I planned to complete an Azure certification, so I need to practice Azure, but I’m getting frustrated with creating a free account. Is there any option to practice Azure without charges?

Hello Azure 105,

Greetings! Thanks for raising this question in Q&A forum.

Great news you do not need to worry about unexpected charges when practicing for your Azure certification! Microsoft actually provides several completely free ways to practice Azure hands-on, and the best part is that some of them do not even require a credit card. Let us walk you through all your options so you can start practicing right away.

Here are all the free options available to you:

Option 1: Microsoft Learn Sandbox — Best option, completely free and no credit card needed

This is the easiest and safest option for certification practice. Microsoft Learn has built-in free sandboxes that give you a real Azure environment for specific exercises — no account creation, no credit card, no charges ever.

Go to: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/

Search for your target certification (for example AZ-900, AZ-104, AZ-204) → open any learning module → look for exercises marked with a sandbox badge → click Activate sandbox → you get a real temporary Azure subscription for that exercise at absolutely no cost. The sandbox expires automatically when the exercise is done so there is zero risk of accidental charges.

Option 2: Azure Free Account — $200 credit for 30 days plus always-free services

If you need more flexibility beyond the sandbox exercises, the Azure free account gives you:

• $200 credit to use on any Azure service for the first 30 days
• 12 months of popular services for free (like free-tier VMs, storage, and databases)
• 55+ services that are always free with no time limit

Sign up at: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/free/

Important tips to avoid any charges:

• When the $200 credit runs out or 30 days pass, Azure will NOT charge you automatically — it will ask your permission first before upgrading to pay-as-you-go
• Always delete resources after each practice session
• Set a spending limit under Azure Portal → Subscriptions → Spending Limit → Enable

Option 3: Azure for Students — Free $100 credit with no credit card required

If you are currently a student, this is the best deal available. You get $100 in Azure credit with absolutely no credit card needed — just verify your student email address.

Sign up at: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/free/students/

Option 4: Microsoft Learn practice assessments — Free exam-style questions

To sharpen your exam skills without needing Azure at all, Microsoft offers free official practice assessments for most certifications:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/practice-assessments-for-microsoft-certifications

These are real exam-style questions reviewed by Microsoft and are completely free.

Option 5: GitHub Skills and Azure Developer Labs — Free guided labs

For hands-on coding and deployment practice beyond Learn modules, check out:

https://skills.github.com and https://azure.github.io/azuredevops/

These provide free lab environments for Azure-related development and DevOps scenarios.

Quick tip for safe practice

Whichever option you choose, always follow these simple habits to make sure you never get charged unexpectedly:

• Delete all resources after each practice session
• Use Azure Portal → Cost Management → Budgets to set a $0 alert so you get notified immediately if any charge appears
• Prefer the Microsoft Learn sandbox for module exercises — it is the simplest and safest option

If this answer helps you kindly accept the answer which will help others who have similar questions.

Best Regards,

Jerald Felix.

Hello !

For practice only, use the Microsoft Learn sandbox. It gives temporary Azure access for specific Learn modules without requiring your own paid Azure subscription.

You can start from Microsoft Learn Azure training paths and launch exercises that include a sandbox:

https://learn.microsoft.com/training/azure/

Notes:

The sandbox is free.

It is temporary and tied to specific exercises.

Not every module includes a sandbox.

You should avoid creating paid resources in your own subscription unless you understand the cost.

For certifications like AZ-900 / AZ-104, Microsoft Learn labs are usually the safest starting point.