SQL Azure Pricing Changes
SQL Azure just got some better pricing! Here are the details:
| Database Size | Price Per Database Per Month |
|---|---|
| 0 to 100 MB | Flat $4.995 |
| Greater than 100 MB to 1 GB | Flat $9.99 |
| Greater than 1 GB to 10 GB | $9.99 for first GB, $3.996 for each additional GB |
| Greater than 10 GB to 50 GB | $45.954 for first 10 GB, $1.998 for each additional GB |
| Great than 50 GB to 150 GB | $125.874 for first 50 GB, $0.999 for each additional GB |
Notice the new 0 to 100 MB tier – finally, a good option for small databases, utility databases, blogs, etc. Note, however, that when setting up a database, there is a maxsize property – currently, the maxsize can be set to 1 GB, 5 GB, 10 GB, and then in 10 GB increments up to 150 GB. (The 1 GB and 5 GB belong to the Web Edition, and the larger are part of the Business Edition. Both offer the same availability/scalability.)
So, if a database is set to maxsize of 1 GB, as long as the size stays at or below 100 MB, the reduced pricing will be in effect. The price is calculated daily based on the peak size of the database for that day, and amortized over the month.
This is a breakdown of the changes from the previous pricing model:
GB |
Previous Pricing |
New Pricing |
New Price/GB |
Total % Decrease |
5 |
$49.95 |
$25.99 |
$5.20 |
48% |
10 |
$99.99 |
$45.99 |
$4.60 |
54% |
25 |
$299.97 |
$75.99 |
$3.04 |
75% |
50 |
$499.95* |
$125.99 |
$2.52 |
75% |
100 |
$499.95 * |
$175.99 |
$1.76 |
65% |
150 |
$499.95* |
$225.99 |
$1.51 |
55% |
*Previous prices 50GB and larger reflect price cap of $499.95 announced December 12, 2011.
For more information, check out the Accounts and Billing in SQL Azure page. Also, my colleague Peter Laudati has a nice write upon the changes!