# Inactive and stopped VM | Cloud Efficiency Hub Canonical: https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/inactive-and-stopped-vm A virtual machine is left in a stopped (deallocated) state for an extended period but continues to incur costs through attached storage and associated... By: Taylor Houck Updated: 2026-09-28 [Cloud Efficiency Hub](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) # Inactive and Stopped VM The short version A virtual machine is left in a stopped (deallocated) state for an extended period but continues to incur costs through attached storage and associated resources. [Taylor Houck](https://www.linkedin.com/in/twhouck/) Cloud FinOps Specialist @ PointFive Azure service [Azure Virtual Machines](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/azure-virtual-machines) Category [Compute](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/service-category/compute) Reference CER-0040 Type Idle or Unused Resource ## Explanation Why the waste happens and who it affects. These idle VMs are often remnants of retired workloads, temporary environments, or paused projects that were never fully cleaned up. Without clear ownership or automated cleanup, they can persist unnoticed and accumulate avoidable charges. ## Billing model The pricing dimensions that drive this cost. While compute charges stop when a VM is in a deallocated (stopped) state, storage costs for the attached OS and data disks continue to accrue. Public IP addresses (Standard SKU, which are always static) continue to be billed while they exist, and snapshots and backup configurations may also generate charges. ## How to detect 6 checks to find it in your estate. - Identify virtual machines that have remained in a stopped (deallocated) state for the entire lookback period - Flag VMs in the Stopped (allocated) state separately, for example VMs shut down from inside the guest OS or with the PowerOff operation: they are still billed for compute, so deallocate or delete them - Review whether any activity has occurred from the associated managed disks, network interfaces, or backup processes - Evaluate whether the VM is part of a dev/test or legacy environment with no recent usage - Check for active reservations or static public IPs still assigned to the VM - Validate with the application owner whether the VM or its data is still needed ## How to fix How to remove the waste. Delete stopped VMs that are confirmed to be inactive and no longer required. Ensure that managed disks, static IPs, and snapshots are reviewed and cleaned up accordingly. If the data may be needed later, consider creating a snapshot or exporting the disk before deletion. Implement scheduled reviews of deallocated VMs to minimize waste across environments. ## Documentation Vendor references for pricing and configuration. - [Linux Virtual Machines Pricing azure.microsoft.com](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/virtual-machines/linux/) - [States and billing status of Azure Virtual Machines learn.microsoft.com](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/states-billing) ## Related inefficiencies [Browse the library](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) - Azure Virtual Machines CER-0289 ### [Underutilized Azure Savings Plan Due to Overly Narrow Scope](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/underutilized-azure-savings-plan-due-to-overly-narrow-scope) An Azure Savings Plan is scoped too narrowly relative to where eligible compute usage actually runs. When usage is spread across multiple subscriptions or fluctuates significantly (for example, development and test workloads that are... Compute - Azure Virtual Machines CER-0240 ### [Azure Hybrid Benefit Not Enabled on Virtual Machines](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/azure-hybrid-benefit-not-enabled-on-virtual-machines-a8f4b) Many organizations purchase Software Assurance or subscription-based Windows and SQL Server licenses that entitle them to use Azure Hybrid Benefit. However, if the setting is not applied on eligible resources, Azure continues charging... Compute - Azure Virtual Machines CER-0104 ### [Suboptimal Architecture Selection for Azure Virtual Machines](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/suboptimal-architecture-selection-for-azure-virtual-machines) Azure offers x86-64 VMs (Intel and AMD) and Arm64 VMs (Ampere Altra and Azure Cobalt 100), but default provisioning often leans toward Intel-based SKUs due to inertia or pre-configured templates. AMD and ARM alternatives offer lower list... Compute --- Source: the public page above. Product screenshots and illustrative interfaces are examples, not live customer data.