Direct answer: at the Azure Retail Prices API on 9 November 2026 (eastus, USD, excluding tax/discounts), Azure Databricks still bills VM + DBU, but the Standard tier was retired on 1 October 2026; use Premium: All-purpose DBU $0.55/DBU-hour, Jobs $0.30, Jobs Light $0.22, SQL $0.22, Serverless SQL $0.70, Interactive Serverless $0.95, Model Training $0.65, Automated Serverless $0.45, DSU $0.026. With D4s_v5 (4 vCPU/16GB, 1 DBU/node-hour) on-demand at $0.192/hour: one driver + four workers (5 nodes) for 100 hours — Premium Jobs about $246/month (DBU $150 + VM $96), All-purpose about $371, Jobs Light about $206; always-on 730 hours about $1,795.80 / $2,708.30 / $1,503.80. Photon raises the DBU emission rate to about 2.9×; Jobs 100 hours about $531.
This guide is for Azure data platform, data engineering/science, SRE and FinOps teams. It explains Databricks DBU/VM billing, Premium workloads, the D4s_v5 DBU conversion, 5-node 100/730-hour TCO, Photon/Serverless/Enhanced Security/Mission Critical premiums, hidden costs and a 90-day optimization checklist. Prices come from the Azure Databricks pricing page and Azure Retail Prices API (eastus, 9 November 2026). Official price facts, editorial calculations and exclusions are kept separate. This is not procurement advice.
(1) Calculate DBUs, then add VMs: the bill = DBU + VM/disk/storage/public IP; DBU unit price alone misses the VM. (2) Workload sets the rate: All-purpose $0.55, Jobs $0.30, Jobs Light $0.22, SQL $0.22; Jobs is about 45% cheaper than All-purpose on the same cluster. (3) Photon is about 2.9× DBU, Serverless bills DBU without VMs, and Standard is retired; choose by workload.
Workloads and tiers: Premium is the current mainline
Databricks bills DBUs by workload: All-purpose for interactive notebooks/collaboration, Jobs for automated tasks, Jobs Light for lightweight automation, SQL for SQL warehouses; Serverless bills DBU without VMs. Azure Databricks' Standard tier was retired on 1 October 2026, so use Premium (RBAC/audit/enterprise features). VM, disk, Blob and public IP are extra; Photon increases DBU emission.
| Workload | DBU price (USD/DBU-h) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose | 0.55 | Interactive notebooks/collaboration |
| Jobs | 0.30 | Automated batch/tasks |
| Jobs Light | 0.22 | Lightweight automation |
| SQL | 0.22 | SQL warehouse |
| SQL Pro | 0.55 | Advanced SQL |
| Serverless SQL | 0.70 | SQL without VMs |
| Interactive Serverless | 0.95 | VM-less interactive |
| Model Training | 0.65 | Model training |
| Automated Serverless | 0.45 | Automated serverless |
Sources: Azure Databricks pricing page and Azure Retail Prices API (eastus, 9 November 2026). Standard tier retired 1 October 2026; Premium applies.
DBU conversion: D4s_v5 = 1 DBU/node-hour
DBU consumption depends on VM size: D4s_v5 (4 vCPU/16GB) is 1.00 DBU/node-hour; D8s_v5 2.00, D16s_v5 4.00. D4s_v5 on-demand VM is about $0.192/hour. Total per node-hour = DBU rate × DBU count + VM: Premium Jobs 0.30+0.192=0.492; All-purpose 0.55+0.192=0.742; Jobs Light 0.22+0.192=0.412; SQL 0.22+0.192=0.412.
| Item | D4s_v5 | Note |
|---|---|---|
| vCPU/RAM | 4 / 16GB | General purpose |
| DBU/node-hour | 1.00 | D8s_v5 2.00, D16s_v5 4.00 |
| VM on-demand | $0.192/hour | Azure Retail API |
| Jobs per node-h | 0.492 | 0.30+0.192 |
| All-purpose per node-h | 0.742 | 0.55+0.192 |
| Jobs Light per node-h | 0.412 | 0.22+0.192 |
Sources: Azure Databricks pricing page (DBU count/VM price) and Azure Retail Prices API (D4s_v5, eastus, 9 November 2026). Disk/storage/public IP/tax/discounts excluded.
