Microsoft® SQL Server 2012 Unleashed

Understanding SQL Database Billing

SQL Database is billed using a pay-as-you-go model. The fees involved establish the baseline costs for the two primary services you need: database storage and bandwidth utilization. You can receive discounts against the baseline free schedule if you sign up for a long-term commitment and pay in advance.

The next few sections explain your plan options and related pricing so you know exactly how much to budget. We also show you how to monitor your daily use so you can calculate (and verify the correctness of) your bill at any time.