Linux on Azure
Run your applications your way and manage your workloads securely and conveniently with your preferred Linux distribution on Azure.
A native Linux experience for every workload
Azure supports common Linux distributions including Red Hat, SUSE, Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian, Oracle Linux and Flatcar Linux. Create your own Linux virtual machines (VMs), deploy and run containers in Kubernetes or choose from hundreds of pre-configured images and Linux workloads available in Azure Marketplace. To run non-endorsed Linux distributions on Azure, simply upload your preferred Linux OS image.
Linux based images comprise 60% of Azure Marketplace Images.
Did you know? Linux on Azure is the fastest growing platform on Azure
- Avoid lengthy lead time for Linux environment preparation and migrate with less friction.
- Spend less time on administrative tasks with intuitive Linux open-source environment and application management tools.
- Improve troubleshooting with Azure support for Red Hat and SUSE.
- Streamline the creation of fully governed environments with Azure Blueprints (preview).
- Protect your intellectual property and digital assets with the best-in-industry Azure IP Advantage programme.
- Detect threats, gain security and compliance insights and follow recommendations for responses with Azure Security Centre.
- Simplify security operations and speed up threat responses with Azure Sentinel, an AI-based security information and event management (SIEM) service.
- Prevent identity mismanagement across your Linux and Windows workloads with role-based access control (RBAC) and Azure Active Directory (Azure AD).
- Balance compliance with business agility using governance tools like Azure Policy and Azure Blueprints.
- Manage your cloud spend with transparency and accuracy through Azure Cost Management.
- Simplify data protection with Azure Backup, a one-click backup solution that scales based on your needs.
- Minimise downtime and ensure business continuity during planned and unplanned outages with Azure Site Recovery.
- Get full observability into your applications, cloud infrastructure and network with Azure Monitor.
- Manage your Linux services across cloud and on-premises environments using Azure Arc.
- Build a truly consistent hybrid cloud infrastructure by integrating your on-premises and cloud environments with Azure Stack and the Open Service Broker API.
- Accelerate your hybrid high-performance computing (HPC) workloads at the edge with built-in, high-speed data storage from Avere vFXT for Azure.
- Apply containers to your hybrid Red Hat workloads with Azure Red Hat OpenShift.
- Experience high throughput and low latency for all endorsed Linux distributions with best-in-class InfiniBand networks.
- Reduce costs up to 72 percent compared to pay-as-you-go pricing for Linux on Azure. Lower your upfront cash outflow with monthly payment options at no additional cost.
- Reserve resources up front to help plan for long-term success. Take advantage of one-year or three-year terms and pay upfront to support your budget goals.
- Bring your existing subscription and licenses to Azure and run your Linux workloads in the cloud with Azure Hybrid Benefit.
Learn more about Linux on Azure products and services
Red Hat on Azure
Accelerate your innovation and digital transformation with Red Hat Linux solutions on Azure.
SUSE on Azure
Take advantage of high-performance solutions that come with running SUSE Linux on Azure.
Elastic on Azure
Use the Elastic Stack (Elastic, Logstash and Kibana) to search, analyse and visualise in real time.
VMware Tanzu on Azure
Automate release and software operation with Tanzu Application Service (formerly Pivotal Cloud Foundry).
Cloudera on Azure
Gain deeper insights into your data by deploying Cloudera on Azure.
Azure Migrate
Easily discover, assess and migrate your on-premises virtual machines to Azure.
Virtual Machines
Provision Windows and Linux virtual machines in seconds.
Ubuntu on Azure
Optimise your Ubuntu experience on Azure, delivered in partnership with Canonical.
Get the latest Linux and Open Source migration guidance, news and resources
Customers are innovating with Linux on Azure
Adobe runs its Linux and open-source portfolio in Azure
Mike Mellor, Senior Director, Technical Operations, Adobe"All the open-source services we want are fully supported in Azure."
Lufthansa relies on Azure to run its AVIATOR system
Johannes Hansen, Senior Director, Process Automation and Technology, AVIATAR"With Microsoft Azure, we get an open and flexible cloud infrastructure that supports our Red Hat ecosystem and helps us deliver superior products to our customers."
Walgreens Boots Alliance scales retail operations with SUSE Linux
Because of its long-standing relationship with Microsoft, Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) looked to Azure for a SAP on SUSE Linux solution that would scale up to the company’s worldwide retail chain.
Stack Overflow runs SQL Server 2016 for Linux and Windows
The developer Q and A site stays fast, innovative and agile with SQL Server 2016 for Linux and Windows.
Geekwire serves tech news using Linux on Azure
GeekWire delivers the latest tech news to 2 million readers worldwide with Linux and Linux-based solutions including NGINX, PHP-FPM, Redis, Docker and MySQL on Azure.
Daimler innovates faster with Linux
Peter Rothlaender, Manager of Cloud Solution, Daimler AG"We've brought Java, Tomcat, Docker containers, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE Linux, and many other open-source tools into DevTest Labs, and they all work great."
See what is available
Browse all the available Linux distributions and workloads on Azure Marketplace.
Explore the Linux on Azure learning path
Learn more about onboarding your first Linux workload with Microsoft Learn courses.
Start your journey
Try deploying a Linux virtual machine in our Linux on Azure simulator and see it in action.