Explanation
Why the waste happens and who it affects.
However, if left enabled after initial use, the feature continues to generate flat hourly charges - even when no SFTP traffic occurs.
Because this fee is incurred silently and independently of storage usage, it often goes unnoticed in cost reviews. When SFTP is not actively used for data ingestion or export, disabling it can eliminate unnecessary charges without impacting other access methods.
Billing model
The pricing dimensions that drive this cost.
- SFTP support on Azure Storage Accounts is billed at a flat hourly rate, regardless of actual usage
- Pricing is approximately $0.30/hour per account (~$219/month)
- Charges begin as soon as SFTP is enabled and continue until explicitly disabled
- No data transfer or connection usage is required for the fee to apply
How to detect
4 checks to find it in your estate.
- Identify Storage Accounts with the SFTP feature enabled
- Check activity logs or metrics to determine whether SFTP sessions are active or recent
- Verify with application owners whether SFTP is still in use or required
- Flag accounts with enabled SFTP and no recent activity as candidates for review
How to fix
3 ways to remove the waste.
- Disable the SFTP feature on any Storage Account where it is no longer needed
- Coordinate with owners to confirm that alternate access methods (e.g., HTTPS, SDK) are sufficient
- Consider including SFTP enablement in governance reviews to catch idle services before they accumulate charges
Documentation
Vendor references for pricing and configuration.