What do Azure and a cloud migration cost in Switzerland?
Running costs, migration and deadlines.
Servers, storage, database, backup and networking in Zurich — with Microsoft prices, three calculated scenarios, a calculator and the 2026/27 deadlines.
What do Azure and a cloud migration cost in Switzerland?
With Azure you pay ongoing consumption for servers, storage, databases, backup and networking; the migration is a one-off cost on top. According to Microsoft (Retail Prices API, as of 14 October 2026), a D2s v5 Windows server (2 vCPU, 8 GiB) costs CHF 133.03 a month in Switzerland North (Zurich), a D4s v5 (4 vCPU, 16 GiB) CHF 265.45. Both prices are pay-as-you-go for 730 hours, including the Windows licence and excluding disk and backup. An example with three Windows servers, an Azure SQL database (2 vCore), backup and a VPN gateway comes to about CHF 1,240 a month. With your own licences via Azure Hybrid Benefit and a 3-year reservation it is about CHF 483; that requires Software Assurance and a commitment whose costs are not included here. Microsoft's Azure Migrate tool is free, and server migration carries no tool charge for 180 days per machine. We quote the migration work in writing at a fixed price for the agreed scope; we do not publish a flat rate.
Windows server
CHF 133.03
per month · D2s v5, Switzerland North, pay-as-you-go
Regional premium
about +10%
Switzerland North vs. West Europe (Linux VM, disk, SQL compute)
End of support
12 January 2027
Windows Server 2016; ESUs cost extra, in Azure too
Azure prices are CHF reference values of the Microsoft Retail Prices API (USD price basis), without discount and without a VAT statement, checked on 14 October 2026. The invoice can differ by contract (MCA, CSP), exchange rate and purchasing channel. The examples are calculated and are not budgets of customer projects. Theia pages do not state a VAT basis. View sources
WHERE SHOULD THE SERVER GO?
Not every server has to move to Azure.
The target comes before the price. This guide calculates Azure; for the other routes we point to the matching pages.
Analysis and planning, migration, parallel operation and training are one-time or time-limited. The landing zone is built once and then costs money every month, for example for the VPN gateway and monitoring. Consumption, licences and operations keep running after the cutover.
Azure migration cost blocks: scope, billing and published orientation
Block
What it covers
Billing
Published orientation
Analysis & planning
Inventory, dependencies, a strategy per workload, business case.
One-time
Azure Migrate (inventory, assessment, business case) is free. Theia: quoted individually. Source
Landing zone
Network, identity, governance, backup and monitoring.
One-time setup, then ongoing
VPN Gateway VpnGw1AZ CHF 127.56 per month; Azure Firewall Basic CHF 239.94 per month plus CHF 0.054086 per GB; Azure Bastion Basic CHF 115.41 per month; Log Analytics CHF 2.736777 per GB after 5 GB free per month. Source
Migration
Replication, test migration, cutover.
One-time
Server migration with Azure Migrate carries no tool charge for 180 days per machine, then USD 25 per replicated instance and month; storage and transfer during replication are billed. Theia: quoted individually. Source
Parallel operation
Old and new environment run side by side for a while.
Time-limited
No published figure. Microsoft gives “all performance benchmarks met for 30 days” as an example criterion and recommends a grace period for rollback before the source systems are switched off. Source
Azure consumption
VMs, disks, database, backup and outbound traffic.
Monthly
See the calculator. Outbound traffic: the first 100 GB per month are free, then CHF 0.072393 per GB; inbound traffic is free. Source
Licences
Windows Server and SQL Server via Azure or your own licences (Azure Hybrid Benefit), ESUs.
Monthly
Windows share CHF 55.88 (2 vCPU) or CHF 111.77 (4 vCPU) per month; SQL Server Standard on a VM with 1–4 vCPU CHF 242.97 per month; Windows Server 2016 ESUs Standard CHF 0.005935 (Datacenter CHF 0.034172) per core and hour from 13 January 2027, at least 8 cores per VM or 16 per server. Source
Operations
Patching, backup tests, monitoring and cost control.
Ongoing
According to Microsoft, the operational load does not decrease with virtual servers (IaaS). Cost Management and Azure Advisor are free. Theia: quoted individually. Source
Training
Azure fundamentals for your team before the cutover.
One-time
Microsoft advises planning training into the migration timeline, not after the cutover. Theia workshops from CHF 3,500 per day. Source
Azure values: CHF reference values without a VAT statement; monthly values = hourly price × 730. Theia publishes no price for analysis, migration or operations; Theia pages do not state a VAT basis.
SUPPORT DEADLINES 2026/27
What happens when support for Windows Server 2016 ends?
