Frequently asked questions - Platform logs exported through diagnostic settings

What is changing with platform logs exported through diagnostic settings?

Billing applies to certain platform logs exported through Azure Diagnostic Settings when you stream them to destinations such as:

Azure Storage
Azure Event Hubs
Partner solutions

This billing change applies only to platform log categories that are not eligible for free export.

Are all platform logs billable?

No.

Some platform log categories remain eligible for free export. Billing for certain platform logs depends on both the selected log category and the destination to which you export logs by using diagnostic settings.

Only platform logs that are:

Not eligible for free export
Exported to Azure Storage, Event Hubs, or partner solutions

Incur export charges.

When does this change take effect?

Billing for streaming platform logs started on February 1, 2022 for select resource types. On June 15, 2026, it expands to all remaining Azure resource types (excluding logs eligible for free export).

How can I determine if a platform log category is billable?

Review the "Costs to export" column in the Azure Monitor resource logs documentation under:

Logs categories by resource type

Yes → Billable log category
No / Blank → Free log category

What determines whether export charges apply? Does this change introduce new charges for logs I'm already exporting today?

Starting June 15, 2026, you might incur export charges for certain platform log categories that were previously exported at no charge for some Azure resource types.

Whether export charges apply depends on:

The platform log category selected for a specific resource type The destination where the logs are being exported (for example, Storage, Event Hubs, or another destination)

Does this change affect platform logs sent to Log Analytics workspaces?

No.

Exporting platform logs to a Log Analytics workspace doesn't incur any separate export charge.
You continue to pay for platform logs sent to Log Analytics under existing Log Analytics ingestion pricing.

This update only affects exports sent to:

Azure Storage
Azure Event Hubs
Partner solutions

Are metrics affected by this change?

No.

This announcement applies only to platform logs exported through Diagnostic Settings.
Metrics aren't affected.

Can I control which platform logs are exported?

Yes.

Diagnostic Settings enables you to selectively turn on or off individual platform log categories to help manage cost and data volume.

How are export charges measured?

Charges are based on the size of exported platform logs with the pay-as-you-go model, calculated as:

The number of bytes in exported JSON-formatted log data
1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes (10⁹ bytes)

Simple example (at ￥1.02 per GB):

Walk through this simple example of exporting platform logs to an Azure Storage account or an Azure Event Hubs namespace:

Item	Value
Exported JSON log data	500,000,000,000 bytes
Billable volume (÷ 1,000,000,000)	500 GB
Export rate (example)	￥1.02 per GB
Estimated	500 GB × ￥1.02 = ￥510.00

In this example, you pay ￥510.00 for exporting 500 GB of platform logs.

Note

The ￥1.02 per GB rate is shown for illustration only. The actual billing rate varies by region. Confirm the current rate for your region on the Azure Monitor pricing page.