- Single Server was retired on 28 March 2025; new and migrated workloads use flexible server, which Microsoft's documentation now simply calls Azure Database for PostgreSQL.
- Three compute tiers: Burstable for development and low-concurrency work, General Purpose and Memory Optimized for production. PostgreSQL 11 to 18 are listed, with 11, 12 and 13 on extended support.
- Optional high availability keeps a warm standby in the same zone or another availability zone with synchronous replication; you can also stop the server to pause compute billing for up to seven days.
- You pay for compute per server, provisioned storage, and backup storage beyond 100% of provisioned storage.
What is Azure Database for PostgreSQL?
Azure Database for PostgreSQL is a fully managed service running the community PostgreSQL engine. Microsoft runs the servers, applies operating system and minor version patches in a maintenance window you can schedule, takes automatic backups and offers high availability; you choose the compute size, storage, PostgreSQL version and network model, and keep control of server parameters and extensions.
The deployment option is called flexible server (searched as azure postgresql flexible server or azure flexible server postgres). Microsoft's overview describes an architecture that separates compute and storage: the database engine runs in a container on a Linux virtual machine, and data files sit on Azure storage that keeps three locally redundant synchronous copies. Elastic clusters, a scale-out option based on the Citus extension, are part of the same service and are Microsoft's recommended replacement for the retiring Azure Cosmos DB for PostgreSQL.
Single Server retirement: what changed
The older deployment option, Azure Database for PostgreSQL Single Server, was retired on 28 March 2025. Microsoft announced the retirement in March 2023, and the Azure Backup documentation confirms that on that date backup support for Single Server workloads also changed. Single Server documentation pages on Microsoft Learn now redirect to the main Azure Database for PostgreSQL documentation.
If you find older tutorials or scripts written for Single Server, treat them as outdated and check each step against the flexible server documentation. Plan any new deployment on flexible server.
Compute tiers, storage and PostgreSQL versions
Flexible server has three compute tiers. Microsoft describes Burstable as best for low-cost development and low-concurrency workloads that do not need full compute capacity continuously, and General Purpose and Memory Optimized as better for production workloads that need high concurrency, scale and predictable performance. Storage is provisioned separately (up to 64 TiB on Premium SSD) and can be Premium SSD, Premium SSD v2 or Ultra Disk, each with its own pricing.
Microsoft lists PostgreSQL 18, 17, 16, 15 and 14 as supported, and 13, 12 and 11 under extended support, which is charged per vCore hour. Minor versions are patched automatically during monthly maintenance, and an in-place major version upgrade feature moves a server to a higher major version. Microsoft notes that some extensions are not yet supported on PostgreSQL 18.
| Tier | Intended use | Example sizes |
|---|---|---|
| Burstable | Development, low-concurrency and intermittent workloads | B1ms (1 vCore, 2 GiB) to B20ms (20 vCores, 80 GiB) |
| General Purpose | Most production workloads, balanced compute and memory | D2ds v5 (2 vCores, 8 GiB) up to 96 or 128 vCores depending on series |
| Memory Optimized | High-memory production workloads | E-series sizes, for example EC2ads v6 (2 vCores, 16 GiB) |
Extensions, connection pooling and security
Extensions must be allowlisted before use: you add them to the azure.extensions server parameter (in the portal under Settings, Parameters, or with the CLI) and then run CREATE EXTENSION. Microsoft's extension documentation covers pgvector for vector similarity search, pg_diskann for vector indexing, pg_partman for partitioning, pg_azure_storage and the azure_ai extension, and lists which extensions each PostgreSQL version supports.
Each server has a built-in PgBouncer connection pooler that you can enable and reach on port 6432 with the same host name (direct connections use port 5432). For networking you choose a public endpoint or private access through virtual network integration, where public access is denied and the server is reachable only on private IP addresses. TLS 1.2 or later is enforced for connections, and data at rest is encrypted with AES 256-bit encryption. For desktop clients, see our PostgreSQL GUI tools guide.
High availability, backups and stop/start
With high availability enabled, the service provisions a warm standby server with the same VM configuration as the primary and replicates changes synchronously, so committed data is not lost on failover. You can place the standby in another availability zone (zone-redundant) or in the same zone, depending on what the region supports. Read replicas are a separate feature for scaling reads: up to five asynchronous replicas, each billed for its own compute and storage. Because the standby matches the primary's compute and storage, plan for high availability to add a second server to the bill; confirm the exact charge in the Azure pricing calculator.
Backups are automatic and stored on the region's zone-redundant storage, with a default retention of seven days that can be raised to 35, and you can restore to any point within it. Backup storage up to 100% of your provisioned storage carries no extra charge. To save money on non-production servers you can stop a server: compute billing stops immediately, and the server stays stopped for up to seven days before it restarts.
