Is Microsoft Azure's F72s_v2 the best deal?

Virtual Machines · $2222.85/mo (144 GB RAM, 72 vCPU)

Better deals exist

Azure F72s_v2 at $2222.85/mo is significantly overpriced for compute-only workloads. Multiple dedicated server and cloud VM providers offer comparable or superior specs at 50-70% lower cost, with transparent pricing and no Windows licensing surprises.

Dedicated Root Servers AX162

$199/mosave 91%

48 vCPU, 128GB RAM, 3.84TB NVMe for $199/mo - nearly 11x cheaper than Azure with better storage and no per-vCPU licensing.

Caveat: Setup fee rising to 159 EUR in 2026; dedicated hardware (not cloud elasticity); EU-based with traffic overage charges outside EU.

Dedicated Servers AMD Turin 64 Cores

$755/mosave 66%

64 vCPU, 192GB RAM, 2TB NVMe, unlimited traffic for $755/mo - 3x cheaper than Azure with superior specs and no bandwidth overage risk.

Caveat: Price is effective 24-month prepay rate; shorter terms cost more; fair usage policy on 'unlimited' traffic; ticket-only support.

Dedicated CPU Compute Dedicated 96 GB

$864/mosave 61%

48 vCPU, 96GB RAM, 1.92TB SSD, 9TB transfer for $864/mo - 2.6x cheaper than Azure with 99.99% SLA and transparent overage pricing.

Caveat: Backups are a separate add-on (~$170-216/mo); bandwidth overage at $0.005/GB after 9TB; no Windows licensing included.

Virtual Servers Comp 72GB (Linux, IPv6)

$840/mosave 62%

36 vCPU, 72GB RAM, 1.28TB SSD, 9TB transfer for $840/mo - 2.6x cheaper than Azure with AWS reliability and simpler pricing.

Caveat: Lower vCPU count (36 vs 72); bandwidth overage $0.09-0.132/GB by region; Windows bundles cost 70-90% more.

Droplets CPU-Optimized 96GB

$1008/mosave 55%

48 vCPU, 96GB RAM, 600GB NVMe, 11TB transfer for $1008/mo - 2.2x cheaper than Azure with 99.99% SLA and no licensing fees.

Caveat: Smaller NVMe disk (600GB vs 144GB RAM parity); bandwidth overage at $0.01/GB; no Windows option.

Before you switch

Azure's $2222.85 price likely includes Windows Server licensing; confirm whether you need Windows or can use Linux to unlock 50-70% savings immediately.
Dedicated server options (Hetzner, Contabo) lack cloud elasticity and auto-scaling; verify your workload doesn't require rapid provisioning or multi-region failover.
Hetzner and Contabo prices exclude VAT (19-25% in EU); add tax to final cost if applicable in your region.
Contabo's 'unlimited traffic' and Hetzner's 20TB EU pool are subject to fair-use throttling; confirm your actual bandwidth needs before committing.
Linode and DigitalOcean backups/snapshots are add-ons; budget an extra 20-25% if you require automated backups.
All alternatives have lower renewal-rate transparency than Azure; verify multi-year pricing before signing long-term contracts.

This comparison is generated from publicly listed pricing and may contain errors or omissions. It is not financial or professional advice, and CloudHosting.io is not responsible for decisions made based on it. Pricing, promotions, and specs change frequently and may not reflect current terms, regional availability, taxes, or contract length. Always verify current pricing and terms directly on the provider's site before purchasing or switching.

Comparable plans across providers

Provider	Plan	Price	Specs
Hetzner	Dedicated Root Servers (AX line) · AX162	$199/mo	128 GB RAM, 48 vCPU, 3840 GB NVMe	Visit
Hosting.com (formerly A2 Hosting)	Dedicated Servers · AMD Tier 3	$399/mo	128 GB RAM, 960 GB NVMe RAID1	Visit
Hosting.com (formerly A2 Hosting)	VPS Hosting (Managed cPanel) · Managed cPanel 160GB	$582.92/mo	160 GB RAM, 48 vCPU, 1403 GB NVMe SSD	Visit
Contabo	Dedicated Servers · AMD Turin 64 Cores	$755.03/mo	192 GB RAM, 64 vCPU, 2048 GB NVMe (2x1TB)	Visit
AWS Lightsail	Virtual Servers · Comp 72GB (Linux, IPv6)	$840/mo	72 GB RAM, 36 vCPU, 1280 GB SSD	Visit
Linode (Akamai)	Dedicated CPU Compute · Dedicated 96 GB	$864/mo	96 GB RAM, 48 vCPU, 1920 GB SSD	Visit
Scaleway	Virtual Instances · POP2-HC-48C-96G	$927.1/mo	96 GB RAM, 48 vCPU	Visit
Hetzner	GPU Cloud Servers · GEX131	$989/mo	256 GB RAM, 1920 GB NVMe RAID1	Visit
Hetzner	Cloud Servers · CCX63	$1006.99/mo	192 GB RAM, 48 vCPU, 960 GB NVMe	Visit
DigitalOcean	Droplets · CPU-Optimized 96GB	$1008/mo	96 GB RAM, 48 vCPU, 600 GB NVMe SSD	Visit
Vultr	VX1 · GP 48vCPU/192GB (Block Storage)	$1051.2/mo	192 GB RAM, 48 vCPU	Visit
Cloudways	DigitalOcean Servers (Flexible) · Basic Standard 192GB (APPROX, top tier)	$1056/mo	192 GB RAM	Visit
Linode (Akamai)	Accelerated Compute · Premium 96 GB	$1135.52/mo	96 GB RAM, 48 vCPU, 1920 GB NVMe	Visit
Vultr	Optimized Cloud Compute · GP 40vCPU/160GB	$1200/mo	160 GB RAM, 40 vCPU, 768 GB	Visit
OVHcloud	Public Cloud Compute Instances · c3-128	$1258.52/mo	128 GB RAM, 64 vCPU, 400 GB NVMe	Visit

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Comparing prices across every provider we track...