Microsoft Foundry (formerly Azure AI Studio) vs Google AI Studio

Microsoft Foundry (formerly Azure AI Studio) and Google AI Studio are both AI Infrastructure & Deployment tools (Cloud AI Platforms). Below: what each costs, what it does well, its biggest catches, and who should pick which, all from public sources rather than our own testing.

Renamed: Azure AI Studio was renamed Azure AI Foundry, and is now Microsoft Foundry. Sources: [1]

Side by side

Microsoft Foundry (formerly Azure AI Studio) RenamedGoogle AI Studio
CategoryEnterprise AI Platforms · AI Development SuiteEnterprise AI Platforms · AI Development Suite
PricingConsumption-based. The platform is free, services are billed separately. (checked Oct 11, 2026)Free tier: yes (rate-limited). Paid usage via Cloud Billing, per token. (checked Oct 11, 2026)
Pros
  • Microsoft's managed platform for building and deploying AI apps and agents
  • Free to explore, pay only for the services you use
  • Enterprise security and compliance on Azure
  • Free browser workspace for prototyping with Gemini models
  • Free API tier to get started
  • Paid tier unlocks higher limits and keeps prompts out of training
Catches
  • Renamed twice (Azure AI Studio, then Azure AI Foundry, then Microsoft Foundry), so docs and tutorials are confusing
  • Costs spread across tokens, compute/PTUs, storage, fine-tuning and connectors
  • Provisioned throughput is billed hourly whether you use it or not
  • Free-tier prompts and responses may be used to improve Google products
  • Free quotas are modest and vary by model
  • If any project has billing on, how your data is treated changes, which confuses people
Best forEnterprises already on Azure.Developers prototyping with Gemini.
Skip it ifYou want simple, flat pricing.You're putting sensitive data through the free tier.

Which should you pick?

Pick Microsoft Foundry (formerly Azure AI Studio) if…

you fit this: enterprises already on Azure.

But not if: you want simple, flat pricing.

Watch out for: Renamed twice (Azure AI Studio, then Azure AI Foundry, then Microsoft Foundry), so docs and tutorials are confusing.

Pick Google AI Studio if…

you fit this: developers prototyping with Gemini.

But not if: you're putting sensitive data through the free tier.

Watch out for: Free-tier prompts and responses may be used to improve Google products.

More options

Sources

Microsoft Foundry (formerly Azure AI Studio)

Google AI Studio

Pros, catches and prices are compiled from public sources (official pricing and docs pages, published reviews, user reports), not hands-on testing. Prices change often, so check the vendor page before you buy.