Azure SQL Database is a PaaS (Platform as a Service) offer, built on standardized hardware and software that is owned, hosted, and maintained by Microsoft. When comparing azure sql vs sql server, you will find that Azure SQL Database is optimized for cloud environments, providing scalability, automatic backups, and built-in high availability. Getting help using Azure Managed Services, you will find out that the SQL Server 2019 can be hosted either on Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) which is an IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) offer and allows you to run SQL Server 2019 inside a virtual machine in the cloud or on a physical machine.
Features comparison: Azure SQL vs SQL Server 2019
Microsoft Azure SQL Database | Microsoft SQL Server | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Technical documentation | |||
Cloud-based only | Yes | No | |
Data scheme | Yes | Yes | |
Typing | Yes | Yes | |
XML support | Yes | Yes | |
Secondary indexes | Yes | Yes | |
SQL | Yes | Yes | |
APIs and other access methods | ADO.NET | ADO.NET | |
Supported programming languages | .Net | C+ | |
Server-side scripts | Transact SQL | Transact SQL, .NET languages, R, Python and (with SQL Server 2019) Java | |
Triggers |
DML triggers - Most | Yes | |
Partitioning methods | Tables can be distributed across several files (horizontal partitioning); sharding through federation | ||
Replication methods | Yes, with always 3 replicas available | Yes, but depending on the SQL-Server Edition | |
MapReduce | No | No | |
Consistency concepts | Immediate Consistency | Immediate Consistency | |
Foreign keys | Yes | Yes | |
Transaction concepts | ACID | ACID | |
Concurrency | Yes | Yes | |
Durability | Yes | Yes | |
In-memory capabilities | Yes | ||
User concepts | Fine grained access rights according to SQL-standard | Fine grained access rights according to SQL-standard |
SQL Server 2019 Pricing
Microsoft has not changed the price of SQL Server since SQL Server 2012 and went to a core-based licensing model. Here's the retail pricing for SQL Server 2019:
DTUs with different service tiers allow comparison of resources that power different Database performance levelsPlease note that any virtual machine or physical machine cost for it must be included. Need help learning about Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines?
Azure SQL Database DTU vs Azure SQL vCore Model
Let’s have a look first on each of it using which we may do the Azure SQL sizing.
DTUs – Database Throughput Unit
The performance levels of DTUs are measured using the following metric:
So, here are the DTU model highlights
As you see from the screenshot from Azure portal, your max database size is dependent on the amount of DTUs that you allocate. Microsoft provides linear scalability for these databases and can be scaled up or down based on estimated loads.
Microsoft has created the Azure SQL Database Benchmark or ASDB to estimate how much performance improvement is offered with every increase in DTUs.
The main idea of the DTU concept is to offer a preconfigured resource configuration (deploy models) to clients so that it simplifies the scaling of the performance over a single metric. Such as, if we need more performance, we can slide the bar and increase the number of DTU in Azure SQL Database.Azure SQL Cost Examples: DTU Pricing
Below we show DTU pricing for Azure SQL using the General Purpose/Standard service tier, for a Single Database deployment, in the West US 2 region.
Instance Type | DTUs | Maximum Storage Allowed* | Price for DTUs and Included Storage |
|---|---|---|---|
S0 | 10 | 250 GB | $0.0202 |
S1 | 20 | 250 GB | $0.0404 |
S2 | 50 | 250 GB | $0.1009 |
S3 | 100 | 1 TB | $0.2017 |
S4 | 200 | 1 TB | $0.4033 |
S6 | 400 | 1 TB | $0.8066 |
S7 | 800 | 1 TB | $1.6130 |
S9 | 1600 | 1 TB | $3.2260 |
S12 | 3000 | 1 TB | $6.0488 |
* All options come with minimal Included Storage of 250GB
Additional data charges:
Presenting – vCores
With vCores, Microsoft takes a more contemporary approach. It is similar to sizing an Azure SQL Virtual Machine for running database workloads. Even though it is a managed database, Microsoft gives you more flexibility in configuring the CPU-cores and database size independent of each other. As far as IOPS is concerned, they are fixed and dependent on the vCore service tier. See below:
General Purpose | Hyperscale | Business Critical |
|---|---|---|
7000 IOPS Max | 200,00 IOPS Max | 200,000 IOPS Max |
5-10 milliseconds disk latency | 5-10 milliseconds disk latency @ 7000 IOPS for Logs | 5-10 milliseconds disk latency 1-2 milliseconds disk latency @ 200,000 IOPS for Data |
1-2 milliseconds disk latency @ 200,000 IOPS for Logs | 1-2 milliseconds disk latency @ 200,000 IOPS for Logs |
This brings in more transparency to the pricing models and more control in individual resource allocation.
vCore Model Highlights
Azure SQL Cost Examples: vCore Pricing
Below we show vCore pricing for Azure SQL using the General Purpose Tier/Standard service tier, for a Single Database deployment, in the West US 2 region.
Serverless Compute Option
If you choose serverless compute, you can dynamically select between 0.5 and 16 vCores, with between 2.02 GB and 48 GB of memory.
The price is $0.5218 per vCore hour and $0.115 per GB-month.
Additional data charges:
Provisioned Compute Option
In the provisioned compute option, you need to select a number of vCores and your capacity and prices are determined accordingly.
There is a regular vCore price including the Microsoft software license, and a lower price for Azure Hybrid Benefit, in case you transfer your existing SQL Server 2019 licenses to your vCores. In this scenario, the Azure Hybrid Benefit discount is 40%.
vCores | Total Memory (GB) | Price Per Hour Including License | Price Per Hour with Azure Hybrid Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
2 | 10.2 | $0.5044 | $0.3045 |
4 | 20.4 | $1.0088 | $0.6089 |
6 | 30.6 | $1.5131 | $0.9134 |
8 | 40.8 | $2.0175 | $1.2178 |
10 | 51 | $2.5219 | $1.5222 |
12 | 61.2 | $3.0262 | $1.8267 |
14 | 71.4 | $3.5306 | $2.1311 |
16 | 81.6 | $4.0350 | $2.4355 |
18 | 91.8 | $4.5393 | $2.7400 |
20 | 102 | $5.0437 | $3.0444 |
24 | 122.4 | $6.0524 | $3.6533 |
32 | 163.2 | $8.0699 | $4.8710 |
40 | 204 | $10.0874 | $6.0887 |
80 | 396 | $20.1747 | $12.1774 |
Additional storage charges:
To calculate Azure SQL costs for your specific scenario, see the official Azure pricing calculator.
DTU to vCore Conversion
In simplistic terms, here is a quick comparison with vCores vs DTU:
- 1 vCore of General Purpose = 100 DTUs Standard
- 1 vCore of Business Critical = 125 DTUs Premium
- 80 vCores = 8000 DTUs *
A maximum of 4000 DTUs are supported at the time of writing this article.
Which would be the best Azure SQL Database Model option to choose?
The Basic, Standard S0, S1 and S2 service tiers provide less than one vCore (CPU). For CPU-intensive workloads, a service tier of S3 or greater is recommended.
Regarding data storage, the Basic, Standard S0, and S1 service tiers are placed on Standard Page Blobs. Standard Page Blobs use hard disk drive (HDD)-based storage media and are best suited for development, testing, and other infrequently accessed workloads that are less sensitive to performance variability.
You should only consider moving to the new vCore model if your DTU usage somehow exceeds 300 or more. However, you can also choose vCores if you want to allocate more memory and less CPU or vice versa.
Our consultants love to help you choose the right plan – and are often able to offer additional discounts and promotions based on number of users. Book a meeting with us today if you need help.
Last Updated 6 months ago
