We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. It never changes a score or a ranking. How we make money
Pricing is quote-based.
Azure Communication Services has no published monthly or annual subscription price: billing is consumption-based, so the bill depends on usage and selected services. The pricing page lists Pay-As-You-Go, with Job Router free for 0–100 jobs a month and qualifying Microsoft 365 users receiving free Teams API/SDK interactions. Azure advertises $200 in Azure Free Account credit, but its duration is not published here. Per-unit rates are listed for some services, while PSTN calling and several phone-number and SMS rates are not.
01Every plan, line by line
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay-As-You-Go | — | Quote | Teams paying for communication usage |
Add-ons and overages
- Voice and Video Calling over IP: $0.004/user minute
- SIP Direct Routing: $0.004/minute
- Closed Captions: $0.021/minute
- Call Recording: $0.002/minute mixed audio; $0.01/minute mixed audio and video; $0.0012/minute/participant unmixed audio
- Line Type Number Lookup: $0.005/request
- Phone number leasing: geographic, toll-free, short code and 10DLC/local prices vary or are not published
- Chat: $0.0008/message sent
- SMS: toll-free, short code, alphanumeric sender ID, 10DLC and mobile rates not published on the main page
- Email: $0.00025/email sent plus $0.00012/MB transferred
- Messaging Connect (Preview): $0.0025/message
- Advanced Messaging: $0.005/user message; WhatsApp channel fee not published
- Job Router beyond 100 jobs: $0.01/job routed
- Voice Calling - PSTN rates not published
02What the plan grid doesn't tell you
Calling and recording
IP voice and video is $0.004 per user-minute; SIP Direct Routing is $0.004/minute. Recording ranges from $0.0012 to $0.01/minute, depending on audio and video mix.
Unpublished phone rates
PSTN calling rates are not published. Phone-number leasing prices vary or are unpublished, including geographic, toll-free, short-code and 10DLC numbers.
Messaging and email
Chat is $0.0008/message sent; email is $0.00025/email plus $0.00012/MB transferred. Several SMS rates and the WhatsApp channel fee are not published.
Job Router overage
The first 100 jobs/month are free; each job routed beyond that costs $0.01. The amount you pay therefore depends on monthly job volume.
03Which plan should you buy?
| If you are… | Get | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Teams with variable usage | Pay-As-You-Go | There is no fixed recurring fee; charges depend on communication usage. |
| Teams routing jobs | Pay-As-You-Go | The first 100 Job Router jobs each month are free; each additional job routed costs $0.01. |
| Qualifying Microsoft 365 users | Pay-As-You-Go | Teams API/SDK interactions are free for qualifying users; other communication usage may still be chargeable. |
04Is Azure Communication Services worth the money?
Pay-As-You-Go is a reasonable fit if you want no fixed subscription fee and can track usage across services. But it is hard to forecast a complete bill from the published rates: PSTN calling and several phone-number and SMS prices are missing, and some charges depend on minutes, messages or jobs. Against the broader communications software category, the flexible billing is useful, but our review verdict also flags reported retirements as a long-term adoption risk, without naming products or dates.
Azure Communication Services pricing FAQ
Is there a free Azure Communication Services plan?
No free plan is listed. The pricing information does include $200 in Azure Free Account credit, but the credit duration is not published here. Separately, Job Router includes 0–100 free jobs per month, and qualifying Microsoft 365 users get free Teams API/SDK interactions.
How much does Azure Communication Services cost?
There is no published monthly or annual subscription price; billing is consumption-based. Listed rates include $0.0008 per chat message sent and $0.004 per IP voice/video user-minute. Your total depends on which services you use, and some rates are not published.
What does Pay-As-You-Go include?
The pricing information lists no fixed recurring fee, 0–100 free Job Router jobs per month, and free Teams API/SDK interactions for qualifying Microsoft 365 users. It does not publish seat limits or specific usage limits, so check applicable service rates before estimating a bill.
Which Azure Communication Services rates are not published?
PSTN calling rates are not published. Phone-number leasing prices vary or are not published, and the main pricing page does not list rates for several SMS types. The WhatsApp channel fee is also not published; ask Azure for current rates before budgeting.