specification: API Commons Plans
specificationVersion: '0.1'
schema: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/interface-research/main/schema/api-commons.yml#/$defs/Plans
provider: Azure Blob Storage
providerId: microsoft-azure-blob-storage
created: '2026-05-04'
# Provenance stamped 2026-08-11: this artifact was written by the API Evangelist
# bulk sweep dated 2026-05-04, not harvested from the provider. See roadmap#35.
method: generated
modified: '2026-05-05'
reconciled: true
tags:
  - Azure
  - Blob Storage
  - Object Storage
  - Microsoft Azure
description: Azure Blob Storage is priced per access tier (Hot, Cool, Cold, Archive), with separate
  charges for capacity (per GB-month), transactions (per 10,000 ops), retrieval (per GB), and egress.
  Premium block blob accounts use SSD-backed pricing at higher rates. Reservation discounts available
  via 1- or 3-year capacity reservations. Prices below are LRS US East list prices and vary by region
  and redundancy.
sources:
  - https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/storage/blobs/
  - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/storage-blob-storage-tiers
plans:
  - id: microsoft-azure-blob-storage-hot
    name: Hot Access Tier
    type: usage-based
    description: For frequently accessed data. Lowest read costs, highest storage cost. No early-deletion
      penalty.
    entries:
      - label: Capacity (first 50 TB)
        name: hot_capacity
        type: metered
        metric: gb
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: month
        geo: per-region
        unit: 1
        price: '~$0.018 per GB-month'
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: Write transactions
        name: hot_write
        type: metered
        metric: transaction
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: per-region
        unit: 10000
        price: '~$0.055 per 10,000 (LRS list)'
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: Read transactions
        name: hot_read
        type: metered
        metric: transaction
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: per-region
        unit: 10000
        price: '~$0.0044 per 10,000 (LRS list)'
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: Data retrieval
        name: hot_retrieval
        type: metered
        metric: gb
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: per-region
        unit: 1
        price: 'free (Hot tier)'
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: Frequently accessed data
      - name: Lowest access cost
      - name: No minimum retention period
  - id: microsoft-azure-blob-storage-cool
    name: Cool Access Tier
    type: usage-based
    description: For infrequently accessed data with a 30-day minimum retention. Lower storage cost,
      higher access cost than Hot.
    entries:
      - label: Capacity
        name: cool_capacity
        type: metered
        metric: gb
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: month
        geo: per-region
        unit: 1
        price: '~$0.01 per GB-month'
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: Data retrieval
        name: cool_retrieval
        type: metered
        metric: gb
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: per-region
        unit: 1
        price: '~$0.01 per GB'
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: Transactions
        name: cool_transactions
        type: metered
        metric: transaction
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: per-region
        unit: 10000
        price: 'see Azure pricing page (higher than Hot)'
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: 30-day minimum retention
      - name: Same millisecond access latency as Hot
      - name: Lifecycle management eligible
  - id: microsoft-azure-blob-storage-cold
    name: Cold Access Tier
    type: usage-based
    description: For rarely accessed data with a 90-day minimum retention.
    entries:
      - label: Capacity
        name: cold_capacity
        type: metered
        metric: gb
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: month
        geo: per-region
        unit: 1
        price: '~$0.0036 per GB-month'
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: Data retrieval
        name: cold_retrieval
        type: metered
        metric: gb
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: per-region
        unit: 1
        price: '~$0.03 per GB'
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: 90-day minimum retention
      - name: Online access latency (no rehydrate)
      - name: Cheaper than Cool, more expensive on read than Cool
  - id: microsoft-azure-blob-storage-archive
    name: Archive Access Tier
    type: usage-based
    description: For long-term retention. Lowest storage cost, highest retrieval cost. 180-day minimum
      retention; rehydrate-to-Hot/Cool required for read.
    entries:
      - label: Capacity
        name: archive_capacity
        type: metered
        metric: gb
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: month
        geo: per-region
        unit: 1
        price: '~$0.00099 per GB-month'
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: Data retrieval
        name: archive_retrieval
        type: metered
        metric: gb
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: per-region
        unit: 1
        price: '~$0.022 per GB (standard rehydrate)'
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: 180-day minimum retention
      - name: Rehydrate to Hot or Cool before read
      - name: Lowest storage cost
  - id: microsoft-azure-blob-storage-premium
    name: Premium Block Blob
    type: usage-based
    description: SSD-backed block-blob accounts for low-latency, high-IOPS workloads. No tiering between
      Hot/Cool/Cold/Archive on premium accounts.
    entries:
      - label: Capacity
        name: premium_capacity
        type: metered
        metric: gb
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: month
        geo: per-region
        unit: 1
        price: 'see Azure pricing page (premium block blob)'
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: Transactions
        name: premium_transactions
        type: metered
        metric: transaction
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: per-region
        unit: 10000
        price: 'see Azure pricing page'
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: Low-latency SSD
      - name: High IOPS
      - name: Single tier (no Hot/Cool tiering)
  - id: microsoft-azure-blob-storage-reserved
    name: Reserved Capacity (1- or 3-year)
    type: enterprise
    description: Pre-committed 100 TB or 1 PB capacity reservation for 1 or 3 years. Discount over
      pay-as-you-go capacity prices.
    entries:
      - label: Reservation
        name: reserved_capacity
        type: subscription
        metric: capacity
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: year
        geo: per-region
        unit: 1
        price: 'see Azure pricing page (reserved capacity)'
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: 100 TB or 1 PB units
      - name: 1- or 3-year terms
      - name: Discount vs pay-as-you-go capacity
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: kin@apievangelist.com
x-canonical:
  generated: '2026-10-08'
  vocabulary: all/0-working/economics/plans-canonical.yml
  models:
  - metered
  - subscription
  units:
  - data
  - transaction
  plans:
  - name: Hot Access Tier
    access: other
    model: metered
    model_how: stated
    units:
    - data
    - transaction
    periods:
    - month
    - per-use
  - name: Cool Access Tier
    access: other
    model: metered
    model_how: stated
    units:
    - data
    - transaction
    periods:
    - month
    - per-use
  - name: Cold Access Tier
    access: other
    model: metered
    model_how: stated
    units:
    - data
    periods:
    - month
    - per-use
  - name: Archive Access Tier
    access: other
    model: metered
    model_how: stated
    units:
    - data
    periods:
    - month
    - per-use
  - name: Premium Block Blob
    access: other
    model: metered
    model_how: stated
    units:
    - data
    - transaction
    periods:
    - month
    - per-use
  - name: Reserved Capacity (1- or 3-year)
    access: enterprise
    model: subscription
    model_how: derived
    units:
    - other
    periods:
    - year