- Per database per month: 100,000 vCore seconds of serverless compute, 32 GB of data and 32 GB of backup storage; up to 10 free databases per subscription, with no end date.
- When the allowance runs out you choose in advance: auto-pause the database until the next calendar month, or keep it online and pay General Purpose serverless rates for the overage.
- Unused vCore seconds do not carry over, and the free amount comes with no SLA; Microsoft recommends it for development and proof-of-concept work.
- The offer works with any subscription type except the Azure for Students Starter offer.
What the Azure SQL free offer includes
The Azure SQL Database free offer (often searched as "azure sql free" or "free Azure SQL database") gives you real Azure SQL databases in the General Purpose service tier with serverless compute, at no charge up to a monthly allowance. Microsoft's FAQ states that the database is free forever with monthly limits and no time limit. It replaced an older offer that required an Azure free account; the current offer is available regardless of your subscription type.
A free database is the same managed PaaS database as a paid one: Microsoft handles upgrades, patching, backups and monitoring. The differences are the allowance, a cap on size and compute while the auto-pause option is on, and a few features that are switched off (listed below).
| Item | Free allowance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Databases per subscription | Up to 10 | Each database gets its own allowance; a deleted database's slot can take up to one hour to free up |
| Serverless compute | 100,000 vCore seconds per month | Resets at the start of each calendar month; unused seconds do not carry over |
| Data storage | 32 GB per database | Maximum database size is 32 GB while auto-pause on limit is selected |
| Backup storage | 32 GB per database | Locally redundant only while auto-pause on limit is selected |
| Compute size | Up to 4 vCores | While auto-pause on limit is selected |
| Point-in-time restore | 7 days | No long-term retention while auto-pause on limit is selected |
| SLA | None | No SLA or downtime credits on the free amount |
What happens when the free limit is reached
Each free database has a setting called Behavior when free limit reached, with two choices:
- Auto-pause the database until next month (the default): once the vCore or storage limit is met, the database pauses and is inaccessible until the start of the next calendar month. You are never charged. If you cannot sign in to a free database, Microsoft's FAQ says to check the overview page for remaining free credit first.
- Continue using database for additional charges: the database stays online, and vCore usage and storage over the free limits are charged to your subscription at the standard General Purpose serverless rates. Once you choose this option you cannot switch back to auto-pause.
Either way, the free amount renews at the start of the next calendar month. If you are on an Azure free account or a College Students offer with credits, the paid option can draw down those credits.
How far 100,000 vCore seconds goes
100,000 vCore seconds is about 27.8 vCore-hours a month (100,000 divided by 3,600). How many hours of use that buys depends on the serverless minimum, because an online database is billed for at least its minimum vCores or its minimum memory divided by 3 GB, whichever is larger. Using Microsoft's documented example of a database configured with 4 maximum and 0.5 minimum vCores, the minimum bill is 0.7 vCores, so a database that sits online but idle would use the allowance in roughly 40 hours (100,000 divided by 0.7, then by 3,600). Busy periods at 2 or 4 vCores use it two to four times faster than one vCore would.
The free database only stops consuming vCore seconds when it pauses, so auto-pause matters. Microsoft warns that open connections, including SSMS Object Explorer, can prevent auto-pause and keep using credit. This is arithmetic on the documented billing rules, not a measurement.
Free offer limitations compared with a paid database
- You cannot restore or convert an existing database into a free offer database, use data sync, or copy a free database with database copy (convert it to a paid tier first).
- Elastic jobs and DNS alias are not available, and a free database cannot join an elastic pool or a failover group.
- The region you pick for the first free database applies to every free database in that subscription and cannot be changed.
- To move to Hyperscale or Business Critical you must turn the free offer off first. Once converted to a paid tier, a database cannot return to the free offer.
- The Microsoft Azure for Students Starter offer is not compatible with the free offer.
How to create a free Azure SQL database
Microsoft documents these steps for the Azure portal (PowerShell and Azure CLI are also supported):
- Open the Azure SQL hub at
aka.ms/azuresqlhuband, in the Create a database pane, select Start free. - Check that the "Free offer applied" banner is shown on the Create SQL Database page.