On 12 January 2027, extended support ends. Anyone running Windows Server 2016 after that needs paid Extended Security Updates, in Azure too, because Microsoft charges the same price inside and outside Azure for ESU offerings released from 1 April 2026.
Microsoft support deadlines 2025–2027 for servers and databases
Product
Deadline
What it means
Windows Server 2012 / 2012 R2
ESUs ended on 13 October 2026
Since 14 October 2026 there are no more security updates, not even in Azure.
Exchange Server 2016 / 2019
Support ended on 14 October 2025
No more updates. Microsoft points to an upgrade to Exchange Server SE.
Windows 10
Support ended on 14 October 2025
ESUs at no extra cost in Azure Virtual Desktop, on Azure VMs and in Windows 365; otherwise USD 61 per device for ESU year one (until 13 October 2026), then the price doubles every year. ESUs are cumulative: anyone joining later also pays for the earlier years.
SQL Server 2016
Support ended on 14 July 2026
ESUs are paid on Azure VMs too. Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance need no ESUs.
Dynamics NAV 2017, BizTalk Server 2016, System Center 2016
Support ends on 11 January 2027
End of extended support.
Windows Server 2016, Hyper-V Server 2016, IIS 10 on Windows Server 2016, .NET Framework 4.6.2
Support ends on 12 January 2027
Windows Server 2016 ESUs are available through Azure Arc until 2030, billed from 13 January 2027 and only with Software Assurance, SPLA or a server subscription. Paid in Azure too: Standard CHF 0.005935 per core and hour (as of 14 October 2026; price for ESU years 2 and 3 not verified).
SQL Server 2014
ESU year 3 ends on 12 July 2027
ESUs on Azure VMs at no extra cost.
SQL Server 2017
Support ends on 12 October 2027
End of extended support.
Deadlines according to Microsoft Lifecycle and the ESU pages, as of 14 October 2026.
THREE SCENARIOS
What does consumption cost, and what drives it?
Calculated examples with Microsoft prices — neither packages nor budgets of past customer projects.
Scenario 1
Rehost: one application server to Azure
A Windows server with a line-of-business application moves unchanged to an Azure VM.
Assumptions
1× D4s v5 Windows (4 vCPU, 16 GiB) with a P10 Premium SSD
Azure Backup with 100 GB
VPN gateway VpnGw1AZ (point-to-site included), 1 public IP
Totals summed from the unrounded API values. Not included: outbound traffic above 100 GB, Log Analytics above 5 GB, firewall, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, migration work, operations and Software Assurance.
AZURE COST CALCULATOR
What do 1, 3 or 5 servers cost in Azure per month?
Choose servers, size, licence, commitment and VPN. The calculation uses CHF reference values of the Microsoft Retail Prices API for Switzerland North, without discount and without a VAT statement.
VM price per server and month in CHF — Switzerland North; “Windows” columns include the Windows licence; excluding disk, backup and network
Size
PAYG Windows
PAYG AHB
1 yr Windows*
1 yr AHB
3 yrs Windows*
3 yrs AHB
D2s v5 (2 vCPU, 8 GiB)
CHF 133.03
CHF 77.14
CHF 103.31
CHF 47.43
CHF 86.23
CHF 30.35
D4s v5 (4 vCPU, 16 GiB)
CHF 265.45
CHF 153.68
CHF 206.56
CHF 94.79
CHF 172.47
CHF 60.70
E4s v5 (4 vCPU, 32 GB)
CHF 314.65
CHF 202.88
CHF 236.93
CHF 125.16
CHF 191.91
CHF 80.14
PAYG = pay-as-you-go (hourly price × 730). AHB = Azure Hybrid Benefit (base compute rate, own licence with Software Assurance). 1/3 yrs = reservation ÷ 12 or ÷ 36. * Reservation plus Windows licence share — our derivation from Microsoft Learn (a reservation covers compute only). Per server, the calculator adds P10 CHF 19.84, backup CHF 9.15 and 100 GB backup storage at CHF 0.020503 per GB. Not included: outbound traffic above 100 GB per month, Log Analytics above 5 GB, firewall, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, migration work, operations and Software Assurance costs. Prices checked on 14 October 2026; CHF = USD × 0.8321 (API reference rate). Retail Prices API
EIGHT MIGRATION STRATEGIES
Not every workload is simply moved.
Microsoft's Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF) names eight strategies. You choose one per workload, i.e. per application with its servers and data; the choice decides which cost blocks arise.
01Retire
Switch off what nobody needs any more.
02Retain
Keep it where it is for now, e.g. because of rules or dependencies.
03Rehost
Move to Azure VMs unchanged.
