Akamai Cloud (formerly Linode) vs Microsoft Azure
Cloud Infrastructure pricing comparison · 2026
Akamai Cloud (formerly Linode) costs $5–$60/mo, while Microsoft Azure is usage-based. These products use different pricing models ( vs Per-seat subscription), so a direct price comparison isn't meaningful — costs depend on usage volume and mix.
Akamai Cloud (formerly Linode)
Linode, now part of Akamai Technologies, offers public flat-rate cloud compute pricing sta
verified 9w ago
$240
$329
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure is the second-largest cloud infrastructure provider with approximately 25%
verified 24d ago
$240
$329
Recorded annual contract medians
Akamai
median is
$89
less than
Microsoft
· different customer contracts; not a quote
Cheapest
$240
Spread
27%
Estimated license cost
at 25 seats
List price × seats. Click a tier below to lock it.
Linode 2 GB (Shared CPU)
$3.6K/yr
year 1 license · $12/seat
Pricing model unknown
Pricing model unknown
no public list price found
What buyers actually pay
median, annual
Vendr deal-flow data. The real benchmark, not list price.
↓ Lowest median
Median annual
$240/yr
Vendr · n=3 · limited data
Median annual
$329/yr
Vendr · n=138
REF · 01
Sources & confidence
Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.
Where this data comes from
Vendr · TrustRadius · Reddit · BBB · official docs
Sources
14 sourced facts
9 hidden-cost · 2 contract · Vendr median · 2 review platforms
Last verified
2mo ago
Confidence
Medium confidence
Sources
18 sourced facts
13 hidden-cost · 2 contract · Vendr median · 2 review platforms
Last verified
3w ago
Confidence
Medium confidence
REF · 02
Plans at a glance
Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.
Tier ladder
Click a tier to lock the cost row to it. Locking surfaces a tier-specific Visit CTA.
REF · 04
Contract terms
The fine print, surfaced. Green = buyer-friendly. Each clause backed by a quoted source.
Akamai
Microsoft
Auto-renewal
Yes
—
Cancellation
Any time — hourly billing stops when resource is destroyed
—
Commitment
None — pay-as-you-go hourly billing
None for Pay-As-You-Go; 1 year for Azure Savings Plan; 1 or 3 years for Reserved Instances
Price escalation
No published price escalation schedule found in sources
No published schedule found in sources; CSP agreement pricing may vary by partner
Can downgrade
✓
Yes
✓
Yes
REF · 05
What users say
Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.
User reviews
TrustRadius · Trustpilot · G2
Decide
Get a quote from each vendor
Each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
License cost is computed from publicly listed plans (real math, list price × seats).
Median annual cost is from Vendr's deal flow when available — see source badges.
Hidden costs and contract terms each cite their own sources. We do not invent composite scores.
VS
Linode (Akamai) and Microsoft Azure both operate in the cloud infrastructure category. This page compares their list pricing.
Plan-by-Plan Pricing
| Plan | Akamai Cloud (formerly Linode) | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Nanode 1 GB (Shared CPU) | $5 /month | Free /month |
| Linode 2 GB (Shared CPU) | $12 /month | Custom |
| Linode 4 GB (Shared CPU) | $24 /month | — |
| Linode 8 GB (Shared CPU) | $48 /month | — |
| G6 Dedicated 4 GB | $36 /month | — |
| G7 Dedicated 4 GB | $43 /month | — |
| High Memory 24 GB | $60 /month | — |
| G8 Dedicated (Premium & General) | Custom | — |
| Kubernetes (LKE) | $60 /month per cluster (HA control plane) | — |
Cost at Scale
Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.
Akamai Cloud (formerly Linode)
6 scenarios$5/month ($60/year)
Small Developer/Hobby Project
$24/month ($288/year)
Small Business Web Application
$36/month ($432/year)
Production Application with Dedicated CPU
Microsoft Azure
1 scenario$0/month
Learning & Proof-of-Concept (Free Tier)
Market Intelligence
Akamai Cloud (formerly Linode)
- Median annual cost
- $240
- Based on
- 3 deals
Microsoft Azure
- Median annual cost
- $329
- Based on
- 138 deals
Contract Terms
| Term | Akamai Cloud (formerly Linode) | Microsoft Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-renewal | Yes | — |
| Cancellation | Any time — hourly billing stops when resource is destroyed | — |
| Minimum commitment | None — pay-as-you-go hourly billing | None for Pay-As-You-Go; 1 year for Azure Savings Plan; 1 or 3 years for Reserved Instances |
| Price escalation | No published price escalation schedule found in sources | No published schedule found in sources; CSP agreement pricing may vary by partner |
| Can downgrade | Yes | Yes |