Share via

Azure free tier dropped from 1000 RU/s included to 100 RU/s

Patrick 0 Reputation points
2026-02-26T00:56:00.2033333+00:00

The total RU/s across all resources in my account are set at 1000 RU/s. I was receiving 1000 RU/s per month for free although recently this dropped down to 100 RU/s.

I see this on the cost management page that lists out the free services: "Azure Cosmos DB, Free 100 RU/s 4242 / 2976 (1/Hour)". I see that the free services on my account end on January 2, 2027.

Why would this be?

Azure Cosmos DB
Azure Cosmos DB

An Azure NoSQL database service for app development.

0 comments

2 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Manoj Kumar Boyini 9,180 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-02-26T21:16:08.5633333+00:00

    Hi Patrick

    It sounds like you're running into some confusion regarding the changes in your Azure Cosmos DB free tier RU/s. Initially, you were getting 1000 RU/s, but it appears that it's now been reduced to 100 RU/s.

    According to the Free Tier in Azure Cosmos DB documentation, the free tier provides an initial 1000 RU/s and 25 GB of storage for free. However, if you see that it's limited to 100 RU/s on your cost management page, there could be a few reasons for this:

    Account Configuration: Ensure that your account is indeed enabled for the free tier. Sometimes options can be disabled if there’s another account already using the free tier within the same subscription.

    Provisioned Throughput Model: If you're using a provisioned throughput model, confirm what the current configuration settings are for your databases or containers. You might need to check if the throughput settings have been altered.

    Billing Confusion: The billing will not immediately reflect free limits unless you're below them. Anything above 1000 RU/s and 25 GB will incur charges, and you wouldn’t see a line item for those free limits on your bill.

    If your account was indeed set up for the free tier correctly and all seems in order, consider the following follow-up questions for deeper investigation:

    Can you confirm if you have any other Azure Cosmos DB accounts enabled on the same subscription that might be affecting this?

    Have there been any recent changes to the resource configurations or scaling settings in your Azure portal?

    Can you check if you're exceeding the limits of the free tier anywhere, such as provisioned throughput on a database or container?

    Have you set up any autoscale configurations that may have altered the available RU/s?

    Are you receiving any notifications or messages regarding billing or changes to your service limits?

    Once we gather more info, we can dive deeper into resolving this! Hope this helps, and let me know if you need further clarification!

    Relevant Documentation:

  2. Q&A Assist
    2026-02-26T00:56:11.8833333+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    Azure Cosmos DB free tier always includes 1000 RU/s and 25 GB of storage for the lifetime of the Cosmos DB account, independent of the Azure free account benefits. That 1000 RU/s entitlement does not change or drop over time for a free tier Cosmos DB account.

    What changed in the portal view is most likely the Azure free account benefit, not the Cosmos DB free tier benefit:

    • The Azure free account gives a limited quantity of some services free for 12 months, and those quantities and SKUs are tracked in Cost Management under “Free services.”
    • For Cosmos DB, when using an Azure free account, there is an additional 400 RU/s and 25 GB for 12 months on top of the Cosmos DB free tier 1000 RU/s and 25 GB, for a combined 1400 RU/s and 50 GB during that period.
    • After the free-account promotional period or when the free services configuration changes, the free-account portion shown in Cost Management can change or end, while the Cosmos DB free tier (1000 RU/s, 25 GB) continues at the account level.

    The Cost Management line “Azure Cosmos DB, Free 100 RU/s …” is describing the Azure free account tracked free usage, not the Cosmos DB free tier discount itself. The Cosmos DB free tier discount is applied directly on the Cosmos DB bill and does not necessarily appear as “1000 RU/s free” in the generic free-services summary.

    To verify what is actually free now:

    1. Confirm that the Cosmos DB account is a free tier account (free tier enabled at account creation).
    2. In billing for Cosmos DB, check that the first 1000 RU/s and 25 GB are not being charged; only RU/s and storage beyond those limits should appear as billable.
    3. Treat the “Free 100 RU/s … ends on 2027-01-02” entry as the Azure free account tracking, not as the Cosmos DB free tier definition.

    If total provisioned throughput is kept within 1000 RU/s and storage within 25 GB on a free tier Cosmos DB account, there should be no Cosmos DB charges regardless of what the Azure free account free-services summary shows.

    References:

    0 comments

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.