dev-test-pricing

name	dev-test-pricing
description	Azure Dev/Test pricing — eligibility and benefits

Dev Test Pricing

When to use this skill

• Dev/test workloads
• Visual Studio subscribers

Key concepts

• Enterprise / MCA Dev/Test subscriptions — discounted Windows/SQL meters, no license charge on Windows VMs for dev/test use.
• Visual Studio benefit — individual Azure credit (e.g. $50–$150/mo) for VS subscribers, intended for personal dev.
• Dev/Test SKUs cannot be used to run production workloads.
• Marketplace items in Dev/Test get reduced rates where supported.
• Mix with B-series + auto-shutdown for max savings on dev VMs.

Azure CLI examples

# Auto-shutdown a VM at 19:00 local
az vm auto-shutdown -g <rg> -n <vmName> --time 1900 --timezone "Pacific Standard Time"

Common pitfalls

• Running production workloads in a Dev/Test sub — compliance violation.
• Not enabling auto-shutdown — dev VMs run 24/7 unnoticed.
• Forgetting Visual Studio credit is non-transferable.

References

• Microsoft Learn: search for "Dev Test Pricing Azure VM" on https://learn.microsoft.com

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Validation-first: verify every Azure fact against the Microsoft Learn MCP server (cite the Learn URL); Learn overrides built-in knowledge. If no Learn MCP server is configured, flag the answer ⚠️ unverified and mark specs as indicative. Analysis only — verify against Microsoft documentation before applying.