04Replatform
Move to managed services with few code changes, e.g. SQL Server on a VM to Azure SQL Database.
05Refactor
Improve the code to reduce technical debt or use cloud services.
06Rearchitect
Rework the architecture, e.g. into separately scalable parts.
07Rebuild
Rebuild cloud-native when the legacy system is too inflexible.
08Replace
Replace with a cloud service (SaaS), e.g. a CRM.
Rule of thumb from the CAF: rehost only if the workload needs no modernisation in the next two years. Do not move problematic workloads unchanged — the technical debt moves with them. Source
HONESTLY CALCULATED
When is Azure not cheaper?
Microsoft itself writes: “The cloud value proposition isn't primarily cost savings.” With virtual servers (IaaS), the operational load does not decrease.
Flexera 2026: companies estimate 29% of their cloud spend as wasted. This is a self-estimate, and Flexera sells cost-control software.
KPMG Cloud Monitor 2025: only 61% report significant savings (2024: 67%). The survey covers Germany.
For plain VMs, Swiss IaaS providers can be cheaper, for example cloudscale.ch Flex-8-2 (2 shared vCPU, 8 GB) at CHF 2.20 per 24 hours, about CHF 66 per 30 days. According to the provider, VAT is added when you buy credit. With Swiss providers you may bring your own Microsoft licences with Software Assurance (Microsoft's “Flexible Virtualization” rule). It does not apply to AWS, Google, Alibaba or Microsoft itself, the so-called “Listed Providers”; in Azure, Azure Hybrid Benefit covers this instead.
A large, steady load can run more cheaply on your own hardware. The software company 37signals (Basecamp, HEY) expects its cloud exit to save more than ten million dollars over five years; that is a large single case, not an SME benchmark.
Reliable public figures for hardware and on-premises licences are missing for a comparison with your own server. That is why we do not calculate it here but check it case by case.
Cloud with a data centre in Switzerland
Microsoft, AWS, Google and Oracle run cloud regions in Zurich. Without discounts, a comparable Linux server costs practically the same at AWS and Azure in Zurich (AWS m6i.large: USD 0.1265, Azure D2s v5: USD 0.127 per hour, each 2 vCPU and 8 GiB).
Microsoft Azure
Switzerland North (Zurich) with 3 availability zones, generally available since 23 January 2020; Switzerland West (Geneva) open only for specific scenarios such as disaster recovery
Amazon Web Services
Europe (Zurich) eu-central-2 with 3 availability zones, since 8 November 2022
Google Cloud
Zurich (europe-west6) with 3 zones, since 12 March 2019
Oracle Cloud
Zurich (eu-zurich-1) with 1 availability domain, since 2 August 2019
cloudscale.ch
Swiss IaaS provider with a data centre in Switzerland
Details according to the providers, checked on 14 October 2026.
EIGHT QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU SIGN
How do you compare two Azure offers fairly?
Ask every provider to answer these points in writing. Then compare the same scope, the same VM sizes and services (SKUs) and region and the same contract.
01
Scope and strategy
Which workloads are in scope, and which strategy applies to each (rehost, replatform, replace …)?
02
Landing zone
Are landing zone, network, identity, backup and monitoring included or quoted separately?
03
Azure consumption
With which SKUs, which region and which commitment is the Azure consumption estimated?
04
Licences
Who checks the licences: Software Assurance, AHB eligibility with the 8-core minimum, ESU requirements?
05
Parallel operation
How long does parallel operation last, and who pays for it?
06
Testing and rollback
Is there a test migration and a rollback plan?
07
After the cutover
Who runs the environment afterwards (patching, backup tests, cost control), and at what price?
08
Contract, currency, VAT
Which contract is used (directly with Microsoft under an MCA, or through a partner under CSP), in which currency and at which rate, with or without a margin on consumption? How is VAT shown?
PUBLISHED CUSTOMER REFERENCES
Application migrations and integrations in practice.
We do not publish budgets. We have not yet published a pure server migration to Azure as a reference.
We migrate servers, file servers and SQL databases to Azure. We also bring applications to the cloud: on-premises Dynamics to Dynamics 365, integrations and managed Azure services (PaaS) such as Azure SQL Database or Azure API Management. If your own server, a Swiss provider or Microsoft 365 fits better, we say so. Azure at Theia in detail
In Switzerland North (Zurich), a D2s v5 Windows server (2 vCPU, 8 GiB) costs CHF 133.03 a month, a D4s v5 (4 vCPU, 16 GiB) CHF 265.45 and a memory-optimised E4s v5 (4 vCPU, 32 GB) CHF 314.65, each pay-as-you-go for 730 hours including the Windows licence. Typical extras per server are CHF 19.84 for a P10 Premium SSD (128 GiB) and CHF 9.15 for Azure Backup, plus CHF 0.020503 per GB of backup storage. These are CHF reference values from the Microsoft Retail Prices API without discount and without a VAT statement, checked on 14 October 2026.
