Direct answer: at the Azure Retail Prices API on 9 November 2026 (eastus, USD, excluding tax/discounts), Azure Event Hubs has four billing units: Basic Throughput Unit $0.015/hour (about $10.95/month), Standard TU $0.03/hour (about $21.90/month), Premium Processing Unit $1.027/hour (about $749.71/month) and Dedicated Capacity Unit $6.849/hour (about $4,999.77/month, billed in 1-hour increments with a 4-hour minimum); Basic/Standard also charge ingress events at $0.028/million, while Premium/Dedicated include ingress. At 100 million events/month: Basic about $10.95 + $0.028×N, Standard about $21.90 + $0.028×N, Premium about $749.71, Dedicated about $4,999.77. At 100M events/month: Basic about $13.75 and Standard about $24.70; at 1B events/month: Basic about $38.95 and Standard about $49.90 (1B/month ≈386 events/s, within 1 TU); at 10B events/month Basic is infeasible and Standard needs at least 4 TU (about 3,858 events/s), about $367.60.
This guide is for Azure data platform, SRE, streaming/event-driven architecture and FinOps teams. It explains Event Hubs TU/PU/CU, ingress events, Capture, Kafka endpoint, retention/storage, Geo-Replication and the Dedicated 4-hour minimum; provides 100M/1B/10B event TCO, Standard/Premium/Dedicated scale selection, hidden costs and a 90-day checklist. Prices come from the Azure Event Hubs pricing page, Azure Retail Prices API (eastus, 9 November 2026) and Event Hubs quotas/tier documentation. Official price facts, editorial calculations and exclusions are kept separate. This is not procurement advice.
(1) Watch the billing unit: Basic/Standard are TU + ingress events, Premium is PU (ingress included), Dedicated is CU (ingress/retention/isolation); the same 100M events can differ by dozens of times. (2) Size by “events/s + retention + isolation”: Standard gives 1 MB/s or 1,000 events/s per TU; Premium has no hard per-PU limit but needs benchmarks; Dedicated bills per CU with a 4-hour minimum. (3) Capture, Kafka endpoint, extended retention, Geo-Replication, CMK and egress all add cost—do not look at the TU price alone.
Four tiers: Basic / Standard / Premium / Dedicated
Basic targets dev/small traffic: 1-day retention, 84GB/TU, no Capture/Kafka/Private Link, max 1 TU, 32 partitions/event hub. Standard targets most production: 7-day retention, 84GB/TU, Capture priced separately, Kafka/Private Link/Geo-DR available, max 40 TU. Premium adds resource isolation, 90-day retention, 1TB/PU, ingress included, Capture included, 16 PU, 100 partitions/event hub. Dedicated is a single-tenant cluster: 90-day retention, 10TB/CU, 1,024 partitions/event hub, 2,000/CU, ingress included, 10 CU (more via support), billed per CU-hour with a 4-hour minimum.
| Item | Basic | Standard | Premium | Dedicated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity unit | TU | TU | PU | CU |
| Ingress/egress | 1 MB/s or 1,000 events/s; 2 MB/s or 4,096 events/s | Same as Basic | No hard per-PU limit (depends on allocation/partitions/storage) | No hard per-CU limit |
| Retention/storage | 1 day; 84GB/TU | 7 days; 84GB/TU | 90 days; 1TB/PU | 90 days; 10TB/CU |
| Capture | Not supported | Separate charge | Included | Included |
| Kafka/Private Link | Not supported | Supported | Supported | Supported |
| Max scale | 1 TU; 32 partitions | 40 TU; 32 partitions | 16 PU; 100 partitions | 10 CU; 1,024 partitions |
Source: Azure Event Hubs pricing page and quotas docs (9 November 2026). Editorial summary; limits/availability follow official documentation.
Unit prices: TU/PU/CU, ingress and add-ons
Eastus list prices: Basic TU $0.015/hour; Standard TU $0.03/hour; Premium PU $1.027/hour; Dedicated CU $6.849/hour. Ingress events: Basic/Standard $0.028/million; Premium/Dedicated included. Add-ons: Standard Capture $0.1/hour (API unit; the page labels it per month, verify on the pricing page); Standard Kafka endpoint $0.09/hour; extended retention $0.1/GB-month (Premium/Dedicated); Geo-Replication Zone 1 $0.09/GB, Zone 2 $0.12/GB, Zone 3 $0.23/GB.
| Item | Price (USD) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Basic TU | $0.015/hour | About $10.95/month; max 1 TU |
| Standard TU | $0.03/hour | About $21.90/month; max 40 TU |
| Premium PU | $1.027/hour | About $749.71/month; ingress included |
| Dedicated CU | $6.849/hour | About $4,999.77/month; 4-hour minimum |
| Ingress events | $0.028/million | Basic/Standard; Premium/Dedicated included |
| Capture (Standard) | $0.1/hour | API unit; verify on the pricing page |
| Kafka endpoint (Standard) | $0.09/hour | About $65.70/month |
| Geo-Replication | $0.09/GB (Z1), $0.12 (Z2), $0.23 (Z3) | Premium/Dedicated |
Sources: Azure Retail Prices API (eastus, 9 November 2026) and Event Hubs pricing page. Capture's API unit is 1 Hour while the page labels it per month per TU; verify on the pricing page/bill.
