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 Monitor
providerId: microsoft-azure-monitor
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:
  - Observability
  - Monitoring
  - Logging
  - Metrics
  - Microsoft Azure
description: Azure Monitor is metered consumption-based across logs (Analytics and Basic), metrics
  (custom and platform), alerts, and Application Insights. Log Analytics offers Pay-As-You-Go and
  Commitment Tiers (starting at 100 GB/day) for discounts. Platform metrics are free; custom metrics
  charge per million samples. Application Insights data is stored in a Log Analytics workspace and
  uses the same pricing model.
sources:
  - https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/monitor/
  - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/logs/cost-logs
plans:
  - id: microsoft-azure-monitor-analytics-logs-payg
    name: Analytics Logs - Pay-As-You-Go
    type: usage-based
    description: Default ingestion plan for queryable Analytics Logs. First 5 GB/month per workspace
      free; 31-day retention included; thereafter per-GB ingestion plus per-GB-month retention.
    entries:
      - label: Free ingestion (first 5 GB / month)
        name: analytics_logs_free
        type: quota
        metric: gb
        limit: 5
        timeFrame: month
        geo: per-region
        unit: 1
        price: '0.00'
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: Analytics Logs ingestion
        name: analytics_logs_ingest
        type: metered
        metric: gb
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: month
        geo: per-region
        unit: 1
        price: '~$2.30 per GB ingested (region-varying)'
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: Retention beyond 31 days
        name: analytics_retention
        type: metered
        metric: gb
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: month
        geo: per-region
        unit: 1
        price: 'see Azure pricing page (per GB-month retained)'
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: Full KQL query support
      - name: 31-day free retention (90 days for Sentinel-enabled / App Insights)
      - name: Pay only for what you use
  - id: microsoft-azure-monitor-analytics-logs-commitment
    name: Analytics Logs - Commitment Tiers
    type: subscription
    description: Daily commitment in GB/day (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000) for predictable
      flat fee with discount vs Pay-As-You-Go.
    entries:
      - label: Commitment - 100 GB / day
        name: commit_100
        type: subscription
        metric: gb_per_day
        limit: 100
        timeFrame: day
        geo: per-region
        unit: 100
        price: 'see Azure pricing page (~15% discount vs PAYG)'
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: Commitment - 200/300/400/500/1000/2000/5000 GB / day
        name: commit_higher
        type: subscription
        metric: gb_per_day
        limit: 5000
        timeFrame: day
        geo: per-region
        unit: 1
        price: 'see Azure pricing page (deeper discount with higher commit)'
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: Predictable fixed daily fee
      - name: Discount up to ~30% vs PAYG at higher tiers
      - name: Overage at PAYG rate
  - id: microsoft-azure-monitor-basic-logs
    name: Basic Logs
    type: usage-based
    description: Lower-cost log table type for verbose, low-query data. Limited KQL operators; 30-day
      retention included; per-search query cost.
    entries:
      - label: Basic Logs ingestion
        name: basic_logs_ingest
        type: metered
        metric: gb
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: month
        geo: per-region
        unit: 1
        price: '~$0.50 per GB ingested'
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: Basic Logs search query
        name: basic_logs_search
        type: metered
        metric: gb
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: per-region
        unit: 1
        price: 'see Azure pricing page (per-GB scanned)'
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: Cheaper ingestion
      - name: 30-day retention (then archive)
      - name: Limited KQL (no joins on Basic table)
  - id: microsoft-azure-monitor-archive-logs
    name: Log Archive
    type: usage-based
    description: Archive tier for Analytics or Basic Logs up to 12 years. Lower per-GB-month than
      hot retention; restore charged separately.
    entries:
      - label: Archive storage
        name: archive_storage
        type: metered
        metric: gb
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: month
        geo: per-region
        unit: 1
        price: 'see Azure pricing page (per GB-month archived)'
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: Archive restore
        name: archive_restore
        type: metered
        metric: gb
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: per-region
        unit: 1
        price: 'see Azure pricing page'
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: Up to 12 years archive
      - name: Restore on demand
      - name: Lower per-GB-month than hot retention
  - id: microsoft-azure-monitor-custom-metrics
    name: Custom Metrics
    type: usage-based
    description: Per-million-samples ingestion for application/custom metrics. Platform metrics are
      free.
    entries:
      - label: Custom metric samples
        name: custom_metrics
        type: metered
        metric: sample
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: per-region
        unit: 10000000
        price: '0.16 per 10 million samples'
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: 90-day retention
      - name: Custom dimensions
      - name: Platform metrics are free
  - id: microsoft-azure-monitor-alerts
    name: Alerts
    type: usage-based
    description: Per-time-series and per-rule pricing for metric alerts, log alerts, and dynamic
      thresholds. Action group notifications charged separately (email, SMS, push, voice).
    entries:
      - label: Metric alert rules
        name: metric_alert_rule
        type: metered
        metric: time_series
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: month
        geo: per-region
        unit: 1
        price: 'see Azure pricing page (per time-series monitored)'
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: Log alert rules
        name: log_alert_rule
        type: metered
        metric: rule
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: month
        geo: per-region
        unit: 1
        price: 'see Azure pricing page (per rule, varies by frequency)'
        userMultiplied: false
      - label: Notification (SMS/voice/push/email)
        name: notification
        type: metered
        metric: notification
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: per-region
        unit: 1
        price: 'see Azure pricing page'
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: Metric, log, and dynamic-threshold alerts
      - name: Action groups for notifications and automation
  - id: microsoft-azure-monitor-application-insights
    name: Application Insights
    type: usage-based
    description: Workspace-based App Insights data is stored and billed via the Log Analytics workspace
      where the resource lives. 90-day retention free for App Insights data.
    entries:
      - label: Telemetry ingestion (per workspace pricing)
        name: appinsights_ingest
        type: metered
        metric: gb
        limit: -1
        timeFrame: month
        geo: per-region
        unit: 1
        price: 'priced via Log Analytics workspace tier'
        userMultiplied: false
    elements:
      - name: Live metrics, distributed tracing, snapshot debugger
      - name: 90-day retention free
      - name: Same Commitment Tier discounts as workspace
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
  - message
  plans:
  - name: Analytics Logs - Pay-As-You-Go
    access: other
    model: metered
    model_how: stated
    units:
    - data
    periods:
    - month
  - name: Analytics Logs - Commitment Tiers
    access: other
    model: subscription
    model_how: stated
    units:
    - data
    periods:
    - day
  - name: Basic Logs
    access: other
    model: metered
    model_how: stated
    units:
    - data
    periods:
    - month
    - per-use
  - name: Log Archive
    access: other
    model: metered
    model_how: stated
    units:
    - data
    periods:
    - month
    - per-use
  - name: Custom Metrics
    access: other
    model: metered
    model_how: stated
    units:
    - other
    periods:
    - per-use
  - name: Alerts
    access: other
    model: metered
    model_how: stated
    units:
    - message
    - other
    periods:
    - month
    - per-use
  - name: Application Insights
    access: other
    model: metered
    model_how: stated
    units:
    - data
    periods:
    - month