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SQL Server - Grandfathered licensing model to end on October 1, 2024

If you've licensed apps using the old Power Apps licensing model, here's a reminder that it ends very soon on October 1st, 2024.

Historically, Power Apps users who have licensed their apps using the initial licensing model have enjoyed access to SQL Server without needing a premium connector license. If you're unaware, this will end on October 1, 2024.

This post describes some of the details around the change, including the history.

History of Power Apps licensing

When Power Apps was first released, the licensing model included two plans: Plan 1 and Plan 2.

  • Plan 1: This plan provided access to premium connectors, the Data Gateway, and the ability to create custom connectors.
  • Plan 2:  This plan included everything in Plan 1, plus access to the Common Data Service (now known as Microsoft Dataverse).
The cost of a Plan 1 license was around $7/user/month and a Plan 2 license was around $40/user/month.

In October 2019, Microsoft changed the licensing model to the per app/per user plan model, which is superseded now (2024) by the 'Power Apps Premium' plan. 

What are grandfathered licenses?

As part of the transition to the per app/per user license model, users with active Plan 1 or Plan 2 licenses retained their access rights until the end of their subscription period.

Users with grandfathered Plan 1 licenses benefitted from a cheap way to license several apps that use SQL Server or premium connectors.

Summary

If your organisation still uses these grandfathered licenses, it’s crucial to assess the users and applications relying on them and transition to the current licensing model.

For more details about this license type, the licensing FAQ is a good resource.