Direct answer: at Azure Notification Hubs public list prices on 10 November 2026 (eastus, USD, excluding tax and discounts), Basic is $10 per namespace per month, Standard is $200 per namespace per month, and Free is $0; each subscription gets 10 million pushes per month per tier (1 million on Free), and overage is $1/million on Basic, $10/million on Standard for 10–100 million, and $2.5/million above 100 million. Base fees are charged per namespace, but the included pushes are shared per subscription and tier: five Basic namespaces still share 10 million included pushes while the base fee becomes $50. Active-device caps are 500 on Free, 200,000 on Basic and 10,000,000 on Standard; when the cap is reached, new registrations are interrupted. Optional add-ons are Availability Zones at $350/month and Private Link at $35/month. Standard's push overage is not cheaper than Basic's: $10/million in the 10–100 million band is 10× Basic's $1/million; Standard buys 10 million devices, rich telemetry, scheduled push, bulk import and multi-tenancy—not a volume discount.
This guide is for mobile/backend architects, SRE, finance and procurement choosing mobile/web push, migrating from direct FCM/APNs or a third-party push service, or sizing an existing Notification Hubs deployment. It separates official prices, editorial calculations and exclusions, covering namespaces and base fees, included pushes, overage tiers, device caps, Basic vs Standard, AZ/Private Link, combined TCO and a 90-day checklist. Prices come from the Notification Hubs pricing page, Azure Retail Prices API and Microsoft Learn overview (10 November 2026). This is not procurement advice.
(1) Base fees multiply by namespace, but the 10 million included pushes are shared per subscription/tier: adding namespaces adds cost, not free allowance. (2) Standard's overage is 10× Basic's in the 10–100 million band; upgrading is not a volume discount, so don't pick Standard just to save on pushes. (3) Device caps are hard limits: Basic allows 200,000 per namespace and interrupts new registrations above that; choose Standard for 10 million devices, scheduled/bulk/multi-tenant features or rich telemetry.
Billing model: namespaces, included pushes and overage
Notification Hubs has Free, Basic and Standard tiers. Microsoft states that base charges and quotas apply per namespace, while pushes above the included amount are aggregated per subscription and tier. Free is $0 per namespace, includes 1 million pushes per subscription, 500 active devices and no SLA; Basic is $10 per namespace per month, includes 10 million pushes per subscription, 200,000 active devices and a covered SLA; Standard is $200 per namespace per month, includes 10 million pushes, 10 million active devices and a covered SLA. Basic overage is $1/million; Standard is $10/million for 10–100 million and $2.5/million above 100 million. There are no daily push quotas.
| Tier | Base/namespace/month | Included pushes/subscription | Overage/million | Active devices/namespace | SLA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1 million | N/A | 500 | None |
| Basic | $10 | 10 million | $1 (above 10M) | 200,000 | Covered |
| Standard | $200 | 10 million | $10 (10–100M); $2.5 (above 100M) | 10,000,000 | Covered |
Sources: Notification Hubs pricing page and Retail API (eastus, 10 November 2026). Base fees per namespace; included pushes and overage aggregated per subscription/tier; excludes tax and discounts.
Push tiers: Basic and Standard monthly cost
At official tiers: Basic with one namespace and 10 million pushes = $10; 50 million = $10 + 40M×$1 = $50; 200 million = $10 + 190M×$1 = $200. Standard with one namespace and 10 million pushes = $200; 50 million = $200 + 40M×$10 = $600; 150 million = $200 + 90M×$10 + 50M×$2.5 = $1,225. At 50 million pushes Basic is $50 and Standard $600—a 12× gap; at 150 million Basic is $150 and Standard $1,225—about 8.2×. This is not a typo: Standard's premium buys device scale and features, not a lower push unit price.
| Scenario | Calculation | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Basic, 1 namespace, 10M pushes | $10 | $10 |
| Basic, 1 namespace, 50M pushes | $10 + 40×$1 | $50 |
| Basic, 1 namespace, 200M pushes | $10 + 190×$1 | $200 |
| Standard, 1 namespace, 10M pushes | $200 | $200 |
| Standard, 1 namespace, 50M pushes | $200 + 40×$10 | $600 |
| Standard, 1 namespace, 150M pushes | $200 + 90×$10 + 50×$2.5 | $1,225 |
| Basic, 5 namespaces, 50M pushes | 5×$10 + 40×$1 | $90 |
| Standard, 5 namespaces, 50M pushes | 5×$200 + 40×$10 | $1,400 |
Editorial calculation: base fee × namespaces + overage × tier rate; included pushes are shared per subscription/tier and do not increase with namespaces; excludes AZ/Private Link, tax and discounts.
