Azure Function best plan & Price?

Question

We have created an SQL database on Azure, and it contains around 1.5 million records. now on daily basis we need to call an external api on average each day there will be around 22 K api requests. then for each request we need to check if the item exists inside the SQL table using the Contract Number field, if so to check the status, if it differ to update the SQL item with the new data, if the the status is the same do nothing. Also if the contract number does not exists inside the SQL table to create it , and so on..

For this we want to create azure function, but not sure which plan best suite this?

Also approximate how long each run should take?

Finally what will be the monthly price ?

Thanks

Answer 1

@john john Pter ,

Thanks for reaching out! If you're handling around 22,000 API requests daily with an SQL database, the Consumption Plan could be a cost-effective choice. It automatically scales and charges only for the resources used, making it ideal for unpredictable workloads.

However, if your usage is more steady and predictable, the Elastic Premium Plan might be a better fit. It offers lower latency, better performance, and virtual network integration, ensuring consistent execution times.

Regarding execution time, it depends on the complexity of your API calls and database interactions. If each function takes around 2-5 seconds, you can estimate the total runtime based on your request volume.

For pricing, the Consumption Plan charges based on execution count and duration, while the Premium Plan has a fixed monthly cost based on allocated resources. To get a precise estimate, you can use the Azure Pricing Calculator. It allows you to enter your expected execution count, duration, and memory usage to compare costs across different plans.

References:

• Best practices for reliable Azure Functions
• Estimating consumption-based costs
• Azure Functions Premium plan
• Cost Optimization