Skip to main content

Automation pricing

Simplify cloud management with process automation

With Azure Automation you can save time, reduce errors, and increase efficiency while lowering your operational costs. Automate all your frequent, time-consuming, and error-prone IT management tasks, in the cloud or on-premises, freeing up your own time to focus on work that adds business value. Automation works with all the Azure services you know and love, as well on-premises systems and those in other clouds. You can also use Automation to connect and manage any online service with an API.

Azure automation provides capabilities to do process automation, update management, desired state configuration, track changes, and collect inventory.

Process automation is priced per job execution minute while configuration management is priced per managed node.

Explore pricing options

Apply filters to customize pricing options to your needs.

Prices are estimates only and are not intended as actual price quotes. Actual pricing may vary depending on the type of agreement entered with Microsoft, date of purchase, and the currency exchange rate. Prices are calculated based on US dollars and converted using London closing spot rates that are captured in the two business days prior to the last business day of the previous month end. If the two business days prior to the end of the month fall on a bank holiday in major markets, the rate setting day is generally the day immediately preceding the two business days. This rate applies to all transactions during the upcoming month. Sign in to the Azure pricing calculator to see pricing based on your current program/offer with Microsoft. Contact an Azure sales specialist for more information on pricing or to request a price quote. See frequently asked questions about Azure pricing.

Process automation

Process automation includes runbook jobs and watchers. Billing for jobs is based on the number of job run time minutes used in the month and for watchers is based on the number of hours used in a month. Charges for process automation are incurred whenever a job or watcher runs. You will be billed only for minutes/hours that exceed the free included units.

Free units included (per month)** Price
Job run time 500 minutes $-/minute
Watchers 744 hours $0.002/hour

Configuration management

Configuration management includes the configuration pull service and change tracking capabilities. Billing is based on the number of nodes that are registered with the service and the log data stored in the Azure Log Analytics service.

Charges for configuration management start when a node is registered with the service and stop when the node is unregistered from the service. A node is any machine whose configuration is managed by configuration management. This could be an Azure virtual machine (VM), on-premises VM, physical host, or a VM in another public cloud. Billing for nodes is pro-rated hourly.

Free units included (per month)** Price
Azure node N/A Free
Non-Azure node 5 nodes $-/node

Update management

Update management includes visibility and deployment of updates in your environment. There are no charges for the service, you only pay for log data stored in the Azure Log Analytics service.

Free units included (per month)** Price
Any node N/A Free
**These free units are not available to subscribers using rate plans providing a flat discount or a fixed monthly credit amount.

Azure pricing and purchasing options

Connect with us directly

Get a walkthrough of Azure pricing. Understand pricing for your cloud solution, learn about cost optimization and request a custom proposal.

Talk to a sales specialist

See ways to purchase

Purchase Azure services through the Azure website, a Microsoft representative, or an Azure partner.

Explore your options

Additional resources

Automation

Learn more about Automation features and capabilities.

Pricing calculator

Estimate your expected monthly costs for using any combination of Azure products.

SLA

Review the Service Level Agreement for Automation.

Documentation

Review technical tutorials, videos, and more Automation resources.

  • We bill you for usage over and above the free included units. For automation and configuration management, the billing is based on the total number of job run time minutes for process automation, the number of hours for automation watchers, or the number of nodes for configuration management. Usage is aggregated across all the Automation accounts associated with your subscription. For example, using 5,500 minutes in a month would result in a $- charge.

  • Included free units are units available for you to use at no charge and are refreshed every month. Any usage incurred over and above the included free units in a given month is billed at the standard pricing rates for a given solution. These free units are not available to subscribers using rate plans providing a flat discount or a fixed monthly credit amount.

Talk to a sales specialist for a walk-through of Azure pricing. Understand pricing for your cloud solution.

Get free cloud services and a $200 credit to explore Azure for 30 days.

Added to estimate. Press 'v' to view on calculator
Can we help you?