Azure SQL Database Pricing (2026)
Managed relational database services handle provisioning, patching, backups, and replication so you can focus on your application. Support for MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, and other engines with high availability built in. SQL Database offers serverless compute tier that auto-scales and pauses when idle to save costs. Starting from $0.0250/hr ($18.25/mo) for Backup LRS - Backup LRS Data Stored.
Key Features
- ✓Automated backups, patching, and failover
- ✓Multi-AZ / multi-region replication for high availability
- ✓Support for MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, and Oracle
- ✓Read replicas for scaling read-heavy workloads
- ✓Automatic storage scaling
Common Use Cases
Web Applications
Backend database for web apps with automated backups and multi-AZ failover for reliability.
SaaS Platforms
Multi-tenant database infrastructure with read replicas for scaling customer workloads.
Data Warehousing
OLAP workloads with read replicas and optimized instance types for analytical queries.
On-Demand Pricing
Pay-as-you-go pricing with no upfront commitment. You are billed per hour of usage and can start or stop at any time. Hourly rates start at $0.0250/hr ($18.25/mo) for Backup LRS - Backup LRS Data Stored.
| Instance | vCPU | Memory | Price/hr | Price/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backup LRS - Backup LRS Data Stored | - | - | $0.0250 | $18.25 |
| 20 vCore - vCore | 20 | 80 GB | $12.1800 | $8,891.40 |
| 1 vCore - vCore | - | - | $1.6788 | $1,225.51 |
| Hyperscale - Hyperscale Data Stored | - | - | $0.2500 | $182.50 |
| 1 DTU - eDTUs | - | - | $0.1800 | $131.40 |
| Backup - LRS - Backup - LRS Data Stored | - | - | $0.0800 | $58.40 |
| SQLDB_GP_Compute_Gen5_6 - Zone Redundancy vCore | 5 | 20 GB | $0.5480 | $400.03 |
| PRS4 Secondary Active - PRS4 Secondary Active DTU | - | - | $15.0000 | $10,950.00 |
| S3 Secondary Active - S3 Secondary Active DTUs | - | - | $4.8387 | $3,532.25 |
| Business Critical - Business Critical IO Rate Operations | - | - | $0.2000 | $146.00 |
| 16 vCore - vCore | 16 | 64 GB | $2.1373 | $1,560.21 |
| Backup RA-GRS - RA-GRS Data Stored | - | - | $0.2000 | $146.00 |
| SQL_Database_SingleDB_Hyperscale_Compute_DC-Series_vCore - vCore | - | - | $0.3650 | $266.45 |
| SQLDB_GP_Compute_Gen5_80 - Zone Redundancy vCore | 5 | 20 GB | $7.3064 | $5,333.67 |
| 50 DTU Pack - eDTUs | - | - | $3.6250 | $2,646.25 |
| 1500 DTU Pack - eDTUs | - | - | $270.0000 | $197,100.00 |
| 12 vCore - vCore | 12 | 48 GB | $7.3080 | $5,334.84 |
| S7 - 10 DTUs | - | - | $38.7120 | $28,259.76 |
| B - B DTU | - | - | $0.1610 | $117.53 |
| S9 - 10 DTUs | - | - | $77.4240 | $56,519.52 |
| PRS6 Secondary Active - PRS6 Secondary Active DTU | - | - | $30.0000 | $21,900.00 |
| SQLDB_GP_Compute_Gen5_32 - vCore | 5 | 20 GB | $4.8709 | $3,555.79 |
| S6 - 10 DTUs | - | - | $19.3560 | $14,129.88 |
| 10 vCore - vCore | 10 | 40 GB | $1.3358 | $975.13 |
| SQLDB_GP_Compute_Gen5_2 - Zone Redundancy vCore | 5 | 20 GB | $0.1827 | $133.34 |
| JA100 - JA100 Job Agent | 100 | 400 GB | $0.0310 | $22.63 |
| 6 vCore - vCore | - | - | $1.8266 | $1,333.43 |
| P4 - P4 DTU | - | - | $60.0000 | $43,800.00 |
| General Purpose - General Purpose Data Stored | - | - | $0.1150 | $83.95 |
| Business Critical - Business Critical Data Stored | - | - | $0.2500 | $182.50 |
| 250 DTU Pack - eDTUs | - | - | $45.0000 | $32,850.00 |
| Backup ZRS - Backup ZRS Data Stored | - | - | $0.0250 | $18.25 |
| 3000 DTU Pack - eDTUs | - | - | $540.0000 | $394,200.00 |
| SQLDB_GP_Compute_Gen5_16 - Zone Redundancy vCore | 5 | 20 GB | $1.4613 | $1,066.73 |
| 300 DTU Pack - eDTUs | - | - | $14.5200 | $10,599.60 |
| 100 DTU Pack - eDTUs | - | - | $4.8400 | $3,533.20 |
