Should I use a Reserved Instance or a savings plan for Azure Virtual Desktop?

Use a reservation for session hosts that run every hour of the week and won't change size or region during the term. Use a savings plan for a baseline that spans several VM sizes or regions, or when you expect the pool to change. Leave hosts that only run during working hours on pay-as-you-go.

Can I use Reserved Instances with AVD autoscaling?

Yes, but only commit to the hosts autoscale never turns off. A reservation bills every hour of its term whether a matching VM is running or not, so a reservation sized to the daytime peak pays for hosts that autoscale has deallocated.

How much do Azure Reserved Instances save?

Microsoft quotes up to 72% for reservations and up to 65% for savings plans compared to pay-as-you-go, as of October 2026. Those maximums are for three-year terms on large M-series VMs. The discount on typical AVD sizes is lower and depends on size, region and term, so check your price sheet before you buy.

Do reservations or savings plans cover the Windows license on AVD session hosts?

No. Both discount compute only. Windows 10 and 11 Enterprise and Enterprise multi-session hosts don't carry a separate Windows license charge when your users are licensed for AVD, so compute is most of their VM cost. For Windows Server session hosts, use Azure Hybrid Benefit for the license if you're eligible.

Can I cancel an Azure savings plan?

No. Savings plans can't be canceled, refunded or exchanged. Reservations can be returned for a prorated refund, up to USD 50,000 of canceled commitment in a rolling 12-month window, and can be traded in for a savings plan.

Can I still exchange Azure VM reservations?

As of October 2026, yes, under a grace period that runs until further notice. Reservations for VMs and other services covered by savings plans that are bought from 1 February 2027 won't be exchangeable. Reservations bought before that date keep one final exchange.

Do reservations work across subscriptions?

Yes. A reservation can be scoped to a resource group, a subscription, a management group, or shared across eligible subscriptions in your billing account or profile. You can change the scope after purchase without changing the term.

Should MSPs buy commitments for customer AVD estates?

Reservations and savings plans apply within the billing scope they're bought in, so they're usually bought in, or for, each customer's own billing account and sized to that customer's baseline. CSP partners can buy reservations on a customer's behalf in Partner Center. Either way, review utilization with the customer every quarter.

Reserved Instances vs Savings Plans for Azure Virtual Desktop

How Azure reservations and savings plans work, why autoscaled AVD host pools change the math, how to find the baseline worth committing to with a worked example, and which option fits which pool type. Dated to Microsoft's current terms, with sources.