Free Virtual Machine - Estimated Price

Question

Hello!

I'm creating a free linux virtual machine with my free trial subscription (it's valid, started today).

Everything is OK, until "Review + create" tab.

There is Price showing up.

Is it just for info, or my machine will not be free?

I have no money for testing for now, so I need to know if it will be free or there is some error.

Basics tab:

Review + create tab:

Answer 1

Hello, @Vasd Xyz !

Why am I seeing a price for my VM when using a free trial? Will I be charged?

This is a common point of confusion and it helps to see a couple quotes from the Azure free account FAQ. You will never be charged while using the Azure free account (you would first have to decide to upgrade to a pay-as-you-go subscription):

If you use your $200 or are at the end of your 30 days, you'll get a notification that will allow you to purchase Azure in addition to the free services but this is a choice you'll have to actively make:

What happens once I use my $200 free credit or I'm at the end of 30 days? We’ll notify you so you can decide if you want to move to pay-as-you-go pricing, enabling you to purchase Azure services beyond free amounts. If you do, you’ll keep getting access to all the free services. If you don’t, your account and services will be disabled. To resume usage, you'll need to move to pay as you go.

The Azure free account FAQ has several more questions and answers that covers this in greater detail but the takeaway is that you'll need to upgrade to a pay-as-you-go account before you will see any charges.

Why is there a dollar amount shown?

So why is there a dollar amount shown when you create your virtual machines? This is so you can see how much of the $200 credit you'll be using. It's a good idea to track your remaining credit under Microsoft Cost Management in the Azure portal.

What about the B1s VM? Isn't that free?

Make sure that you select the correct VM SKU and use the specified quantity (more information in the Create services included with Azure free account documentation):

Your Azure free account includes a specified quantity of free services for 12 months and a set of services that are always free. The free account only includes access to one type of VM for free—the B1S Burstable B series that’s usable for up to 750 hours per month. By staying in the free account limits, you can use the free services in various configurations. For more information about the Azure free account and the products that are available for free, see Azure free account FAQ.

Look for free services eligible when picking the VM size and note the cost in credits if used outside of the free services limits:

This VM is marked as free services eligible:

The review + create page will show the cost if used outside of the free service limits:

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