Stopped VM charged me or not?

Question

Hi,

Now i have stopped all my virtual machines.

Will it still charged me for stopped virtual machines?

Answer 1

Hi,

If your VMs show Stopped (deallocated), you will not be charged for Compute, however, you will still be charged for the disks, public IP addresses (if any exist), and other resources related to the VMs.

In other words, certain resources incur charges simply by existing. Good example are the managed disk(s) that are attached to your VM. These incur charges regardless of if the VM is running or not.

Please click Accept Answer and upvote if the above was helpful. Please let me know if anything is unclear.

Thanks.

-TP

Answer 2

You are typically charged for a stopped virtual machine (VM) if it is part of a service plan that incurs charges even when the VM is not running. However, there are some considerations to keep in mind:

Azure Dev/Test Subscriptions: If you have an Azure Dev/Test subscription, you may be eligible for reduced rates or no charges for stopped VMs, depending on the specific terms of your subscription.

Reserved Instances: If you have reserved instances for your VMs, you may still incur charges for the reserved capacity, even if the VMs are stopped.

Storage Costs: While the VM is stopped, you may still incur storage costs for the disks associated with the VM, such as OS disks and data disks.

Public IP Addresses: If your VM has a public IP address associated with it, you may incur charges for the IP address even when the VM is stopped.

Azure Hybrid Benefit: If you have Azure Hybrid Benefit enabled, you may be eligible for discounted rates on Azure VMs, but charges may still apply for stopped VMs.

It's essential to review your Azure subscription details and the pricing model associated with your VMs to understand the specific charges that apply to stopped VMs in your environment. Additionally, you can use Azure Cost Management and Billing to monitor and optimize your Azure spending.

Answer 3

Hello @VikramVora

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A platform.

In addition to what TP and UmeshKumar has suggested. I would like to suggest you to consider cost-cutting features like auto shutdown for VMs

Depending on your scenario, you can configure auto shutdown for your VMs in the Azure portal. For more information, see Auto shutdown for VMs using Azure Resource Manager.

Auto shutdown isn't the same as when you shut down within the VM with power options. Auto shutdown stops and deallocates your VMs to stop additional usage charges. For more information, see pricing FAQ for Linux VMs and Windows VMs about VM states.

For more cost-cutting features for your development and test environments, check outut Azure DevTest Labs.

For more details on how to plan and manage Azure costs, you can refer to https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/understand/plan-manage-costs#review-estimated-costs-in-the-azure-portal

If I have answered your query, please click "Accept as answer" as a token of appreciation

Answer 4

Yes, Azure can still charge for stopped virtual machines (VMs) under certain conditions. Understanding these conditions helps manage costs effectively. Here's a breakdown:

1. Stopped (Deallocated) vs. Stopped (Allocated)

• Stopped (Deallocated): If you stop and deallocate your VM, Azure stops charging for the compute resources. However, you are still charged for the storage costs associated with the VM's disks.
• Stopped (Allocated): If you stop the VM but do not deallocate it, Azure continues to charge for the VM's allocated hardware resources (CPU, memory, etc.), even though the VM is not running.

2. Storage Costs

Regardless of whether the VM is deallocated, Azure charges for the storage of the OS disk, data disks, and any associated snapshots. This includes:

• Standard HDD/SSD storage: Charges for each GB of data stored.
• Premium SSD storage: Charges based on the size of the disk provisioned, regardless of the actual data usage.

3. Other Costs

Other potential costs associated with stopped VMs include:

• Public IP addresses: If you have a static public IP address assigned to the VM, you will be charged for it even when the VM is stopped.
• Reserved instances: If you have reserved instances, the reservation is billed regardless of VM status.

Cost Management Tips

• Deallocate VMs when not in use: Ensure VMs are deallocated to stop compute charges.
• Delete unused resources: Remove disks, snapshots, and public IPs if they are no longer needed.
• Automate shutdown and deallocation: Use Azure Automation or other tools to schedule VM shutdown and deallocation during off-hours.

By carefully managing the status and associated resources of your VMs, you can minimize unnecessary costs in Azure.