| SQLDB_BC_Compute_Gen5_2 - vCore | 5 | 20 GB | $0.6089 | $444.48 |
| SQLDB_GP_Compute_Gen5_1 - Zone Redundancy vCore | 5 | 20 GB | $0.0913 | $66.67 |
| 1 vCore - 1 vCore | 1 | 4 GB | $0.0500 | $36.50 |
| SQLDB_BC_Compute_Gen5_24 - vCore | 5 | 20 GB | $7.3064 | $5,333.70 |
| 36 vCore - vCore | 36 | 144 GB | $4.8089 | $3,510.48 |
| PRS6 - PRS6 DTU | - | - | $30.0000 | $21,900.00 |
| JA800 - JA800 Job Agent | 800 | 3200 GB | $0.2470 | $180.31 |
| 1200 DTU Pack - eDTUs | - | - | $87.0000 | $63,510.00 |
| SQLDB_GP_Compute_Gen5_10 - Zone Redundancy vCore | 5 | 20 GB | $0.9133 | $666.71 |
| 72 vCore - vCore | - | - | $9.6178 | $7,020.96 |
| PRS1 Secondary - PRS1 Secondary DTU | - | - | $2.8125 | $2,053.13 |
| 2000 DTU Pack - eDTUs | - | - | $360.0000 | $262,800.00 |
| 14 vCore - vCore | 14 | 56 GB | $1.8701 | $1,365.19 |
| SQLDB_GP_Compute_Gen5_8 - vCore | 5 | 20 GB | $1.2177 | $888.95 |
Reserved Instance & Savings Plans Pricing
Commit to 1 or 3 years for lower hourly rates.
| Instance | vCPU | Memory | Price/hr | Price/mo | 1yr RI/hr | 3yr RI/hr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backup LRS - Backup LRS Data Stored | - | - | $0.0250 | $18.25 | - | - |
| 20 vCore - vCore | 20 | 80 GB | $12.1800 | $8,891.40 | - | - |
| 1 vCore - vCore | - | - | $1.6788 | $1,225.51 | - | - |
| Hyperscale - Hyperscale Data Stored | - | - | $0.2500 | $182.50 | - | - |
| 1 DTU - eDTUs | - | - | $0.1800 | $131.40 | - | - |
| Backup - LRS - Backup - LRS Data Stored | - | - | $0.0800 | $58.40 | - | - |
| SQLDB_GP_Compute_Gen5_6 - Zone Redundancy vCore | 5 | 20 GB | $0.5480 | $400.03 | - | - |
| PRS4 Secondary Active - PRS4 Secondary Active DTU | - | - | $15.0000 | $10,950.00 | - | - |
| S3 Secondary Active - S3 Secondary Active DTUs | - | - | $4.8387 | $3,532.25 | - | - |
| Business Critical - Business Critical IO Rate Operations | - | - | $0.2000 | $146.00 | - | - |
| 16 vCore - vCore | 16 | 64 GB | $2.1373 | $1,560.21 | - | - |
| Backup RA-GRS - RA-GRS Data Stored | - | - | $0.2000 | $146.00 | - | - |
| SQL_Database_SingleDB_Hyperscale_Compute_DC-Series_vCore - vCore | - | - | $0.3650 | $266.45 | - | - |
| SQLDB_GP_Compute_Gen5_80 - Zone Redundancy vCore | 5 | 20 GB | $7.3064 | $5,333.67 | - | - |
| 50 DTU Pack - eDTUs | - | - | $3.6250 | $2,646.25 | - | - |
| 1500 DTU Pack - eDTUs | - | - | $270.0000 | $197,100.00 | - | - |
| 12 vCore - vCore | 12 | 48 GB | $7.3080 | $5,334.84 | - | - |
| S7 - 10 DTUs | - | - | $38.7120 | $28,259.76 | - | - |
| B - B DTU | - | - | $0.1610 | $117.53 | - | - |
| S9 - 10 DTUs | - | - | $77.4240 | $56,519.52 | - | - |
| PRS6 Secondary Active - PRS6 Secondary Active DTU | - | - | $30.0000 | $21,900.00 | - | - |
| SQLDB_GP_Compute_Gen5_32 - vCore | 5 | 20 GB | $4.8709 | $3,555.79 | - | - |
| S6 - 10 DTUs | - | - | $19.3560 | $14,129.88 | - | - |
| 10 vCore - vCore | 10 | 40 GB | $1.3358 | $975.13 | - | - |
| SQLDB_GP_Compute_Gen5_2 - Zone Redundancy vCore | 5 | 20 GB | $0.1827 | $133.34 | - | - |
| JA100 - JA100 Job Agent | 100 | 400 GB | $0.0310 | $22.63 | - | - |
| 6 vCore - vCore | - | - | $1.8266 | $1,333.43 | - | - |
| P4 - P4 DTU | - | - | $60.0000 | $43,800.00 | - | - |
| General Purpose - General Purpose Data Stored | - | - | $0.1150 | $83.95 | - | - |
| Business Critical - Business Critical Data Stored | - | - | $0.2500 | $182.50 | - | - |
| 250 DTU Pack - eDTUs | - | - | $45.0000 | $32,850.00 | - | - |
| Backup ZRS - Backup ZRS Data Stored | - | - | $0.0250 | $18.25 | - | - |
| 3000 DTU Pack - eDTUs | - | - | $540.0000 | $394,200.00 | - | - |
| SQLDB_GP_Compute_Gen5_16 - Zone Redundancy vCore | 5 | 20 GB | $1.4613 | $1,066.73 | - | - |
| 300 DTU Pack - eDTUs | - | - | $14.5200 | $10,599.60 | - | - |
| 100 DTU Pack - eDTUs | - | - | $4.8400 | $3,533.20 | - | - |
