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Whether you’re a newcomer taking your first steps into the realm of cloud services or a seasoned explorer seeking adept navigation, Azure offers an extensive collection of over 80 (currently 86) free services. These offerings are poised to not only kickstart your journey but also facilitate your familiarity with the ever-evolving landscape of cloud technology.
Picture Azure’s free services as your personal treasure map. It’s an open invitation to explore, your all-access pass to cloud technology backstage, and the VIP seat at the show where innovation takes center stage for industries. From forging your virtual machine to skillfully taming databases, you’re not just marking off items on a checklist, you’re actively carving your unique route, constructing your mastery in the vast expanse of the cloud domain.
Here’s the lineup (a bit of clutter) of Azure’s free forever and 12-month offerings as of today that you can leverage to kickstart your exploration of the cloud.
| Azure service | Description | Type | Free monthly amount | Free period | |
| Advisor | Get personalized recommendations and best practices for Azure. | Management and governance | Unlimited | Always | |
| API Management | Manage APIs across all platforms with a hybrid, multicloud platform. | Integration | 1 million monthly calls free with Consumption tier | Always | |
| App Configuration | Store and manage configurations for all your Azure apps. | Developer tools | 1,000 requests per day with 10 MB storage | Always | |
| App Service | Quickly create powerful apps for any platform or device using your choice of tools including Node.js and PHP. | Compute | 10 web, mobile, or API apps with 1 GB storage 1 hour per day | Always | |
| Archive Storage | Store and manage rarely accessed data with locally redundant storage (LRS) or geo-redundant storage (GRS). | Storage | 10 GB LRS storage, 10 GB LRS or GRS write and retrieval, and 100 reads | 12 months | |
| Automation | Simplify cloud management with process automation. | Management and governance | 500 minutes of job runtime | Always | |
| Azure AI Anomaly Detector | Detect anomalies in data to quickly identify and troubleshoot issues. | AI + machine learning | 20,000 transactions S0 tier | 12 months | |
| Azure AI Bot Service | Develop intelligent, enterprise-grade bots that scale on demand. | AI + machine learning | 10,000 premium channel messages and unlimited standard channel messages | Always | |
| Azure AI Content Safety | Moderate text and images to provide a safer, more positive user experience. | AI + machine learning | 10,000 transactions S0 tier to moderate or review | 12 months | |
| Azure AI Customer Vision | Easily customize computer vision models for your unique use case. | AI + machine learning | 10,000 predictions S0 tier, one training hour, two projects with 5,000 training images each | 12 months | |
| Azure AI Document Intelligence | Automate the extraction of text, key/value pairs, and tables from your documents. | AI + machine learning | 500 pages S0 tier | 12 months | |
| Azure AI Immersive Reader | Embed text reading and comprehension capabilities into applications. | AI + machine learning | 3 million characters | Always | |
| Azure AI Language | Extract information such as sentiment, key phrases, named entities, and language from your text. | AI + machine learning | 5,000 text records | Always | |
| Azure AI Metrics Advisor | Embed AI-powered monitoring features to proactively diagnose issues. | AI + machine learning | 25 time series | Always | |
| Azure AI Personalizer | Deliver rich, personalized experiences for every user. | AI + machine learning | 50,000 transactions S0 tier | 12 months | |
| Azure AI Translator | Add real-time, multi-language text translation to your apps, websites, and tools. | AI + machine learning | 2 million characters S0 tier | 12 months | |
| Azure Arc | Extend Azure management and services. | Hybrid + multicloud | Free Azure control plane functionality for resources outside Azure, search and indexing for Azure Arc-enabled resources | Always | |
| Azure Attestation | Verify the identity and security posture of trusted platform modules and trusted execution environments. | Security | Free | Always | |
| Azure Cosmos DB | Build modern apps at any scale using a fast NoSQL database with open APIs. | Databases | 400 request units per-second provisioned throughput with 25 GB storage | 12 months | |
| Azure Cosmos DB | Build modern apps at any scale using a fast NoSQL database with open APIs. | Databases | 1,000 request units per-second provisioned throughput with 25 GB storage | Always | |