How to create a flexible server
Microsoft's quickstart creates a server from the Azure portal (Create a resource, Databases, Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server), the Azure CLI or an ARM template. You choose a globally unique server name (the host name becomes name.postgres.database.azure.com), a region, the PostgreSQL version, the compute tier and size, storage, an authentication method and a networking option. The new server contains a postgres database plus azure_maintenance and azure_sys databases used by the service.
Choosing between Azure and other providers? Compare engines in MySQL vs PostgreSQL and SQL Server vs PostgreSQL, or read about Neon serverless Postgres. For the Azure MySQL equivalent, see Azure Database for MySQL.
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.
Pay-as-you-go list prices for flexible server from the Azure Database for PostgreSQL pricing page. Compute is charged per server; storage is charged on what you provision; backup storage is free up to 100% of provisioned storage. Savings plans and reserved capacity reduce compute prices for one- or three-year commitments.
| Item | Size | List price |
|---|---|---|
| Burstable B1ms | 1 vCore, 2 GiB | 12.41 USD per month |
| Burstable B2s | 2 vCores, 4 GiB | 49.64 USD per month |
| General Purpose D2ds v5 | 2 vCores, 8 GiB | 129.94 USD per month |
| General Purpose D4ds v5 | 4 vCores, 16 GiB | 259.88 USD per month |
| Memory Optimized EC2ads v6 | 2 vCores, 16 GiB | 217.54 USD per month |
| Storage (Premium SSD) | Per GiB provisioned | 0.115 USD per GiB per month |
| Backup storage beyond 100% of provisioned storage | Per GiB (geo-redundant is 2x) | 0.095 USD per GiB per month |
| Extended support (PostgreSQL 11 to 13) | Per vCore | 0.07 USD per vCore-hour |
Development server on Burstable B1ms
- B1ms (1 vCore, 2 GiB) running all month, no high availability
- 32 GiB of Premium SSD storage
- Backups within 100% of provisioned storage; excludes outbound data transfer
| Item | Basis | Estimated per month |
|---|---|---|
| Compute | 12.410 USD per month | 12.41 USD |
| Storage | 32 GiB x 0.115 USD | 3.68 USD |
| Estimated total | 16.09 USD per month |
Small production server on General Purpose D2ds v5
- D2ds v5 (2 vCores, 8 GiB) running all month, without high availability
- 128 GiB of Premium SSD storage
- Backups within 100% of provisioned storage; excludes high availability, read replicas, outbound data transfer and reservations
| Item | Basis | Estimated per month |
|---|---|---|
| Compute | 129.940 USD per month | 129.94 USD |
| Storage | 128 GiB x 0.115 USD | 14.72 USD |
| Estimated total | 144.66 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 Database for PostgreSQL Single Server still available?
No. Single Server was retired on 28 March 2025. Flexible server is the deployment option for Azure Database for PostgreSQL.
Which PostgreSQL versions does Azure support?
Microsoft lists PostgreSQL 18, 17, 16, 15 and 14, plus 13, 12 and 11 under extended support, which carries an extra per-vCore charge. Check the supported versions page before you plan an upgrade, because the list changes as versions reach end of life.
Does Azure PostgreSQL support pgvector?
Yes. pgvector is in Microsoft's list of extensions; like other extensions it must be added to the azure.extensions allowlist before you run CREATE EXTENSION.
How much does Azure Database for PostgreSQL cost?
The smallest Burstable server (B1ms) listed at 12.41 USD per month in East US on 8 October 2026, plus storage at 0.115 USD per GiB per month. Production General Purpose servers start at about 130 USD per month for 2 vCores before storage. See the dated table above.
What replaced Azure Cosmos DB for PostgreSQL?
Microsoft states that Azure Cosmos DB for PostgreSQL is on a retirement path and recommends the elastic clusters feature of Azure Database for PostgreSQL for distributed PostgreSQL workloads.
Sources
- Microsoft Learn: What is Azure Database for PostgreSQL flexible server?
- Microsoft Learn: Supported versions of PostgreSQL
- Microsoft Learn: Extensions
- Microsoft Learn: Read replicas
- Microsoft Learn: Reliability in Azure Database for PostgreSQL
- Microsoft Learn: Quickstart, create a flexible server
- Microsoft Learn: Azure Backup for PostgreSQL (Single Server retirement note)
- Microsoft blog for PostgreSQL: Retiring Single Server in 2025
- Microsoft Learn: Azure Cosmos DB for PostgreSQL (retirement path)
- Azure Database for PostgreSQL pricing
Checked 8 October 2026.
How we research cloud database guides: our editorial method. CodeWithSQL earns nothing from the providers mentioned.