| SQLDB_BC_Compute_Gen5_2 - vCore | 5 | 20 GB | $0.6089 | $444.48 | - | - |
| SQLDB_GP_Compute_Gen5_1 - Zone Redundancy vCore | 5 | 20 GB | $0.0913 | $66.67 | - | - |
| 1 vCore - 1 vCore | 1 | 4 GB | $0.0500 | $36.50 | - | - |
| SQLDB_BC_Compute_Gen5_24 - vCore | 5 | 20 GB | $7.3064 | $5,333.70 | - | - |
| 36 vCore - vCore | 36 | 144 GB | $4.8089 | $3,510.48 | - | - |
| PRS6 - PRS6 DTU | - | - | $30.0000 | $21,900.00 | - | - |
| JA800 - JA800 Job Agent | 800 | 3200 GB | $0.2470 | $180.31 | - | - |
| 1200 DTU Pack - eDTUs | - | - | $87.0000 | $63,510.00 | - | - |
| SQLDB_GP_Compute_Gen5_10 - Zone Redundancy vCore | 5 | 20 GB | $0.9133 | $666.71 | - | - |
| 72 vCore - vCore | - | - | $9.6178 | $7,020.96 | - | - |
| PRS1 Secondary - PRS1 Secondary DTU | - | - | $2.8125 | $2,053.13 | - | - |
| 2000 DTU Pack - eDTUs | - | - | $360.0000 | $262,800.00 | - | - |
| 14 vCore - vCore | 14 | 56 GB | $1.8701 | $1,365.19 | - | - |
| SQLDB_GP_Compute_Gen5_8 - vCore | 5 | 20 GB | $1.2177 | $888.95 | - | - |
How SQL Database Pricing Works
On-Demand
Pay per hour with no long-term commitment. Ideal for variable workloads and development environments.
Reserved / Committed Use
Commit to 1 or 3 years for significant discounts.
Spot / Preemptible
Use spare capacity at steep discounts. Best for fault-tolerant, batch, and stateless workloads.
Monthly Cost Examples
Azure SQL Database Free Tier
Free limit: 100K vCore-sec, 32 GB. Available for the first 12 months after account creation, then standard on-demand pricing applies.
Free Tier Comparison
| Provider | Service | Free Offering | Duration | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azure | SQL Database | Serverless | 12 months | 100K vCore-sec, 32 GB |
| AWS | RDS | db.t2.micro / db.t3.micro | 12 months | 750 hrs/mo |
| GCP | Cloud SQL | None | - | - |
| OCI | Autonomous Database | Transaction/JSON/APEX | Always | 2 instances, 1 OCPU + 20 GB each |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Azure SQL Database?
Azure SQL Database is a cloud service offered by Microsoft Azure. It provides various configurations (127 pricing tiers available) with pay-as-you-go and committed-use pricing options.
How much does Azure SQL Database cost per month?
Prices range from $18.25/month for Backup LRS - Backup LRS Data Stored to $525,600.00/month for 4000 DTU Pack - eDTUs on On-Demand pricing in eastus.
Does Azure SQL Database have a free tier?
Azure offers various free tier options. Check the official Azure pricing page for the most current free tier details for SQL Database.
How many Azure SQL Database pricing tiers are available?
There are 127 pricing tiers available for Azure SQL Database. These range from entry-level configurations to high-performance options for enterprise workloads.
What pricing models does Azure SQL Database offer?
Azure SQL Database offers On-Demand (pay-per-hour, no commitment), Reserved/Committed Use (1-3 year commitments for significant discounts), and in some cases Spot/Preemptible pricing for interruptible workloads at the lowest cost.
Is a managed database worth the extra cost over self-hosted?
Managed databases cost 20-40% more than running your own on a VM, but include automated backups, patching, failover, and monitoring. For most teams the operational savings outweigh the price premium. Self-hosting makes sense only when you need custom configurations or have dedicated DBA expertise.
What is included in managed database hourly pricing?
Hourly pricing covers the compute instance, OS license, and database engine. Storage, backups, and data transfer are billed separately. Some providers bundle a limited amount of backup storage. Always check for I/O costs, which can be significant for write-heavy workloads.