Introducing the Enhanced Azure SQL Database Free Offer: Now Generally Available

We are thrilled to announce the general availability of our new Azure SQL Database free offer. Now, each Azure subscription includes not just one, but 10 serverless databases. Each database comes with a complimentary allocation of 100,000 vCore seconds of compute, 32 GB of data storage, and 32 GB of backup storage every month, for the lifetime of your subscription. This enhanced free offer is ideal for new Azure customers looking to develop for free, learn SQL, or create a proof of concept, as well as existing Azure customers that are considering adding another database.

Get started today

To learn more about the offer, see Azure SQL Database documentation. If you already have an Azure account, you can head straight to the Azure SQL Database provisioning page and select the Apply offer button in the banner at the top of the page. This offer is now live in all regions!

Offer details

The Azure SQL Database free offer provides access to the full capabilities of the General Purpose tier, renowned for its versatility and ability to support a wide range of workloads. Whether you're handling routine operations or running high-performance tasks, the free offer empowers you to configure your database from .5 vCore to 4 vCores, scaling up or down based on your needs. You can also benefit from the serverless option, which automatically pauses the database when idle and resumes it as soon as activity starts, reducing compute costs while maximizing your free allocation.

With this free offer, every Azure subscription—whether it's pay-as-you-go, under an enterprise agreement, or part of the Microsoft Partner Network—can now include up to 10 serverless databases. The offer is designed to last for the lifetime of your subscription and refreshes monthly, giving each database a generous allocation of 100,000 vCore seconds, 32 GB of data storage, and 32 GB of backup storage, that’s a total of 1 million vCore-seconds of free compute every month per subscription. Once a region is selected for the free database under a subscription, the same region applies to all 10 free databases in that subscription and cannot be changed

If you consume your monthly free resources before the end of the cycle, you have two flexible options:

• Auto-pause: Allow the database to pause itself and resume usage automatically when the next month's free allocation begins.
• Continue usage mode: Keep the database running and pay for additional usage. In this mode, you’ll continue to receive the free monthly allocation while unlocking premium capabilities, such as scaling up to 80 vCores of compute and 4 terabytes of storage. This makes it easy to start small and scale seamlessly as your business grows.

A standout benefit of this free offer is its seamless transition. You can move from free usage to paid usage without any disruption—your data, schema, settings, and connections remain intact. There’s no need to migrate or reconfigure, making it effortless to grow your database as your needs evolve.

Additionally, the Azure portal includes 'Free amount remaining' metrics, enabling you to monitor your consumption and manage your costs with ease.

This makes the Azure SQL Database free offer an exceptional choice for developers, learners, and enterprises alike—whether you’re just starting out or preparing to scale.

Develop for free

The Azure SQL Database Free Offer is tailored for a wide range of users—from students and individual developers to small businesses and large enterprises—looking to develop and scale their SQL workloads at no initial cost. This offer enables you to launch up to 10 fully featured Azure SQL database, optimizing both your financial resources and developmental ambitions.

Potential Use Cases:

• Application Development: Initiate the development of applications or websites with SQL as the core backend database.
• Skill Enhancement: Engage in hands-on SQL learning or refine your existing skills through practical experience and targeted tutorials.
• Prototyping: Craft proofs of concept or prototypes for innovative projects and ideas.
• Expansion and Testing: Integrate additional databases into your Azure subscription to facilitate testing or experimentation.
• Migration Projects: Migrate applications from on-premises setups or other cloud environments to Azure, leveraging its robust capabilities.

Leveraging AI with Azure SQL Database Free Offer:

• Predictive Analytics: Use AI to forecast user behaviors and business outcomes, enhancing decision-making processes across various applications.
• Personalization Engines: Develop sophisticated personalization algorithms to enhance user experience by tailoring content and recommendations in real-time.
• Anomaly Detection: Implement AI to detect unusual patterns or potential threats, ensuring the security and integrity of your data.
• Automated Data Management: Utilize AI to automate data cleaning, transformation, and integration tasks, reducing manual overhead and increasing efficiency.

Key Benefits of the Azure SQL Database Free Offer

With the Azure SQL Database Free Offer, you gain the advantages of a cloud-native relational database service known for its high availability, stellar performance, security, scalability, and compatibility with SQL Server. Furthermore, you can harness the comprehensive suite of tools and services integrated with Azure SQL Database, such as Azure Data Studio, Visual Studio Code, Azure Data Factory, Azure Synapse Analytics, and Power BI. This rich ecosystem enhances your database's functionality and seamlessly connects with your existing workflows.

Learn more  

The Azure SQL Database Free offer is available now and you can start using it today. Don’t miss this opportunity to get up to 10 free Azure SQL databases that can help you achieve your goals and grow your business. To learn more about this offer, visit the Azure SQL Database documentation. To get started, create your free database from the Azure portal by creating an Azure SQL Database resource.
We hope you enjoy this new offer, and we look forward to hearing your feedback and seeing what you build with Azure SQL Database.