Understand the costs associated with your private network connections.
This document outlines the pricing structure for Azure ExpressRoute Gateways. ExpressRoute provides private, dedicated connections between your on-premises infrastructure or co-location environment and Microsoft Azure. Understanding the pricing models is crucial for optimizing your cloud connectivity costs.
This is a fixed monthly fee for each ExpressRoute Gateway you provision. The fee varies based on the gateway SKU you choose, which determines performance and features like active-active configurations and availability zones.
Example SKUs and approximate monthly costs (USD):
| SKU | Description | Approximate Monthly Fee (USD) |
|---|---|---|
Standard_Low_Throughput |
Basic gateway for lower bandwidth needs. | $73 |
Standard_Medium_Throughput |
Balanced performance. | $146 |
Standard_High_Throughput |
High performance for demanding workloads. | $219 |
Ultra_Low_Throughput |
Cost-effective for minimal traffic. | $50 |
Ultra_Medium_Throughput |
Optimized performance. | $100 |
Ultra_High_Throughput |
Maximum throughput. | $150 |
AZ_Standard_Low_Throughput |
Zone-redundant basic gateway. | $100 |
AZ_Standard_Medium_Throughput |
Zone-redundant balanced performance. | $173 |
AZ_Standard_High_Throughput |
Zone-redundant high performance. | $246 |
Note: These are indicative prices and actual costs may vary based on region and subscription type. For exact pricing, please refer to the official Azure pricing page.
You are charged for data transferred through your ExpressRoute connection. These charges are typically based on the amount of data you send and receive.
| Direction | Approximate Price per GB (USD) |
|---|---|
| Data In (to Azure) | $0.00 |
| Data Out (from Azure) | $0.02 - $0.05 (varies by region and plan) |
ExpressRoute Premium add-on may affect data transfer pricing and offers global connectivity.
In addition to gateway fees, you will also incur costs for the ExpressRoute circuits themselves, which are managed by your connectivity provider. These typically include a port hour charge and data transfer charges between your premises and the Microsoft edge router.
These circuit fees are separate from the Azure ExpressRoute Gateway costs and are billed by your network service provider.
Azure ExpressRoute Gateways offer different tiers to match your connectivity needs:
Choose the SKU that best matches your current and anticipated bandwidth requirements. Over-provisioning can lead to unnecessary costs, while under-provisioning can impact performance.
Monitor your data transfer patterns closely. Identify peak usage times and understand which direction (inbound/outbound) consumes the most data.
Consider the Premium add-on if you need global connectivity (connecting to multiple Azure regions), higher bandwidth, or more BGP communities. Evaluate if the added features justify the additional cost.
AZ Gateways offer higher availability but come at a higher provisioning cost. Assess your business continuity needs to determine the appropriate level of redundancy.