Basic vs Standard: the price gap and what actually differs
The base fee differs 20× ($10 vs $200), yet both carry an SLA. The real separators are 200,000 vs 10,000,000 active devices per namespace, rich telemetry (Standard) vs limited (Basic), scheduled push, bulk import and multi-tenancy only on Standard, and Standard's default of 10 namespaces per subscription (can be raised) versus Basic's 100. If you only send basic pushes to ≤200,000 devices, don't need scheduled/bulk/multi-tenant features, and can accept limited telemetry, Basic is far cheaper at list price; choose Standard when devices will exceed 200,000 or you need those features. Both paid tiers can add Private Link and Availability Zones.
| Item | Free | Basic | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base/namespace/month | $0 | $10 | $200 |
| Included pushes/subscription/tier | 1M | 10M | 10M |
| Overage/million | N/A | $1 | $10 (10–100M); $2.5 (100M+) |
| Active devices/namespace | 500 | 200,000 | 10,000,000 |
| Namespace cap | 100 | 100 | Unlimited (default 10) |
| Hubs/namespace | 100 | 100 | 100 (can request more) |
| Telemetry | Limited | Limited | Rich |
| Scheduled/bulk/multi-tenant | No | No | Yes |
| SLA | None | Covered | Covered |
| AZ/Private Link | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on |
Source: Notification Hubs pricing page (10 November 2026). AZ $350/month, Private Link $35/month; Standard defaults to 10 namespaces per subscription, raisable with Microsoft; features follow official docs.
Multiple namespaces: base fees multiply, free allowance doesn't
This is the easiest calculation to get wrong: base fees are per namespace, but the 10 million included pushes are per subscription/tier. Ten Basic namespaces = $100/month base, but the total included amount is still 10 million, not 100 million; if total pushes are 50 million, overage is 40M×$1 = $40, for $140. Ten Standard namespaces = $2,000/month base, still 10 million included; at 50 million pushes add $400 for $2,400. Splitting namespaces per business line therefore multiplies base fees linearly; consolidate hubs/namespaces unless isolation or multi-tenancy truly requires separation.
| Namespaces | Basic base/month | Standard base/month | Total included pushes | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $10 | $200 | 10M | Single business |
| 5 | $50 | $1,000 | 10M | Still shared |
| 10 | $100 | $2,000 | 10M | Standard default cap |
| 10 + 50M pushes (Basic) | $100 + $40 | — | 10M | Total $140 |
| 10 + 50M pushes (Standard) | — | $2,000 + $400 | 10M | Total $2,400 |
Editorial calculation: base × namespace count; included pushes do not grow with namespaces; overage at the tier rate; excludes AZ/Private Link, tax and discounts.
Device caps, AZ and Private Link
An active device is a device eligible to receive notifications, counted by registration ID, channel URI or device token; when a namespace reaches its cap, new registrations across its hubs are interrupted. Caps are 500 (Free), 200,000 (Basic) and 10,000,000 (Standard). On Free, the billing example also shows only 1 million pushes going through “at random” after the device cap is exceeded. For higher availability, Standard can add Availability Zones at $350/month; for private networking, add Private Link at $35/month. These are fixed monthly add-ons and can exceed the push bill at low volume: one Standard namespace + AZ + Private Link = $585/month base before pushes.
| Item | Price | Applies to | Editorial calculation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Availability Zones | $350/month | Paid-tier add-on | Standard + AZ = $550 base |
| Private Link | $35/month | Paid-tier add-on | Standard + PL = $235 base |
| Both | $385/month | Standard | $200 + $350 + $35 = $585 |
| Basic + both | $385/month | Basic | $10 + $350 + $35 = $395 |
| Free | $0 | Dev/test | 500 devices, 1M pushes, no SLA |
Source: Notification Hubs pricing page (10 November 2026). Add-ons are fixed monthly fees; whether they bill per namespace follows the bill/contract; excludes push overage, tax and discounts.
Selection matrix and 90-day checklist
Choose by constraint: Free for dev/demo (500 devices, 1M pushes, no SLA); Basic ($10) for ≤200,000 devices, ≤10 million pushes and basic push only; even at higher push volume with ≤200,000 devices and no scheduled/bulk/multi-tenant needs, price Basic first instead of defaulting to Standard; Standard ($200+) only when devices exceed 200,000, you need 10 million devices, rich telemetry, scheduled/bulk/multi-tenant features. Multiple namespaces multiply base fees—consolidate first; add AZ/Private Link only when needed. 90 days: weeks 1–2 inventory namespaces/hubs, devices and monthly pushes; weeks 2–3 confirm scheduled/bulk/multi-tenant/telemetry needs; weeks 3–4 price Basic/Standard as base × namespaces + overage; weeks 4–6 consolidate namespaces and test device caps; weeks 6–8 evaluate AZ/Private Link; weeks 8–10 pilot migration and reconcile the bill; weeks 10–12 set device/push alerts.
