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← Back to Azure Data Factory Overview

Azure Data Factory Pricing & Plans 2026

Complete pricing guide for Azure Data Factory. Compare all plans, analyze costs, and find the perfect tier for your needs.

Try Azure Data Factory Free →Compare Plans ↓

Not sure if free is enough? See our Free vs Paid comparison →
Still deciding? Read our full verdict on whether Azure Data Factory is worth it →

🆓Free Tier Available
💎4 Paid Plans
⚡No Setup Fees

Choose Your Plan

Orchestration (Activity Runs)

$1 per 1,000 activity runs

mo

  • ✓Pay only when pipelines execute
  • ✓Includes Copy, Lookup, Get Metadata, and other activities
  • ✓No charge for idle pipelines
  • ✓Scale to thousands of concurrent runs
Start Free Trial →

Data Movement (Copy Activity)

From $0.25 per DIU-hour

mo

  • ✓Data Integration Unit (DIU) based pricing
  • ✓Auto-scaling for throughput optimization
  • ✓Supports 100+ source and sink connectors
  • ✓Cross-region and hybrid data movement
Start Free Trial →
Most Popular

Data Flow Execution

~$0.274 per vCore-hour (General Purpose)

mo

  • ✓Spark-based execution cluster pricing
  • ✓General Purpose and Memory Optimized compute tiers
  • ✓Auto-scaled cluster management included
  • ✓Visual transformation designer included
  • ✓Time-to-live (TTL) option to reduce startup latency
Start Free Trial →

Azure-SSIS Integration Runtime

From ~$0.218 per vCore-hour

mo

  • ✓Lift-and-shift existing SSIS packages
  • ✓Standard and Enterprise Edition licensing
  • ✓Dedicated compute for SSIS workloads
  • ✓Support for custom components and third-party connectors
Start Free Trial →

Pricing sourced from Azure Data Factory · Last verified March 2026

Feature Comparison

FeaturesOrchestration (Activity Runs)Data Movement (Copy Activity)Data Flow ExecutionAzure-SSIS Integration Runtime
Pay only when pipelines execute✓✓✓✓
Includes Copy, Lookup, Get Metadata, and other activities✓✓✓✓
No charge for idle pipelines✓✓✓✓
Scale to thousands of concurrent runs✓✓✓✓
Data Integration Unit (DIU) based pricing—✓✓✓
Auto-scaling for throughput optimization—✓✓✓
Supports 100+ source and sink connectors—✓✓✓
Cross-region and hybrid data movement—✓✓✓
Spark-based execution cluster pricing——✓✓
General Purpose and Memory Optimized compute tiers——✓✓
Auto-scaled cluster management included——✓✓
Visual transformation designer included——✓✓
Time-to-live (TTL) option to reduce startup latency——✓✓
Lift-and-shift existing SSIS packages———✓
Standard and Enterprise Edition licensing———✓
Dedicated compute for SSIS workloads———✓
Support for custom components and third-party connectors———✓

Is Azure Data Factory Worth It?

✅ Why Choose Azure Data Factory

  • • Serverless and fully managed — no infrastructure to provision or maintain, with automatic Spark cluster scaling for Data Flows
  • • Deep native integration with 20+ Azure services including Synapse Analytics, Databricks, Key Vault, Purview, and Azure Monitor
  • • Pay-per-use pricing starts at $1 per 1,000 activity runs with zero cost when pipelines are idle, ideal for intermittent batch workloads
  • • 100+ pre-built connectors simplify ingestion from cloud, on-premises, and SaaS sources with minimal configuration
  • • SSIS lift-and-shift capability via Azure-SSIS Integration Runtime enables cloud migration without rewriting existing SQL Server ETL packages
  • • Enterprise-grade security with Private Link, managed identities, customer-managed encryption keys, and Azure AD RBAC integration

⚠️ Consider This

  • • Pay-per-use pricing becomes unpredictable and potentially expensive for high-volume Data Flow (Spark) transformations
  • • Debug cluster spin-up for Data Flows takes 3–5 minutes, slowing iterative development
  • • Visual designer can become difficult to manage for very large or complex pipelines with hundreds of activities
  • • Orchestration is data-pipeline focused — less flexible than Apache Airflow or Prefect for general-purpose workflow automation
  • • Advanced patterns (dynamic content expressions, metadata-driven frameworks) have a steep learning curve beyond basic drag-and-drop

What Users Say About Azure Data Factory

👍 What Users Love

  • ✓Serverless and fully managed — no infrastructure to provision or maintain, with automatic Spark cluster scaling for Data Flows
  • ✓Deep native integration with 20+ Azure services including Synapse Analytics, Databricks, Key Vault, Purview, and Azure Monitor
  • ✓Pay-per-use pricing starts at $1 per 1,000 activity runs with zero cost when pipelines are idle, ideal for intermittent batch workloads
  • ✓100+ pre-built connectors simplify ingestion from cloud, on-premises, and SaaS sources with minimal configuration
  • ✓SSIS lift-and-shift capability via Azure-SSIS Integration Runtime enables cloud migration without rewriting existing SQL Server ETL packages
  • ✓Enterprise-grade security with Private Link, managed identities, customer-managed encryption keys, and Azure AD RBAC integration

👎 Common Concerns

  • ⚠Pay-per-use pricing becomes unpredictable and potentially expensive for high-volume Data Flow (Spark) transformations
  • ⚠Debug cluster spin-up for Data Flows takes 3–5 minutes, slowing iterative development
  • ⚠Visual designer can become difficult to manage for very large or complex pipelines with hundreds of activities
  • ⚠Orchestration is data-pipeline focused — less flexible than Apache Airflow or Prefect for general-purpose workflow automation
  • ⚠Advanced patterns (dynamic content expressions, metadata-driven frameworks) have a steep learning curve beyond basic drag-and-drop
  • ⚠Strong Azure ecosystem lock-in — limited value for organizations primarily using AWS or GCP services
  • ⚠Mapping Data Flows offer less flexibility and control than writing native Spark or SQL transformations directly

Pricing FAQ

How much does Azure Data Factory cost?

Azure Data Factory offers multiple pricing tiers to suit different needs and budgets. Pricing varies based on features, usage limits, and support level. Check the current pricing page for the most up-to-date costs and features.

Does Azure Data Factory offer a free trial?

Azure Data Factory typically offers a free trial period for new users to test the platform. Contact their sales team or check their website for current trial offers and duration.

What's included in each Azure Data Factory pricing plan?

Each Azure Data Factory pricing plan includes different feature sets, usage limits, and support levels. Higher-tier plans typically offer more advanced features, higher usage quotas, priority support, and additional integrations. Review the detailed comparison on their pricing page.

Can I change my Azure Data Factory plan later?

Most SaaS tools including Azure Data Factory allow you to upgrade or downgrade your plan as your needs change. Some changes take effect immediately, while others might apply at your next billing cycle. Check their billing settings or contact support for specific policies.

Ready to Get Started?

AI builders and operators use Azure Data Factory to streamline their workflow.

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More about Azure Data Factory

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