azure
98 articles on azure — what drives the cost, how it is priced, and where the savings actually are.
AWS vs Azure for Windows workloads cost: where licensing tips the scales
Windows Server and SQL Server licensing can dominate the cost of a Windows workload, and Azure's Hybrid Benefit lets you reuse existing licenses in ways that change the math versus AWS. Which cloud is cheaper depends on the licenses you already own. Here is the comparison.
Understanding your Azure bill: reading the charges that matter
An Azure invoice mixes compute, storage, networking, and service charges across subscriptions and resource groups, which makes it hard to read. Knowing the structure, and where the big and surprising lines come from, is the first step to control. Here is how to read it.
AKS node pool cost optimization: paying less for Kubernetes
Azure Kubernetes Service is free for the control plane, but node pools (the VMs running your workloads) are where the cost lives. Right-sizing pools, using spot and autoscaling, and separating workload types cut the bill substantially. Here is how.
Azure Blob storage tiers cost: hot, cool, cold, and archive compared
Azure Blob storage offers hot, cool, cold, and archive access tiers at very different prices, trading storage cost against access cost and retrieval latency. Matching data to the right tier can cut storage spend dramatically. Here is how.
Azure free tier explained: what is actually free and for how long
The Azure free tier mixes a 12-month trial, a set of always-free services, and a starting credit. Knowing which is which keeps you from an unexpected bill when a trial window closes. Here is the full breakdown.
Azure ML cost optimization: cutting the bill on training and inference
Azure Machine Learning cost is dominated by compute, GPUs for training, endpoints for inference, and idle clusters. Right-sizing, autoscaling to zero, spot compute, and batch endpoints are the biggest levers. Here is the playbook.
Azure region pricing differences: why the same VM costs more in some regions
Azure prices the same service differently by region, sometimes by a wide margin. The cause is local infrastructure cost, demand, and taxes. Knowing the pattern helps you place workloads where they are cheapest without hurting latency.
Azure reservations explained: how to cut compute cost with commitments
Azure reservations give a large discount on VMs, databases, and other services in exchange for a one or three year commitment. Understanding scope, flexibility, and exchange rules is key to committing without overcommitting. Here is how they work.
The cheapest Azure region: where to place workloads for lowest cost
Azure prices services differently by region, and the cheapest regions for compute are often large US and Western European regions. Choosing a low-cost region for latency-tolerant workloads is easy savings. Here is how to pick one.
Azure Traffic Manager cost: DNS queries plus health checks
Traffic Manager bills per million DNS queries plus a monthly fee per monitored endpoint, with external endpoints costing more to check. It is a cheap DNS-based global router. Here is how it prices and where cost hides with many endpoints.
Azure Load Balancer cost: rules and data processed on Standard
Azure Standard Load Balancer bills per load-balancing rule and per GB of data processed, plus outbound. The Basic tier is free but limited and retiring. Here is how the Standard tier prices and how to keep it lean.
Azure VPN Gateway cost: the SKU sets the hourly fee
Azure VPN Gateway bills a fixed hourly fee by SKU (from about $0.19/hour for VpnGw1 to several dollars for higher SKUs) plus outbound data transfer. The SKU, chosen for throughput and tunnels, dominates the bill. Here is how to size it.
Azure VM Scale Sets cost: you pay for the VMs, autoscaling sets how many
Scale Sets add no charge of their own; you pay for the underlying VMs, disks, and load balancer. Autoscaling rules, instance size, and Spot instances decide the bill. Here is how to tune them for cost without hurting performance.
Azure Machine Learning cost optimization: compute is the bill
Azure ML cost is the compute it orchestrates, training clusters, inference endpoints, and compute instances (notebooks), plus storage. Idle compute instances and always-on endpoints are the biggest waste. Here is how to cut it.
Azure Batch cost: the service is free, the VMs are not
Azure Batch is free to use; you pay for the underlying VM compute in the pools it manages, plus storage and networking. Low-priority (Spot) VMs, right-sized pools, and autoscaling to zero drive the bill. Here is the model.
Azure Firewall Manager cost: policy management plus the firewalls
Firewall Manager centrally manages Azure Firewall policies and security across many networks; the meaningful cost is the Azure Firewalls themselves plus per-policy charges beyond the first. Here is the model.
Azure DDoS Protection cost: a flat monthly plan plus overage
Azure DDoS Protection (Network or IP Protection) bills a flat monthly fee covering a set of protected resources, with per-resource charges beyond the included count. It protects against volumetric attacks. Here is the model.
Azure Data Explorer cost: cluster compute plus storage
Azure Data Explorer (Kusto) bills the compute of its cluster VMs (with a markup) plus storage, running continuously unless stopped, or serverless-style with autoscale. Idle clusters and over-provisioning drive the bill. Here is the model.
Azure Web PubSub cost: per unit per day, like SignalR
Azure Web PubSub bills per provisioned unit per day (each supporting concurrent connections and messages), with a Free tier and autoscaling Premium. Over-provisioning units for rare peaks drives the bill. Here is the model.
Azure App Configuration cost: free tier or a small daily fee
App Configuration has a free tier for basic use and a Standard tier billed a small daily fee plus per-10,000-request overage beyond a generous included allowance. It is inexpensive; the main lever is caching config to reduce requests. Here is the model.
Azure SignalR Service cost: per unit per day, by tier
SignalR Service bills per provisioned unit per day (Standard) or by usage (Serverless-friendly), with each unit supporting a number of concurrent connections and messages. Over-provisioning units for peak that rarely comes drives the bill. Here is the model.
Azure ExpressRoute cost: circuit port fee plus egress model
ExpressRoute bills a circuit port fee by bandwidth, in a metered plan (per-GB egress) or unlimited plan (flat, higher fee), plus provider connectivity charges. For large, steady traffic to Azure it can beat VPN. Here is the model.
Azure Private Link cost: per endpoint hour plus data processed
Private Link bills per private endpoint per hour plus per GB of data processed, keeping traffic to Azure services on the backbone privately. It adds cost but can reduce egress and improve security. Here is the model and the tradeoff.
Azure NetApp Files cost: provisioned capacity by service level
Azure NetApp Files bills provisioned capacity pool size per hour by service level (Standard, Premium, Ultra), which set throughput per TB. You pay for the pool whether or not it is full, so right-sizing capacity and tier is the lever.