Azure SQL Database

Web · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · API

Freedom report

Three barsScore 8.1

Free tierA free tier is on its own pricing page
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely6 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

Azure SQL Database is ranked #2 of 74 in database software on Freedom251. It runs on Android, API, iOS, Linux, macOS, Web, Windows. There is a free plan. A free trial is offered.

Azure SQL Database plans and pricing

All plans

Free offer Free 100,000 vCore seconds · 32 GB data storage · 32 GB backup storage · 10 databases per subscription learn.microsoft.com · 22 Sept 2026

Azure SQL Database free tier Free Monthly free allowance for the life of the Azure subscription Up to 10 General Purpose databases per subscription · 100,000 vCore seconds per database · 32 GB data storage and 32 GB backup storage per database learn.microsoft.com · 4 Oct 2026

Pay as you go Not published Usage-based; pay only for what you use, with no long-term commitment or upfront payment Price depends on service tier, provisioned compute and storage, and backup storage; pricing page displays rates as "$-" azure.microsoft.com · 4 Oct 2026

Compared on database software

Free plan: Yes

Best Azure SQL Database alternatives

See all 12

Two bars MySQL Free tier No. 1Free8.1 Two bars SQLite Free tier No. 3$12.50/mo8.1 Two bars Amazon DynamoDB Free tier No. 4Free8.0 Two bars PostgreSQL Free tier No. 5Free7.9 One bar Amazon RDS Free tier No. 6Free7.7 Two bars MariaDB Server Free tier No. 7Free7.7

The record

What it is: Azure SQL Database is a cloud-native relational database service built on the SQL Server engine and delivered as a fully managed PaaS.
Managed operations: Microsoft manages provisioning, patching, backups, monitoring, and high availability for the service.
Hyperscale: The Hyperscale tier independently scales compute and storage and supports scale-out with up to 30 named replicas.
AI capabilities: The product supports native vector search and connections to Azure OpenAI and Azure AI Search for building AI applications.
Development interfaces: Azure SQL Database supports standard T-SQL and can be accessed through the Azure portal, SQL Server Management Studio, Visual Studio Code's MSSQL extension, and compatible application frameworks.
APIs and data models: The product supports native JSON and REST and GraphQL APIs through Data API builder.
Integrations: Azure SQL Database can connect to Azure services such as Azure Functions and replicate SQL data into Microsoft Fabric for near-real-time querying and analysis.
Security: Its security and governance features include a multilayered approach that includes Microsoft Defender for SQL.
Availability and recovery: The platform includes high availability, disaster recovery, and snapshot-based backups for quick restores.
Free tier limit: The free offer provides up to 10 General Purpose databases per subscription, each with 100,000 vCore seconds, 32 GB of data, and 32 GB of backup storage monthly.
Overage behavior: When a database reaches its free monthly limits, it can auto-pause until the next month or remain online with usage beyond the limits billed at standard General Purpose serverless rates.
Intended workloads: Microsoft describes Azure SQL Database as designed for modern application development, mission-critical workloads, and AI-ready architectures.
Price from: Free

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Database Software in 2026#2 of 74

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Sources

azure.microsoft.com/en-us/products/azure-sql/database· checked 4 Oct 2026
learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/database/free-off· checked 4 Oct 2026
azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/azure-sql-databas· checked 4 Oct 2026