Azure Virtual Machines gives you the flexibility of virtualization for a wide range of computing solutions with support for Linux, Windows Server, SQL Server, Oracle, IBM, SAP, and more. All current generation Virtual Machines include load balancing and auto-scaling at no cost. For optimal performance, we recommend pairing your Virtual Machines with Managed Disks. Standard egress charges apply.

Choose from the following payment options for Virtual Machines. Combine either option with the Azure Hybrid Benefit for additional savings.

Pay as you go
Pay for compute capacity by the second, with no long-term commitment or upfront payments. Increase or decrease compute capacity on demand. Start or stop at any time and only pay for what you use.

Recommended for:
- Users who prefer the low cost and flexibility of Azure Virtual Machines.
- Applications with short-term, spiky, or unpredictable workloads that cannot be interrupted.
- Applications being developed or tested on Azure Virtual Machines for the first time.

Reserved Virtual Machine Instances
An Azure Reserved Virtual Machine Instance is an advanced purchase of a Virtual Machine for one or three years in a specified region. The commitment is made up front, and in return, you get up to 72 percent price savings compared to pay-as-you-go pricing. Reserved Virtual Machine Instances are flexible and can easily be exchanged or returned.

Recommended for:
- Applications with steady-state usage.
- Customers who want budget predictability.
- Customers who can commit to using a virtual machine (VM) over a one-year or three-year term to reduce computing costs.

Example Virtual Machines pricing
Azure Virtual Machines are designed for all budgets and workloads, starting from our economical B-series to our newest GPU VMs optimized for machine learning. Explore popular categories: