Why is sql database cost so high,

Question

Why is sql database cost so high,

charanjit singh 10

I have a free account, but somehow my subscription is pay as you go and I got billed for close to $400. I have a simple database with less than 10 tables. Just trying out a website. Is this cost normal? If so, then Azure is not the place for a small time developer like me.

Can anyone explain to me what is going on?

ty

3 answers

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Answer 1

TP 109.1K

Hi,

From your description it sounds like you may have chosen a SQL Database pricing tier that is too expensive for your needs. In the Azure portal, please navigate to your Azure SQL Database, then click on Compute + storage blade on the left.

On the right, what does it show for the Service and compute tiers? You may want to change Service tier to Basic so that your potential monthly costs are much lower. Regardless, please add a comment below with what your Service and compute are set to so that I can give more tailored advice.

Azure SQL Database pricing

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/azure-sql-database/single/

Please click Accept Answer and upvote if the above was helpful.

Thanks.

-TP

charanjit singh 10 Reputation points

2024-03-31T00:43:23.7666667+00:00

Service Tier - General Purpose

Compute - Provisioned

Does that explain why the cost is so high?
TP 109.1K Reputation points

2024-03-31T00:52:24.7966667+00:00

Service Tier - General Purpose Compute - Provisioned Does that explain why the cost is so high?

Yes, that explains it. Change it to something much less expensive (Basic/Standard) and then experiment/monitor the performance you are seeing to make sure it is enough.

For example, you could try Basic or Standard, with DTUs set pretty low. If performance isn't enough, increase the DTU setting a little each time. Standard S0 would be about $15/month.

I added link to pricing page to my answer above. On that you can play with the different options at the top and then scroll down a bit to see the pricing for the various DTUs.
charanjit singh 10 Reputation points

2024-03-31T01:01:36.8633333+00:00

Thanks for the link. Help me understand DTU. So each Read/Write to the Database is a DTU? If yes, then 5 DTU is nothing even for a development database.
TP 109.1K Reputation points

2024-03-31T01:07:12.9666667+00:00

Thanks for the link. Help me understand DTU. So each Read/Write to the Database is a DTU? If yes, then 5 DTU is nothing even for a development database.

No, each read/write isn't a DTU. Think of DTU as a benchmark measure for a certain amount of CPU, RAM, and disk I/O used while running OLTP workload. Article below explains it in more depth:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/service-tiers-dtu?view=azuresql

Answer 2

RahulRandive 10,306

Hi @charanjit singh

The cost of Azure SQL Database is calculated based on

Service tier: Azure SQL Database offers several service tiers, each with different levels of performance and features. The cost of the service tier depends on the number of vCores and the amount of memory allocated to the database.

if you have a simple database with less than 10 tables, you can descale the service tier.

User's image

or you can configure Serverless to automatically pause after one hour of inactivity and can save the cost.

Thank You!

charanjit singh 10 Reputation points

2024-03-31T00:49:23.67+00:00

Thanks for your response. I will change the settings. However, right now my settings are readonly due to non-payment on my subscription. My card associated was expired. I have updated that. Hopefully payment will go through and I will be able to make the settings change.

Question: How much can I expect to pay a month with the Standard setting?
RahulRandive 10,306 Reputation points

2024-03-31T01:58:53.2133333+00:00

Question: How much can I expect to pay a month with the Standard setting?

Answer- You can calculate through Azure SQL Database pricing calculator

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/azure-sql-database/single/

Example-

Answer 3

Nguyen, Huy@DWR 0

HI:

I think I chose the cheapest  "bufget" tier with lowest memory. If the Database is idle  it would cost around $5 a month. But during development for a few days with 4 tables, I probably add no more than 5 rows of data in each table and my cost would be over $100 to $200 a month.

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Why is sql database cost so high,

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