| Azure Database for MySQL | Host a fully managed, scalable MySQL database in Azure. | Databases | 750 hours of Flexible Server—Burstable B1MS Instance, 32 GB storage, and 32 GB backup storage | 12 months | |
| Azure Database for PostgreSQL | Build intelligent, scalable apps with fully managed database for PostgreSQL. | Databases | 750 hours of Flexible Server—Burstable B1MS Instance, 32 GB storage, and 32 GB backup storage | 12 months | |
| Azure DevOps | Build apps in any language using Git repos, CI/CD, and build and release automation. | Developer tools | 5 users with unlimited private Git repos | Always | |
| Azure Files | Migrate to simple, distributed, cross-platform file storage without changing code. | Storage | 100 GB of LRS transaction optimized, hot, and cool files. 2 million read, list, and other file operations | 12 months | |
| Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) | Deploy and manage containers using the tools you choose. | Compute | Free | Always | |
| Azure Lighthouse | Manage service providers with Zero Trust access controls. | Management and governance | Free | Always | |
| Azure Managed Applications, Service catalog | Make it easier to acquire services with a catalog of approved cloud offerings. | Management and governance | Free publishing | Always | |
| Azure Maps | Create location-aware web and mobile applications using geospatial services, APIs, and SDKs. | Internet of Things | 1,000 to 5,000 transactions for specific mapping and location insights features | Always | |
| Azure Migrate | Discover, assess, right-size, and migrate your on-premises virtual machines to Azure. | Migration | Free | Always | |
| Azure Policy | Achieve real-time cloud compliance at scale with consistent resource governance. | Management and governance | Free access to configuration and change tracking features | Always | |
| Azure Resource Mover | Simplify how you move multiple resources between Azure regions. | Management and governance | Free (ingress and egress charges may apply) | Always | |
| Azure SignalR Service | Add real-time communications into your web applications. | Web | 20 concurrent connections per unit and 20,000 messages | Always | |
| Bandwidth (Data Transfer) | Transfer data inbound and outbound through our robust network of global data centers. | Networking | 15 GB outbound | 12 months | |
| Bandwidth (Data Transfer) | Transfer data inbound and outbound through our robust network of global data centers. | Networking | 100 GB outbound | Always | |
| Batch | Scale your application in the cloud with job orchestration and scheduling for HPC applications. | Compute | Free | Always | |
| Blob Storage | Use massively scalable object storage for any type of unstructured data. | Storage | 5 GB locally redundant storage (LRS) hot block with 20,000 read and 10,000 write operations | 12 months | |
| Cloud Shell | Manage Azure resources in a browser-based shell using popular command-line tools and programming languages. | Management and governance | 5 GB free storage in Azure Files for 12 months | Always | |
| Cognitive Search | Include a cloud search service in your web and mobile application. | AI + machine learning | 50 MB storage for 10,000 hosted documents and 3 indexes per service | Always | |
| Computer Vision | Extract rich information from images to categorize and process visual data. | 5,000 transactions for each S1, S2, and S3 tier | 12 months | ||
| Container Apps | Build and deploy modern apps and microservices using serverless containers. | Containers | 180,000 vCPU seconds, 360,000 GiB seconds, and 2 million requests | Always | |
| Container Registry | Store and manage container images across all types of Azure deployments. | Containers | 1 Standard tier registry with 100 GB storage and 10 webhooks | 12 months | |
| Cost Management | Monitor, allocate, and optimize cloud costs with transparency, accuracy, and efficiency. | Management and governance | Free | Always | |
| Data Catalog | Get more value from your enterprise data assets. | Analytics | Unlimited users | Always | |
| Data Factory | Compose and manage data services at scale. | Analytics | 5 low-frequency activities | Always | |
| Database Migration Service | Simplify on-premises database migration to the cloud. | Databases | Free Standard Compute | Always | |
| DevTest Labs | Enable fast, easy, and lean dev-test environments. | Developer tools | Free | Always | |
| Event Grid | Get reliable event delivery at massive scale. | Integration | 100,000 operations per month | Always | |
| Face | Detect, identify, analyze, organize, and tag faces in images. | 30,000 transactions S0 tier | 12 months | ||
| Face | Detect, identify, analyze, organize, and tag faces in images. | 30,000 transactions of Free instance | Always | ||
