Request for Recommendations – DevBox vs. Personal AVD Hostpool

Question

Request for Recommendations – DevBox vs. Personal AVD Hostpool

Prathap KrishnaPandian 5

Hi Team,

Has anyone in our organization used Microsoft DevBox? I’m looking to understand the cost differences compared to a personal AVD Hostpool.

Additionally, I’d like to know:

How does the pricing of DevBox compare to running a personal AVD host?

What are the key advantages of using DevBox over a personal AVD Hostpool?

If you have any insights or experiences to share, I’d appreciate your recommendations.

Thanks,

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Answer 1

Mounika Reddy Anumandla 7,135 Moderator

Hi Prathap KrishnaPandian,

If you’re evaluating Microsoft Dev Box vs. a personal AVD Hostpool, here’s a breakdown of key factors to help you decide.

Pricing Structure:

For DevBox, you have a monthly storage fee + and a compute rate for each hour of active usage. https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/dev-box/#faq
Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD): Costs include Azure infrastructure (VMs, storage, networking) and user access rights (Windows licenses).
Reserved instances can offer cost savings for long-term commitments.

Key Differences:

Dev Box is optimized for developers with predictable pricing for high utilization, while AVD offers broader flexibility but may require more configuration and incur additional costs depending on setup.
Microsoft Dev Box is designed specifically for developer use cases, providing self-service provisioning of multiple Dev Boxes through a dedicated portal. Unlike Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), which supports multi-user access, Dev Box is single-user only. Additionally, the Dev Box portal is shared with Azure Deployment Environments, making it an ideal integration point for Azure developers who prefer a streamlined, developer-friendly interface. Microsoft Dev box
With a personal AVD Hostpool, you have full control over the virtual desktop environment, allowing for customization based on your specific requirements. You can scale the AVD Hostpool resources up or down based on demand, providing flexibility in resource allocation.

For more reference: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/fasttrackforazureblog/why-choose-microsoft-dev-box/3726909

If your organization values convenience, quick setup, and integration with Microsoft services, Microsoft DevBox may be a suitable option.
If customization, scalability, and cost control are priorities, setting up a personal AVD Hostpool could offer more flexibility and control over resources.

Hope this helps!

If you have any other queries, please let me know in the comments!

If the information provided is helpful, please accept answer and click "upvote" to let us know!

Prathap KrishnaPandian 5 Reputation points

2025-03-21T02:12:22.0766667+00:00

Hi @Mounika Reddy Anumandla

Thank you for the reply.

I came across this statement in a Microsoft article:

*"Dev Box enables you to pay a predictable monthly price per Dev Box instance for unlimited usage of that instance during a billing month.

For flexible usage, pay as you go up to the max monthly price based on the configuration of the Dev Box instance. When a Dev Box is created, you pay a monthly storage fee until the Dev Box is deleted and pay a compute rate for each hour of active usage during the month. When a Dev Box's total cost (including its monthly storage and hourly compute) reaches the level of the max monthly price of that instance for that month, billing will automatically stop for that Dev Box instance."*

Does this mean that once the max monthly price is reached, users can continue using the Dev Box for the rest of the month without any additional charges or limitations? Please clarify.
Mounika Reddy Anumandla 7,135 Reputation points Moderator

2025-03-21T03:36:06.1+00:00

Hi Prathap KrishnaPandian,

Yes, once the maximum monthly price is reached for a Dev Box instance, users can continue using the Dev Box for the rest of the month without incurring additional charges. The billing system is designed to automatically stop charging once the total cost—comprising both the monthly storage fee and the hourly compute charges—hits that maximum price. This means that users can enjoy unlimited usage of the instance for the remainder of the billing month without any further costs beyond that cap.

It's important to note that this applies only to active usage; if a Dev Box is hibernated or not running, it will not accrue compute charges, but storage fees will still apply until the Dev Box is deleted.

Which is also addressed by Ravikanth in a similar thread: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/1464100/how-are-hours-of-compute-counted-for-devbox-are-th

Hope this helps!

If the answer is helpful, please click accept answer and upvote.
Mounika Reddy Anumandla 7,135 Reputation points Moderator

2025-03-25T03:57:08.6933333+00:00

Hi Prathap KrishnaPandian,

Just checking in to see if you had a chance to review the response provided to your question.

If the information is helpful, please click Accept answer and "upvote" it.

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Request for Recommendations – DevBox vs. Personal AVD Hostpool

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