TCO: 100M / 1B / 10B events
At 730 hours/month, excluding Capture/Geo/extended retention: 100M events/month — Basic $10.95 + $2.80 = $13.75, Standard $21.90 + $2.80 = $24.70, Premium $749.71, Dedicated $4,999.77. 1B events/month — Basic $10.95 + $28 = $38.95, Standard $21.90 + $28 = $49.90, Premium $749.71, Dedicated $4,999.77. 10B events/month — Basic is infeasible under 1 TU/1,000 events/s; Standard needs at least 4 TU (about 3,858 events/s) → $87.60 + $280 = $367.60; Premium $749.71; Dedicated $4,999.77.
| Events/month | Basic | Standard | Premium | Dedicated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100M | 13.75 | 24.70 | 749.71 | 4,999.77 |
| 1B | 38.95 | 49.90 | 749.71 | 4,999.77 |
| 10B | Infeasible (1 TU cap) | 367.60 (4 TU) | 749.71 | 4,999.77 |
| 100B | Infeasible | About 3,654.10 (39 TU, near 40 cap) | About 11,995.36 (16 PU) | 4,999.77 (1 CU) |
Editorial calculation: TU/PU/CU ×730; ingress $0.028/million; excludes Capture/Kafka/Geo/extended retention/egress/tax/discounts; event size and partitions affect actual throughput—benchmark.
Scale selection: Standard vs Premium vs Dedicated
Standard is cheapest at low/medium event volumes but capped at 40 TU and 1,000 events/s per TU; 10B/month needs about 4 TU ($367.60), and 100B/month approaches 39 TU ($3,654.10). Premium 1 PU at $749.71 includes ingress/Capture/90-day retention/1TB, suited to resource isolation, Private Link, CMK, longer retention or avoiding per-event billing; 16 PU caps at about $11,995.36. Dedicated 1 CU at $4,999.77 includes 10TB/90 days/1,024 partitions/single tenancy; it is roughly cost-equivalent to 6.7 PU (4,999.77÷749.71≈6.67), so choose Dedicated above that scale or when a dedicated cluster is required; versus Standard, Dedicated only makes sense beyond 40 TU or for dedicated/large-retention needs.
| Comparison | Calculation | Conclusion |
|---|---|---|
| Premium vs Standard | 749.71 vs 21.90/TU + 0.028/M | Low volume → Standard; isolation/retention/included ingress → Premium |
| Dedicated vs Premium | 4,999.77 ÷ 749.71 ≈ 6.67 | Above ~6.7 PU/dedicated need → Dedicated |
| Dedicated vs Standard | 40 TU ≈ 3,654 + ingress | Within 40 TU Standard is cheaper; beyond/dedicated → Dedicated |
| Basic vs Standard | 10.95 vs 21.90 + ingress | Dev/small → Basic; production/Kafka/Capture → Standard |
| 10B events/month | ≈3,858 events/s | Standard 4 TU; Basic infeasible |
Editorial calculation: 730 hours/month, 1,000 events/s per TU; Premium/Dedicated throughput depends on allocation/partitions/storage—benchmark; add-ons/tax/discounts excluded.
Hidden costs: seven items beyond TU
Common add-ons: Capture (separate on Standard), Kafka endpoint (Standard $0.09/hour), extended retention (Premium/Dedicated $0.1/GB-month beyond included storage), Geo-Replication ($0.09–$0.23/GB), CMK/Private Link (feature availability/key service costs), egress/consumers (cross-region/public egress), Dedicated 4-hour minimum/idle CU and partition/throughput expansion. Capture/retention/replication often cost more than the TU itself at high volume/long retention.
| Cost item | Trigger | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Capture | Standard archive to storage | Enable as needed; choose the right storage tier |
| Kafka endpoint | Standard Kafka protocol | Check whether native AMQP suffices |
| Extended retention | Beyond 84GB/1TB/10TB | Set retention by RPO; clean old data |
| Geo-Replication | Cross-region copy | Size by RTO/RPO and data volume |
| CMK/Private Link | Compliance/isolation | Enable by business tier |
| Egress | Cross-region/public consumption | Same-region consumers; compress/batch |
| Dedicated 4h minimum | Short experiments | Avoid short start/stop; use Standard/Premium |
Sources: Event Hubs pricing/quota docs (9 November 2026). Editorial summary; billing follows official pages and bills.