- Pick a subscription and resource group, accept or change the generated database name, and select or create a logical server.
- Confirm that the cost summary shows an estimated cost of zero per month, then select Review + create and Create.
The database is created with defaults, including auto-pause when the free limits are reached. You can then connect with the portal query editor, SSMS, the MSSQL extension for Visual Studio Code or sqlcmd; see our SQL Server GUI tools guide. Remember the server firewall: if your client address is not allowed you will see error 40615.
How to avoid charges on a free database
- Leave Behavior when free limit reached on auto-pause unless you have decided to pay for overage; the paid option cannot be reversed.
- Watch the Free amount remaining metric on the database overview, and create a free metric alert (Microsoft suggests one at 10,000 vCore seconds, 10% of the month).
- Disconnect query tools when you finish so the database can auto-pause.
- Do not raise the maximum size above 32 GB or switch tier while you want to stay free.
Other free Azure database options exist: Azure SQL Managed Instance has a 12-month free offer (see Azure SQL Managed Instance), Azure Database for MySQL is free for 12 months on an Azure free account (see Azure Database for MySQL), and Azure Cosmos DB has a lifetime free tier (see Azure Cosmos DB). For the paid tiers, read Azure SQL pricing explained.
Pricing
Prices from the provider's official pricing pages, checked 8 October 2026, region East US, in USD, excluding tax. List prices only; discounts, commitments and your actual usage change the bill.
Within the allowance a free database costs 0 USD. If you choose Continue using database for additional charges, Microsoft states that usage over the free limits is charged at the standard General Purpose serverless rates. These are the relevant list rates from the Azure SQL Database pricing page:
| Item | List price |
|---|---|
| Serverless compute | 0.0001450 USD per vCore-second (0.5218 USD per vCore-hour) |
| Data storage (LRS) | 0.115 USD per GB per month |
| Backup storage beyond the free amount (LRS / RA-GRS) | 0.10 / 0.20 USD per GB per month |
Free database kept online after the allowance
- Continue using database for additional charges is selected
- 150,000 vCore seconds used in the month, so 50,000 over the 100,000 free
- 40 GB of data storage, so 8 GB over the 32 GB free, assumed billed at the General Purpose storage rate
- Backups within the 32 GB free; excludes outbound data transfer
| Item | Basis | Estimated per month |
|---|---|---|
| Compute overage | 50,000 vCore-seconds x 0.0001450 USD | 7.25 USD |
| Storage overage | 8 GB x 0.115 USD | 0.92 USD |
| Estimated total | 8.17 USD per month |
Worked examples are estimates calculated from the list prices above; they are not quotes or measured bills.
Frequently asked questions
Is Azure SQL Database free forever?
Yes, within the monthly limits. Microsoft's FAQ states that the free offer database is free forever with monthly limits and no time limit, for the lifetime of the subscription.
How many free Azure SQL databases can I create?
Up to 10 per Azure subscription. Each has its own monthly allowance of 100,000 vCore seconds, 32 GB of data and 32 GB of backup storage.
Do unused vCore seconds roll over?
No. The allowance for each free database resets at the start of every calendar month.
Can I use the free Azure SQL database in production?
It runs on the same General Purpose infrastructure, but the free amount has no SLA and no downtime credits, and Microsoft recommends it mainly for development and proof-of-concept work. For production, convert it to a paid tier.
Is there a free Azure PostgreSQL or MySQL database too?
Azure Database for MySQL Flexible Server is free for 12 months on an Azure free account, within monthly limits that Microsoft documents. For PostgreSQL, check the current Azure free account terms; the Microsoft Learn pages we checked did not state current free limits for Azure Database for PostgreSQL, so we do not list them.
Sources
- Microsoft Learn: Deploy Azure SQL Database for free
- Microsoft Learn: Azure SQL Database free offer FAQ
- Microsoft Learn: Serverless compute tier billing
- Azure SQL Database pricing (single database)
- Microsoft Learn: Azure Database for MySQL flexible server overview (free 12-month offer)
Checked 8 October 2026.
How we research cloud database guides: our editorial method. CodeWithSQL earns nothing from the providers mentioned.