| Scenario | First choice | Check first |
|---|---|---|
| Dev/demo | Free | 500 devices, 1M pushes, no SLA |
| ≤200k devices, basic push | Basic | 10M included, $1/M overage |
| High push volume, ≤200k devices | Basic | Standard overage is higher |
| Devices above 200k | Standard | 10M devices/namespace |
| Scheduled/bulk/multi-tenant | Standard | Standard-only features |
| Splitting namespaces per line | Consolidate first | Base multiplies, allowance doesn't |
| Cross-AZ/private network | Paid tier + add-ons | AZ $350, Private Link $35 |
Editorial summary, not a vendor recommendation; device caps, features and add-on billing follow official pages/bills.
FAQ
How is Notification Hubs billed?
Two parts: a per-namespace base fee (Free $0, Basic $10, Standard $200/month) plus push overage. Each subscription gets 10M pushes per tier (1M on Free); overage is $1/M on Basic, $10/M on Standard for 10–100M and $2.5/M above 100M.
What is the price gap between Basic and Standard?
Base fees are $10 vs $200 (20×); at 10M pushes it is $10 vs $200. At 50M, Basic is $50 and Standard $600; at 150M, Basic $150 and Standard $1,225. Standard's push unit price is not lower—it buys device scale and features.
Why is Standard's push overage higher?
The official tiers are Basic $1/M, Standard $10/M for 10–100M and $2.5/M above 100M. Standard buys 10M devices per namespace, rich telemetry, scheduled push, bulk import and multi-tenancy, not a volume discount; don't upgrade just for cheaper pushes.
Is the 10M included per namespace?
No. Microsoft states "per subscription per tier": each subscription shares 10M per tier; namespaces only affect base fees and device quotas. Ten Basic namespaces still share 10M included pushes, while base fees become $100.
What happens above 200,000 devices?
Basic allows 200,000 active devices per namespace; at the cap, new registrations are interrupted. Move to Standard (10M per namespace) or split namespaces (which adds base fees and does not add included pushes) after evaluating operational and multi-tenancy limits.
Can Free be used in production?
Not recommended: Free has 500 devices, 1M pushes and no SLA; the billing example shows registrations interrupted and only 1M pushes going through at random after the device cap is exceeded. Use it for dev/demo.
How much are AZ and Private Link?
Official add-ons: Availability Zones $350/month, Private Link $35/month; Standard with both is $585/month base ($200+$350+$35) before pushes. At low volume the add-ons can exceed the push bill, so enable them only when required.
How do I reduce cost?
Five steps: (1) if ≤200k devices and no scheduled/bulk/multi-tenant needs, choose Basic; (2) consolidate namespaces to avoid multiplying base fees; (3) monitor push overage—Standard's 10–100M band is the most expensive; (4) enable AZ/Private Link only when needed; (5) use Free for dev/demo and upgrade for production.
Research method and limitations
Official facts (pricing page, Retail API, Learn overview/FAQ): Free/Basic/Standard base fees, included pushes, overage tiers, active-device caps, namespace/hub caps, AZ/Private Link add-ons, SLA, scheduled/bulk/multi-tenant and telemetry differences; billing examples confirm base per namespace and overage per subscription/tier. Editorial calculations: base × namespaces + overage × tier rate; push volume, device count and namespace count are editorial assumptions; the TCO assumes one push per device send, with actual bills as the source of truth.
Seven limitations: (1) eastus USD list prices only, excluding tax/contract discounts/regional differences; (2) push volume, device count and namespace count are editorial assumptions; (3) excludes APNs/FCM upstream services, app servers, bandwidth, monitoring and labour; (4) no real high-concurrency push/registration benchmark; (5) whether add-ons bill per namespace is not fully spelled out on the page—check the bill; (6) additional meters such as 1P Direct Send are not included; (7) prices/caps change—recheck official pages and bills before purchase.
Sources and basis
- Microsoft Azure, Notification Hubs Pricing: azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/notification-hubs. Free/Basic/Standard, base fees, included pushes, overage tiers, device/namespace/hub caps, AZ/Private Link, SLA, feature differences, billing examples. Accessed 10 November 2026.
- Azure Retail Prices API (productName eq Notification Hubs, eastus): prices.azure.com/api/retail/prices. Basic $10/month, Standard $200/month, Basic pushes $1/M, Standard pushes $10/$2.5/M, AZ $350, Private Link $35. Accessed 10 November 2026.
- Microsoft Learn, What is Azure Notification Hubs?: notification-hubs-push-notification-overview. Push scenarios, platforms and architectural positioning. Accessed 10 November 2026.
Data cut-off 10 November 2026; prices/features/caps follow Microsoft official pages and bills; this is not procurement, architecture or legal advice.