TCO: 5 nodes (1 driver + 4 workers) × 100/730 hours
With five D4s_v5 nodes at 100 hours/month: Premium Jobs 5×100×0.492=$246.00; All-purpose 5×100×0.742=$371.00; Jobs Light 5×100×0.412=$206.00; SQL 5×100×0.412=$206.00. Always-on 730 hours: Jobs $1,795.80, All-purpose $2,708.30, Jobs Light $1,503.80, SQL $1,503.80. Serverless SQL 100 DBU-h=$70, 1,000 DBU-h=$700 (no VMs).
| Workload (5 nodes) | 100 hours/month | 730 hours/month |
|---|---|---|
| Premium Jobs | 246.00 | 1,795.80 |
| Premium All-purpose | 371.00 | 2,708.30 |
| Premium Jobs Light | 206.00 | 1,503.80 |
| Premium SQL | 206.00 | 1,503.80 |
| Serverless SQL (per DBU) | 100 DBU-h=$70 | 1,000 DBU-h=$700 |
Editorial calculation: D4s_v5 1 DBU/node-h, VM $0.192/h, 5 nodes; disk/storage/public IP/tax/discounts excluded; Serverless has no VM and bills DBU-hours.
Photon, Serverless and premiums
Photon raises the DBU emission rate to about 2.9× (official: DBU emission rate 2.9X vs non-Photon); Jobs 5 nodes 100 hours: DBU 5×100×0.30×2.9=$435 + VM $96 = $531; All-purpose 5×100×0.55×2.9=$797.50+$96=$893.50. Serverless SQL $0.70/DBU-h, Interactive Serverless $0.95, Model Training $0.65, Automated Serverless $0.45; Enhanced Security & Compliance adds 10% of list, Mission Critical adds 0.15 DBU; DSU $0.026.
| Premium item | Price/multiplier | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Photon | About 2.9× DBU | Jobs 100h about $531; All-purpose about $893.50 |
| Serverless SQL | $0.70/DBU-h | No VM; 100 DBU-h=$70 |
| Interactive Serverless | $0.95/DBU-h | No VM |
| Model Training | $0.65/DBU-h | Training workload |
| Enhanced Security | +10% of list | Compliance/audit |
| Mission Critical | +0.15 DBU | DR/BC |
| DSU | 0.026 | Storage unit |
Sources: Azure Databricks pricing page/Retail API (9 November 2026). Photon multiplier is editorial; actual DBU emission varies by query/version.
Hidden costs: seven items beyond DBU/VM
Common add-ons: VM/disk/Blob/public IP (with the cluster), disk/storage (ADLS/DBFS/Managed Disk), Serverless data transfer/NAT/Private Endpoint (per hour/traffic), Photon 2.9× DBU, Enhanced Security/Mission Critical, idle/non-auto-terminated clusters (especially All-purpose), autoscale/too many workers and cross-region egress/network.
| Cost item | Trigger | Control |
|---|---|---|
| VM/disk/IP | Cluster running | Auto-terminate/right-size |
| Storage | ADLS/DBFS/Managed Disk | Lifecycle/cleanup |
| Serverless network | Data transfer/NAT/PE | Same region/private endpoint |
| Photon | Enabled | Evaluate by query benefit |
| Security/DR premiums | Compliance/BC | Only as required |
| Idle clusters | All-purpose not terminated | Auto-terminate/schedule |
| Autoscale too many | Worker max | Tune max/monitor |
Sources: Databricks pricing/docs (9 November 2026). Editorial summary; billing follows official pages and bills.
How to choose: Jobs, All-purpose, Serverless and alternatives
Automated ETL/batch: Jobs (about 45% cheaper DBU than All-purpose); interactive exploration/collaboration: All-purpose; lightweight jobs: Jobs Light; SQL warehouse: SQL/Serverless SQL; model training: Model Training; no VM management: Serverless. When comparing with Synapse/EMR/Fabric, align workload/performance/operations first, then compare “DBU+VM” total cost—not DBU unit price alone.
| Scenario | Prefer | Check first |
|---|---|---|
| Automated ETL/batch | Jobs | DBU/VM, scheduling/retries |
| Interactive exploration/collaboration | All-purpose | Auto-terminate, concurrency |
| Light tasks | Jobs Light | Feature limits |
| SQL warehouse | SQL/Serverless SQL | DBU-h, concurrency |
| Model training | Model Training | GPU/DBU |
| No VM management | Serverless | DBU, network |
Editorial selection framework, not a vendor recommendation; features/compliance/regional availability follow official docs and business requirements.
