2024 and are subject to change.
  4. [4]
    Based on comparisons with AWS equivalent VM types and price plans, when applying the AHB to WS Server licenses. Calculated using sample VMs such as StandardB2ms, StandardD2sv3, and StandardD4s_v3 across various regions, including US West (Oregon), Frankfurt, and Paris. Based on on-demand pricing and include License and Software Assurance costs. Savings may vary depending on the region, instance size, compute family, and customer agreement. Prices are as of Sept 2024 and are subject to change.