If you're just starting your cloud journey or exploring Microsoft Azure for personal or business use, the good news is that Azure offers a generous set of free services. These services help you learn, build, test, and even run small production workloads—without paying a cent.
In this guide, we’ll break down the top free Azure services you should take advantage of in 2025.
1. Azure Free Account
When you sign up for the first time, Azure gives you:
$200 in free credits for 30 days
Free access to 55+ services for 12 months
Always free services available beyond your first year
You can sign up here: https://azure.microsoft.com/free
2. Always Free Azure Services
These services are free every month, even after your first year:
- Azure App Services
Host up to 10 web, mobile, or API apps using shared compute resources for free.
- Azure Functions
Run 1 million requests per month using serverless computing at no charge.
- Azure Blob Storage
Get 5 GB of LRS hot block blob storage and 20,000 read/write operations per month for free.
- Azure Cosmos DB
Enjoy 1000 RU/s of provisioned throughput and 25 GB of storage monthly at no cost.
- Azure DevTest Labs
Create cost-controlled environments to test and develop your apps without additional infrastructure expenses.
3. Free Services for 12 Months
These are available free for the first 12 months after account creation:
- Windows and Linux Virtual Machines
Run 750 hours per month of a B1S VM on either OS.
- Azure SQL Database
Access 250 GB of general-purpose database storage for free.
- Azure File Storage
Receive 5 GB of storage and 20,000 I/O operations per month.
- Azure Bandwidth
Get 15 GB of outbound data transfer every month for free.
4. AI and Machine Learning Free Services
Azure is known for its growing AI ecosystem. Some AI services offer free tiers:
Azure Cognitive Services: Limited free usage for vision, speech, text, and language APIs
Azure Machine Learning Studio: Basic tier with access to learning environments and experiments
These are perfect for students, developers, or startups exploring AI capabilities.
5. Free Development and Testing Tools
If you're a developer or working on personal projects, take advantage of:
Visual Studio Dev Essentials: Includes Azure credits, developer tools, and training.
GitHub Actions for Azure: Automate CI/CD workflows with free tier limits when integrated with Azure.
6. Free Learning Resources
Azure also provides hands-on learning environments where you can try services in real-time—no credit card required:
Microsoft Learn sandbox environments
Azure Quickstart templates
Tutorials and labs for beginners and advanced users alike
Final Thoughts
Whether you're a beginner, student, developer, or business owner, Microsoft Azure's free services make it easier than ever to get started with cloud computing. You can explore hosting apps, building serverless workflows, running databases, or even experimenting with AI—all without spending anything upfront.
Now is a great time to sign up for your free Azure account and begin building with confidence.
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