90-day optimization checklist
Use the first 90 days to close “workload/DBU baseline → VM/auto-terminate → Photon → Serverless → review.” Weeks 1-2: pull DBU/VM/storage/network bills and cluster usage; weeks 2-4: separate Jobs/All-purpose/SQL and enforce auto-terminate; weeks 4-6: evaluate Photon benefit (2.9× DBU vs performance); weeks 6-8: evaluate Serverless/reserved VMs; weeks 8-10: clean idle/oversized clusters; weeks 10-12: budget alerts/monthly reviews. Do not run overnight batch on All-purpose.
FAQ
How is Azure Databricks billed?
VM + DBU: DBU per workload/DBU-hour; VM/disk/storage/public IP extra. Premium All-purpose $0.55, Jobs $0.30, Jobs Light $0.22, SQL $0.22, Serverless SQL $0.70, Interactive Serverless $0.95.
Can we still use the Standard tier?
The pricing page states Standard was retired on 1 October 2026; use Premium. Model new projects on Premium.
How much is 5 nodes for 100 hours?
D4s_v5, 1 DBU/node-h, VM $0.192/h: Jobs about $246, All-purpose about $371, Jobs Light about $206; excludes disk/storage/network/tax.
How much more is Photon?
Official DBU emission is about 2.9×; Jobs 5 nodes 100 hours about $531 (DBU $435 + VM $96), All-purpose about $893.50. Evaluate by query benefit.
How is Serverless billed?
Serverless SQL $0.70/DBU-hour, Interactive Serverless $0.95, Model Training $0.65, Automated Serverless $0.45; no VM, but data transfer/NAT/Private Endpoint are extra.
Jobs vs All-purpose?
Premium Jobs $0.30 vs All-purpose $0.55 DBU/hour, about 45% cheaper; use Jobs for automated batch, All-purpose only for interactive work.
How much do Enhanced Security/Mission Critical add?
Enhanced Security & Compliance adds 10% of list; Mission Critical adds 0.15 DBU; enable only for compliance/DR needs.
How does it compare with Synapse/EMR?
Align workload/performance/operations first, then compare “DBU+VM” total cost; Databricks DBU excludes VM, so DBU-only comparison is misleading.
Research method and limitations
This article separates “official price facts” from “editorial calculations.” Premium All-purpose/Jobs/Jobs Light/SQL/Serverless/Model Training DBU rates, DSU and Enhanced Security/Mission Critical come from the Azure Databricks pricing page and Azure Retail Prices API (eastus, 9 November 2026); D4s_v5 DBU count 1.00 and VM $0.192/h come from the pricing page/Retail API; the Standard retirement date comes from the pricing page. TCO, Photon multipliers, hidden costs and the 90-day checklist are editorial.
Eight limitations: (1) only eastus list prices, excluding tax/discounts/reservations/Spot; (2) D4s_v5 1 DBU/node-h, 5 nodes, 100/730 hours; (3) disk/storage/public IP/data transfer/NAT/PE combinations are excluded; (4) Photon 2.9× is the official emission rate; actual varies by query/version; (5) no real Spark/Photon/Serverless benchmark; (6) GPU/Model Serving/Genie/Clean Rooms billing is not fully covered; (7) reserved VM/Savings Plan discounts are not modeled; (8) prices/features change, so recheck official pages and bills before purchase.
Sources and basis
- Microsoft Azure, Azure Databricks Pricing: azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/databricks. Premium workload DBUs, D4s_v5 DBU count, Standard retirement, Photon 2.9×, Serverless/premiums. Accessed 9 November 2026.
- Azure Retail Prices API (productName contains Databricks, eastus): prices.azure.com/api/retail/prices. 0.55/0.30/0.22/0.70/0.95/0.65/0.45, DSU 0.026. Accessed 9 November 2026.
- Azure Retail Prices API (D4s_v5, eastus): prices.azure.com/api/retail/prices. VM $0.192/hour. Accessed 9 November 2026.
Data cut-off 9 November 2026; prices/availability follow the Azure official page and bill; this is not procurement, commercial or legal advice.