Free SQL Managed Instance offer is now generally available

We are thrilled to announce the General Availability of the free offer for Azure SQL Managed Instance – making it easier than ever to explore the power of a fully managed, cloud-native SQL Server experience.

With the GA release, you can now utilize a General Purpose or Next-Gen General Purpose (preview) Azure SQL Managed Instance at no cost for up to 12 months. With support for up to 500 databases, you can:

• Build applications with functionalities such as cross-database queries,
• Evaluate strategies to migrate your SQL Server applications to Azure,
• Explore some of the state-of-the-art PaaS capabilities like automated backups, availability, and more ^[1].

What’s included in the free offer

The free SQL Managed Instance Offer includes:

• One General Purpose or Next-Gen General Purpose (preview) SQL managed instance per subscription.
• 720 vCore hours every month (renews every month, unused credits are lost).
• 64 GB of data storage.
• SQL license for the instance.
• Automatically backed up databases retained for up to 7 days.
• Default workday start/stop schedule from 9-5 to ensure frugal utilization of your free credits.
• Creation of up to 500 databases ^[1]
• The instance is automatically stopped when you reach the monthly vCore limit. If the start/stop schedule is set on the instance the next scheduled start succeeds when credits are available gain.

Review vCore hours spending

You can review your current available free credit on the Overview page of the Azure SQL Managed Instance in the Azure Portal. Simply open your free SQL managed instance resource page and observe the remaining credits, as illustrated in the following image:

Overview page of SQL Managed Instance that shows remaining vCore hours and renewal date.

Upgrade

If you want to upgrade your free SQL managed instance to production-ready instance with SLA, navigate to the Compute + Storage pane for you free instance, choose the Paid offer and click apply to save your changes.

Compute + Storage page on SQL Managed Instance resource in Azure Portal gives an option to switch to Paid Offer.

Disclaimer: These costs are estimates only. Actual charges may vary depending on region and configuration.

Get started

Have you already tried the free Azure SQL Managed Instance? If yes, feel free to share your feedback with the product team – aka.ms/sqlmi-free-feedback.

If you still haven’t, follow these simple steps to get started in less than 5 minutes:

1. Create Azure SQL Managed Instance
2. Apply Free Offer – look for the “Want to try SQL MI for free?” banner and select “Apply”
3. Select an existing resource group, or create a new one.
4. Select “Review and create” to finish creating the instance.

You’re now ready to explore the capabilities of Azure SQL Managed Instance! 😊

Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to experience Azure SQL Managed Instance for free! Learn more about the offer and get started today – aka.ms/freesqlmi

[1] – Limitations might apply. Learn more about free offer limits.