- Blog post • 5 min read
Azure Key Vault Pricing | Complete Guide [2025 Edition]
- Published on
- Authors
- Name
- Thomas Segura
- @thomassegura13
What is Azure Key Vault?
Azure Key Vault is Microsoft's cloud-based service for securely storing and managing cryptographic keys, secrets, and certificates. It provides centralized storage and access control for sensitive information, helping organizations maintain robust security for their applications and services deployed on Azure or other platforms.
The service is designed to safeguard cryptographic keys and other secrets using Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) and provides a comprehensive solution for secrets management that integrates seamlessly with other Azure services.
Azure Key Vault Service Tiers
Azure Key Vault offers two distinct service tiers:
- Standard Tier: Suitable for most general use cases with software-protected keys
- Premium Tier: Offers enhanced security with HSM-protected keys for critical applications
"Software-protected keys" and "HSM-protected keys" are used to distinguish between keys that are protected by software-level encryption in Azure's cloud environment versus keys that are protected within FIPS 140-2 validated HSMs. This is similar to Infisical's two encryption strategies supported by Infisical KMS
Let's examine the pricing and features of each tier in detail.
Standard Tier Pricing
The Standard tier provides software-protected keys and is the most commonly used option for general security needs.
Operations Pricing
| Operation Type | Price |
|---|---|
| Price per secret operation | $0.03 per 10,000 |
| Price per certificate operation | $0.03 per 10,000 |
| Price per certificate renewal | $3.00 per renewal request |
Each API call, such as
create,get,list,update,delete,sign,verify,wrap,unwrap,encrypt, anddecrypt, counts as one operation.
Premium Tier Pricing
The Premium tier supports both software-protected and HSM-protected keys, providing the highest level of security for critical applications.
Software-Protected Keys
- Follows the same pricing structure as the Standard tier
HSM-Protected Keys
There is a separate pricing structure for storing keys in Hardware Security Modules (HSMs):
| Key Type | Price |
|---|---|
| RSA 2048-bit | $1.00 per key per month + $0.03 per 10,000 transactions |
| RSA 3072-bit | $5.00 per key per month (first 250 keys) |
| RSA 4096-bit | $5.00 per key per month (first 250 keys) |
| ECC keys | $5.00 per key per month (first 250 keys) |
Additional Operations
| Operation Type | Price |
|---|---|
| Secrets Operations | $0.03 per 10,000 transactions |
| Certificate Operations | $0.03 per 10,000 transactions |
| Certificate Renewals | $3.00 per renewal request |
| Managed Azure Storage Account Key Rotation (Preview) | $1.00 per renewal |
Important Pricing Considerations
- No setup fees are required to start using Azure Key Vault
- HSM key charges are not prorated and are billed based on usage within the previous 30 days
- Key Vault can be used with applications hosted anywhere, not just in Azure
- Only the key owner is billed for key usage
Should You Use Azure Key Vault?
Advantages
Azure Integration: Azure Key Vault integrates natively with other Azure services, making it ideal for organizations running their infrastructure within the Azure ecosystem, in particular for those using Microsoft Entra ID for authentication
Flexible Pricing Model: The tiered pricing structure allows organizations to scale their usage based on their specific needs while maintaining security.
Comprehensive Security Features:
- Hardware Security Module (HSM) protection
- Access policies for fine-grained control
- Azure Private Link integration
- Robust auditing and logging capabilities
Considerations
Cost Management: While the pricing is flexible, costs can add up quickly with large numbers of keys or high transaction volumes.
Azure Ecosystem: While the service can work with applications hosted on any platform, it is specifically designed for integration within the Azure ecosystem.
Learning Curve: Organizations new to Azure may face a learning curve in implementing and managing Key Vault effectively.
Azure Key Vault Alternatives
Read about Azure Key Vault alternatives here. It's important to note that Azure Key Vault lacks certain functionalities that are commonly needed by developers and organizations, such as:
Secret Versioning: While Azure Key Vault does support secret versioning, it is not very user-friendly.
Approval Workflows: Azure Key Vault does not offer built-in approval workflows for secret access, which can be essential for maintaining security and compliance.
Temporary Access Controls: Azure Key Vault does not provide temporary access controls for secrets, which can be useful for granting short-term access to specific resources.
Automated Code Scanning: Azure Key Vault does not offer automated code scanning for secrets, which can help identify and prevent secrets from being exposed in code repositories.
Comprehensive Integration Options: Azure Key Vault has limited integration options compared to other solutions, making it less flexible for organizations with diverse toolsets.
Infisical provides an end-to-end suite of tools covering all these aspects of secrets management, and more. It boasts a more advanced feature set, at a cheaper price, and whithout vendor lock-in.
In addition, Infisical is:
- Open source (16,000+ GitHub stars)
- Self-hostable (on-premises or in the cloud)
- Platform-agnostic (works with any cloud provider or on-premises infrastructure)
- Focused on developer experience and ease of use
- More affordable, especially for smaller teams
F.A.Q
Is Azure Key Vault free to use?
While Azure Key Vault doesn't offer a completely free tier, it follows a pay-as-you-go model with no upfront costs. You only pay for the keys, secrets, and operations you use. The service is also included in the Azure free tier, which provides limited usage for evaluation purposes.
How does Azure Key Vault pricing compare to other solutions?
Azure Key Vault's pricing is competitive within the cloud provider space, especially for organizations already using Azure services. However, for smaller teams or organizations not heavily invested in Azure, alternatives like Infisical may provide more cost-effective solutions with similar or additional functionality.
Can I use Azure Key Vault with non-Azure applications?
Yes, Azure Key Vault can be used with applications hosted anywhere, not just in Azure. However, the integration process might be more straightforward for Azure-hosted applications due to native service integration capabilities.