How to choose: traffic, retention, isolation and budget
Start with traffic: dev/small → Basic; most production → Standard (TU + ingress events); high traffic/resource isolation/90 days/1TB/included Capture → Premium; above about 6.7 PU or single-tenant/10TB/1,024 partitions → Dedicated. Then retention/replication: long retention, Geo-Replication and Capture change the ranking. Finally compliance: enable Private Link/CMK/dedicated cluster by business tier; do not buy Dedicated “just in case.”
| Scenario | Prefer | Check first |
|---|---|---|
| Dev/small/1-day retention | Basic | 1 TU cap, no Kafka/Capture |
| Production/7 days/Kafka/Capture | Standard | TU count, ingress events, Capture |
| Isolation/90 days/1TB/Capture included | Premium | PU count, benchmark throughput |
| >6.7 PU/single tenant/10TB/1,024 partitions | Dedicated | CU, 4-hour minimum, benchmark |
| Cross-region DR | Premium/Dedicated + Geo-Replication | GB replicated, zone |
| Compliance/private network/CMK | Premium/Dedicated | Private Link/CMK availability |
Editorial selection framework, not a vendor recommendation; features/compliance/regional availability follow official docs and business requirements.
90-day checklist
Use the first 90 days to close “event volume/peaks → retention/replication → like-for-like pricing → pilot → cutover → review.” Weeks 1-2: pull events/s, peaks, event size, partitions and consumers; weeks 2-4: define retention, Capture, Geo, Private Link/CMK needs; weeks 4-6: model 100M/1B/10B and compare Basic/Standard/Premium/Dedicated; weeks 6-8: throughput/partition/consumer benchmarks; weeks 8-10: cutover/scale/monitor; weeks 10-12: cost review, retention cleanup, renewal. Do not compare only the TU price.
FAQ
How is Azure Event Hubs billed?
Basic/Standard bill TU-hours + ingress events ($0.028/million); Premium bills PU-hours (ingress included); Dedicated bills CU-hours (ingress included, 4-hour minimum). Capture, Kafka, extended retention and Geo-Replication are extra.
How much is 100M events/month?
Editorial estimates: Basic $13.75, Standard $24.70, Premium $749.71, Dedicated $4,999.77; excludes Capture/Kafka/Geo/extended retention/egress/tax.
What about 1B events/month?
Basic $38.95, Standard $49.90, Premium $749.71, Dedicated $4,999.77; 1B/month averages about 386 events/s, still within 1 TU's 1,000 events/s; 10B/month is about 3,858 events/s and Standard needs at least 4 TU (about $367.60).
Standard or Premium?
Standard is cheaper at low/medium volume; choose Premium for resource isolation, 90-day retention, 1TB/PU, included Capture, Private Link/CMK or avoiding per-event billing. Premium 1 PU is about $749.71/month.
When should we use Dedicated?
Above about 6.7 PU, or when single-tenant/10TB/1,024 partitions/a dedicated cluster is required; 1 CU is about $4,999.77/month with a 4-hour minimum. Within 40 TU, Standard is usually cheaper.
How is Capture billed?
Separate on Standard (API $0.1/hour; the page labels it per month per TU—verify on the pricing page); included in Premium/Dedicated. Capture also incurs storage charges.
Is Geo-Replication expensive?
Billed per GB replicated: Zone 1 $0.09/GB, Zone 2 $0.12/GB, Zone 3 $0.23/GB; only on Premium/Dedicated. Large cross-region copies can materially increase cost.
Can Basic be used for production?
Basic has only 1-day retention, 1 TU, no Capture/Kafka/Private Link; it fits dev/small traffic. Production usually uses Standard or above.
Research method and limitations
This article separates “official price facts” from “editorial calculations.” Basic/Standard/Premium/Dedicated capacity prices, ingress events, Capture, Kafka, Geo-Replication and extended retention come from the Azure Event Hubs pricing page and Azure Retail Prices API (eastus, 9 November 2026); tier limits, retention/storage, partitions/throughput and the Dedicated 4-hour minimum come from Event Hubs quotas documentation. TCO, scale selection, hidden costs and the 90-day checklist are editorial.
Eight limitations: (1) only eastus list prices, excluding tax/discounts/enterprise agreements; (2) 730 hours/month and 1,000 events/s per TU; (3) not all Capture/Geo/extended retention/egress/CMK combinations are included; (4) event size/partitions/consumers affect actual throughput—no benchmark performed; (5) Premium/Dedicated “no hard limit” depends on allocation/partitions/storage and cannot be extrapolated from unit price; (6) Capture's API unit may differ from the page label—verify on the pricing page; (7) Kafka migration/compatibility and Schema Registry details are out of scope; (8) prices/features change, so recheck official pages and bills before purchase.
Sources and basis
- Microsoft Azure, Event Hubs Pricing: azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/event-hubs. TU/PU/CU, ingress, Capture, Kafka, retention, Geo. Accessed 9 November 2026.
- Azure Retail Prices API (productName contains Event Hubs, eastus): prices.azure.com/api/retail/prices. 0.015/0.03/1.027/6.849, 0.028/million, 0.09 Kafka, 0.09 Geo. Accessed 9 November 2026.
- Microsoft Learn, Event Hubs quotas: learn.microsoft.com/azure/event-hubs/event-hubs-quotas. Tier limits, 1 MB/s/1,000 events/s, retention/partitions/max scale. 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.