Reviewed by the SEOPointz team · Last reviewed June 2026. We verified the current Azure hosting tiers and pricing referenced here against Microsoft’s own documentation before publishing. SEOPointz may earn a commission from some links; it never changes what we recommend.
If you searched for “Microsoft web hosting” expecting a one-click, cPanel-style service like the budget hosts advertise, the honest answer is that Microsoft doesn’t really sell that anymore. Microsoft 365 retired its old public website-hosting feature years ago, and the company’s entire web-hosting story now runs through Azure — a developer-oriented cloud platform, not a beginner blog host. That’s not a dead end, though. Azure offers some of the most capable hosting on the market, and one of its tiers is genuinely free. This guide explains the real options and who each one suits.
What “Microsoft web hosting” means today
There is no Microsoft equivalent of a $3-a-month shared hosting plan with a WordPress installer. Instead, Microsoft positions Azure as the home for everything web-related, with several distinct services aimed at different kinds of site. The two that matter most for typical websites are Azure Static Web Apps (for static and frontend-framework sites) and Azure App Service (for full server-side applications and APIs). Heavier needs are served by Azure Container Apps and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), which are overkill for an ordinary website.
Azure Static Web Apps: the free tier worth knowing about
Static Web Apps is the option most relevant to anyone wanting an inexpensive, modern site. It hosts HTML, CSS, JavaScript and image assets, and pairs naturally with frameworks like React, Angular, Vue, Svelte or Blazor WebAssembly, with optional serverless APIs powered by Azure Functions. Crucially, it has a genuinely free plan.
The Free plan includes 100 GB of bandwidth per month, supports up to 10 apps per subscription, allows 2 custom domains, and provides 3 preview environments with 500 MB of total storage. It also comes with integrated CI/CD from GitHub or Azure DevOps and global edge distribution. The Standard plan costs $9 per app per month and raises the limits to 100 apps per subscription, 6 custom domains, 10 preview environments and 2 GB of storage, with overage bandwidth billed at $0.20 per GB. For a personal site or a small marketing front end, the free tier is often all you need.
Azure App Service: for full applications
When your site needs a real server — server-side rendering, a database-backed application, a REST API or a back end for a mobile app — Azure App Service is the workhorse. It is a fully managed platform that runs apps written in .NET, .NET Core, Java, Node.js, PHP, Python or Ruby, and it remains Microsoft’s default recommendation for things like Blazor Server apps that need WebSocket support and session affinity. App Service is billed by plan tier rather than a single flat fee, so the cost scales with the compute and features you choose. It is more powerful and more expensive than Static Web Apps, and it is the right choice when a static front end simply can’t do the job.
Where Microsoft’s hosting falls short
Azure is excellent technology, but it is not the easiest path for everyone. The learning curve is steep if you have never used a cloud console: concepts like subscriptions, resource groups and app service plans take time to absorb, and a misconfigured resource can quietly run up a bill. There is no friendly one-click WordPress-on-shared-hosting experience, and support is structured for developers and businesses rather than first-time site owners. If you want a blog live this afternoon with minimal fuss, a mainstream shared host will get you there faster and cheaper.
The third-party Windows hosting alternative
It’s worth clearing up a common confusion: if you specifically need a Windows environment to run ASP.NET, .NET Core or an MSSQL database, you don’t have to use Azure. Several traditional hosts sell Windows-based shared hosting with the familiar Plesk control panel. A2 Hosting and HostGator both offer Windows plans supporting ASP.NET and MSSQL with free SSL, typically starting in the region of a few dollars a month. These give you the Microsoft stack with the simplicity of conventional shared hosting — a sensible middle ground for a .NET site that doesn’t need the full power of Azure.
| Option | Starting cost | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Static Web Apps (Free) | $0 | Static sites, frontend frameworks, small projects | 100 GB bandwidth cap; static/serverless only |
| Azure Static Web Apps (Standard) | $9 / app / month | Growing static sites needing higher limits | Per-app billing adds up across many sites |
| Azure App Service | Tier-based (paid) | Full server-side apps, APIs, Blazor Server | Pricing complexity; steeper learning curve |
| Third-party Windows hosting (A2, HostGator) | ~$4–$5 / month | ASP.NET / MSSQL sites wanting simple shared hosting | Not Microsoft-run; standard shared-host limits |
Frequently asked questions
Does Microsoft offer free web hosting?
Yes, indirectly. Azure Static Web Apps has a genuinely free plan with 100 GB of monthly bandwidth and support for up to 10 apps, suitable for static and frontend-framework sites. There is no free plan for full server-side hosting on App Service.
Can I host a WordPress site on Azure?
Technically yes, via App Service or a virtual machine, but it is more complex and usually more expensive than a standard WordPress host. Unless you have a specific reason to be on Azure, a mainstream shared or managed WordPress host is the simpler choice.
Do I need Azure to run an ASP.NET website?
No. Azure is the most powerful option, but third-party hosts such as A2 Hosting and HostGator sell affordable Windows shared hosting that runs ASP.NET, .NET Core and MSSQL through the Plesk control panel.
To see where the Microsoft stack fits among the broader landscape, read our overview of the different types of web hosting, and if you’re weighing a managed platform against a hands-on host, our guide on web hosting vs website builders will help you decide.