Yes, by about 10%: a D4s v5 Linux VM costs 10% more in Switzerland North than in West Europe (Netherlands), a P10 Premium SSD 10% and Azure SQL Database compute 10%. For a D4s v5 Windows VM it is 5.6%, because the Windows licence share is the same in both regions. Switzerland West (Geneva) is another 29.1% above Switzerland North for a D2s v5 Linux VM, is open only for specific scenarios such as disaster recovery and has no availability zones. Measured on 14 October 2026 per product; this is not a flat surcharge for every service.
Under the Microsoft Customer Agreement (MCA), Microsoft invoices Swiss customers in CHF, but prices Azure in USD and converts monthly at the London closing spot rate. According to Microsoft, the CHF prices of the Retail Prices API are reference values for budgeting and do not match the invoice. On 14 October 2026, every CHF value we checked equalled the USD price times 0.8321. If you buy through a CSP partner, agree currency and exchange rate with the partner.
The costs consist of analysis and planning, the landing zone, replication and tests, a short period of parallel operation and training before the cutover. Microsoft's Azure Migrate tool is free. Server migration carries no tool charge for 180 days per machine, then USD 25 per replicated instance and month; storage and data transfer during replication are billed. We have not found a Swiss market figure with a traceable method. Theia quotes the migration individually: in writing, with scope, a fixed price and the estimated Azure consumption.
On 12 January 2027, extended support ends. Extended Security Updates (ESU) are then available through Azure Arc until 2030. Microsoft bills them from 13 January 2027, and only customers with Software Assurance, SPLA or a server subscription can buy them. According to the Retail Prices API (as of 14 October 2026), Standard edition costs CHF 0.005935 per core and hour, Datacenter edition CHF 0.034172. Billing covers at least 16 physical cores per server or 8 virtual cores per VM; for Standard that is at least CHF 69.32 or CHF 34.66 a month. We have not verified whether the price stays the same in ESU years 2 and 3. Unlike Windows Server 2012 in the past, these ESUs are not free in Azure either, because ESU offerings released from 1 April 2026 have the same price inside and outside Azure.
For servers that run all the time, yes. At Microsoft's prices (as of 14 October 2026), a one-year reservation for a D4s v5 in Switzerland North costs CHF 1,137.48, i.e. CHF 94.79 a month. That is 38.3% less than pay-as-you-go compute (CHF 153.68 a month). Over three years it is CHF 2,185.09 (CHF 60.70 a month, 60.5% less). The Savings Plan for Compute saves 45% over three years and is more flexible. Both cover compute only, not the Windows or SQL licence: with Windows via Azure, a D4s v5 adds CHF 111.77 a month. Reservations bought from 1 February 2027 can no longer be exchanged.
Not automatically. Microsoft itself writes that the main value of the cloud is agility, not cost savings, and that the operational load does not decrease with virtual servers. Without discounts, comparable servers in Zurich cost practically the same at AWS and Azure: Linux with 2 vCPU and 8 GiB costs USD 0.1265 an hour at AWS (m6i.large) and USD 0.127 at Azure (D2s v5), according to the vendors' price lists as of 14 October 2026. Differences arise mainly from licensing, because Azure Hybrid Benefit only exists in Azure. For plain virtual servers, a Swiss IaaS provider can be cheaper, and a large, steady load can run more cheaply on your own hardware.
For regional Azure services, Microsoft commits not to store or process customer data outside the chosen geography without authorisation. Exceptions include non-regional services such as Microsoft Entra ID, preview services and globally deployed AI models. Switzerland North (Zurich) has three availability zones and is paired with Switzerland West (Geneva). The revised Swiss Data Protection Act has been in force since 1 September 2023; whether a Swiss storage location is sufficient depends on the individual case. We advise on technology, not on law.
Sources and update
Updated on 14 October 2026. All Azure prices were queried from the Retail Prices API on that day.
Example criterion “all performance benchmarks met for 30 days”; a grace period for rollback before the source systems are switched off. Checked on 14 October 2026.
Microsoft, Azure, Windows Server, SQL Server, Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Entra are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Amazon Web Services and AWS are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Google Cloud is a trademark of Google LLC. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle and/or its affiliates. All other names and logos, including cloudscale.ch, Flexera, KPMG and 37signals, are the property of their respective owners; no partnership, recommendation or endorsement by the vendors. Theia Solutions AG is a Microsoft partner.
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