| Functions | Process events with a serverless code architecture. | Compute | 1 million requests | Always | |
| Health Bot | Build and deploy AI-powered, compliant, conversational healthcare experiences at scale. | AI + machine learning | 3,000 messages (up to 10 messages per second) | Always | |
| Health Data Services | Unify and manage health data and protected health information (PHI) in the cloud. | Integration | 1 GB structured and blob storage, 50,000 API requests, .5 GB transformation operations, 100,000 events | Always | |
| IoT Edge | Extend cloud intelligence and analytics to IoT edge devices. | Internet of Things | Free, open-source edge runtime | Always | |
| IoT Hub | Connect, monitor, and manage IoT assets with a scalable platform. | Internet of Things | 8,000 messages per day and .5 KB message meter size of Free edition | Always | |
| Key Vault | Safeguard and maintain control of keys and other secrets. | Security | 10,000 transactions RSA 2048-bit keys or secret operations, Standard tier | 12 months | |
| Language Understanding (LUIS) | Build natural language understanding into apps, bots, and IoT devices. | AI + machine learning | 10,000 text request transactions S0 tier | 12 months | |
| Load Balancer | Instantly add scale, availability, and network performance to your applications. | Networking | 750 hours, 15 GB of data processing, and up to five rules with Standard Load Balancer | 12 months | |
| Logic Apps | Build automated integration solutions across clouds and on-premises systems. | Integration | 4,000 built-in actions with the Consumption plan | Always | |
| Machine Learning | Develop and run R and Python models on your platform of choice. | AI + machine learning | Free | Always | |
| Managed Disks | Get high performance, durable block storage for Azure Virtual Machines with simplified management. | Storage | 2 64 GB (P6) solid state drives SSD storage, plus 1 GB snapshot and 2 million I/O operations | 12 months | |
| Media Services, Encoding feature | Index, package, protect, and stream video and audio at scale. | Media | 20 output minutes Standard encoder video or audio source file encoding | 12 months | |
| Media Services, Live and on-demand streaming | Deliver content to virtually any device at scale. | Media | 5 hours each of Standard Passthrough, Live Transcription, and Standard Streaming endpoint | 12 months | |
| Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) | Enable identity and access management in the cloud. | Identity | 50,000 stored objects with single sign-on (SSO) to all cloud apps | Always | |
| Monitor | Gain full observability into your applications, infrastructure, and network. | Management and governance | See Azure Monitor pricing details for free amounts per feature | Always | |
| Network Watcher | Monitor, diagnose, and gain insights into your network performance and health. | Networking | 5 GB storage with 1,000 checks, 10 tests, and 10 connection metrics | Always | |
| Notification Hubs | Send push notifications to any platform from any back end. | Mobile | 1 million push notifications with free namespace | Always | |
| Open Datasets | Accelerate machine learning with curated datasets. | AI + machine learning | Free (egress charges may apply) | Always | |
| Private Link | Privately access services on Azure, keeping your data on the Microsoft network. | Networking | Free | Always | |
| Resource Manager | Simplify how you manage your app resources. | Management and governance | Free | Always | |
| Security Center | Prevent, detect, and respond to threats with increased visibility and control over the security of your Azure resources. | Security | Free policy assessment and recommendations | Always | |
| Service Bus | Get reliable cloud messaging as a service with simple hybrid integration. | Integration | 750 hours and 13 million operations Standard tier base unit | 12 months | |
| Service Fabric | Build and operate always-on, scalable, distributed apps. | Containers | Free | Always | |
| Spatial Anchors | Build mixed reality apps that map, share, and persist 3D content. | Mixed reality | 10,000 anchors queried | Always | |
| Speaker Recognition | Accurately verify and identify speakers by their unique voice characteristics. | AI + machine learning | 10,000 transactions each of speaker verification, speaker identification, and voice storage | Always | |
| Speech to Text | Transcribe spoken audio to text. | AI + machine learning | 5 audio hours each of Standard, Custom, and Conversation Transcription Multichannel Audio, 1 Custom endpoint hosting model | Always | |
| Speech Translation | Integrate real-time speech translation into your app. | AI + machine learning | 5 audio hours Standard | Always | |
