Azure Cosmos DB
What it is: Azure's globally distributed, multi-model NoSQL database. One-click global replication, 99.999% availability, multiple consistency levels.
What It Does Best
Global distribution. Replicate to any Azure region with one click. Read/write data locally worldwide.
Multiple APIs. SQL, MongoDB, Cassandra, Gremlin, Table APIs. Migrate without rewriting apps.
Tunable consistency. Five consistency levels. Pick the right tradeoff for each operation.
Pricing
Request Units (RU/s): ~$0.00008 per RU/s-hour. 400 RU/s minimum (~$24/mo). Can get expensive at scale.
When to Use It
✅ Global applications requiring low latency worldwide
✅ Azure-native applications
✅ Migrating from MongoDB/Cassandra to cloud
✅ Mission-critical apps needing 99.999% uptime
When NOT to Use It
❌ Budget-constrained projects (can be expensive)
❌ Simple single-region apps (overkill)
❌ Complex analytics queries (use Synapse instead)
Bottom line: Premium globally distributed database for Azure. Exceptional availability and performance guarantees. Price scales quickly—monitor RUs carefully. Best for mission-critical global apps.