| SQL Database | Create a SQL database that delivers intelligence built-in. | Databases | 250 GB S0 instance with 10 database transaction units | 12 months | |
| SQL Server 2019 Developer Edition | Build, test, and demonstrate applications in a nonproduction environment. | Developer tools | Free | Always | |
| Static Web Apps | Streamline full-stack development from source code to global high availability. | Compute | 100 GB bandwidth per subscription, 2 custom domains and .5 GB storage per app | Always | |
| Text to Speech | Build apps that convert text to lifelike speech. | AI + machine learning | 5 million characters Standard, 500,000 characters Neural, and hosting model | Always | |
| Virtual Machines—Linux | Create Linux virtual machines with on-demand capacity in seconds. | Compute | 750 hours B1s burstable virtual machines | 12 months | |
| Virtual Machines—Windows | Create Windows virtual machines with on-demand capacity in seconds. | Compute | 750 hours B1s burstable virtual machines | 12 months | |
| Virtual Network | Provision private networks and connect to on-premises datacenters. | Networking | 50 virtual networks | Always | |
| Visual Studio Code | Boost productivity with a powerful, lightweight code editor for cloud development. | Developer tools | Free | Always | |
| VPN Gateway | Establish secure, cross-premises connectivity. | Networking | 750 hours VpnGw1 Gateway Type | 12 months | |
| Web PubSub | Build real-time, two-way communication into your web and mobile apps. | Web | 20,000 messages per unit per day and 20 concurrent connections per unit (1 unit max) | Always |
How to get started with Azure’s Free Services
Scenario 1: Starting a Trial without a Subscription
If you’re new to Azure and don’t have an active subscription, you can initiate your cloud journey by signing up for a free trial. Here’s how:
- Sign Up: Visit the Azure website and click on the “Start free” button. You’ll be prompted to create a Microsoft account or sign in if you already have one.
- Provide Information: You’ll need to provide some basic information, including your name, email address, and payment information. Note that while this step requires payment details, you won’t be charged during the trial period.
- Select Services: Once signed up, you can explore and select from the array of free services available. Azure offers services like virtual machines, databases, storage, and more. These services have certain usage limits, which are generous enough for newcomers to familiarize themselves with the platform.
- Experiment and Learn: With your trial account, you can experiment, build, and learn about Azure services without incurring charges. You’ll have access to the free services and a chance to explore their functionalities and capabilities.
Scenario 2: Leveraging Free Services with an Active Subscription
For those who have an active Azure subscription, utilizing the free services is even simpler:
- Browse the Catalog: Log in to your Azure portal and browse through the extensive catalog of services. Look for services tagged as “Free” or “Always Free” to explore the available options.
- Select and Deploy: Choose the services that align with your projects or learning goals. With your subscription, you can directly deploy these services without going through the trial sign-up process.
- Create and Experiment: Once the services are deployed, you can create instances, databases, virtual machines, and more. This gives you hands-on experience with real cloud resources.
What Happens When the Trial Expires?
Azure provides both 12-month free services and services that are free forever. Here’s what you need to know:
- 12-Month Free Services: Some services are offered for free during the first 12 months of your subscription. After this period, they’ll continue to run and you’ll be billed for them at pay-as-you-go rates. It’s crucial to monitor your usage and plan accordingly to avoid unexpected costs.
- Forever Free Services: Other services are perpetually free, regardless of your subscription status. These services typically have certain usage limits that, when respected, won’t lead to any charges.
Conclusion
Whether you’re just dipping your toes in with a trial or have already joined the Azure party with a subscription, these freebies are your golden ticket to get hands-on with the cloud. 🚀
But here’s the pro tip: While you’re riding the cloud excitement, remember to keep an eye on your usage, especially when you’re rockin’ those 12-month freebies. That way, you can squeeze every drop of awesome out of your Azure adventure without any unexpected twists.
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