Azure Maps Cost Optimisation: Tips and Best Practices
News|by Gabrielle Alvear|12 March 2025
Azure Maps is a powerful tool for integrating geospatial data and location-based services into your applications. However, like any cloud service, it’s essential to optimise its usage to manage costs effectively.
In this blog we’ll walk you through some practical tips and strategies to help you get the most out of your Azure Maps investment.
Understanding your usage patterns
Before diving into cost optimisation, it’s crucial to understand how you’re using Azure Maps. Analyse your usage patterns to identify peak times, frequently used services, and any underutilised resources. These insights will help you make informed decisions about where to focus your optimisation efforts.
Monitor and manage idle resources
Identify and manage idle resources to avoid unnecessary costs. For instance, unused virtual machines, excess storage accounts, or idle database instances can incur costs without providing value. Regularly review your resources and decommission or resize them as needed.
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Leverage cost management tools and services
Azure provides several cost management tools to help you track and control your spending. Use these tools to set budgets, monitor usage, and receive alerts when you’re approaching your spending limits. This proactive approach can prevent unexpected expenses and keep your costs in check.
Need some additional guidance? We understand the ins and outs of managing API transaction usage and provide a Microsoft Azure Cost Optimisation Assessment to help identify opportunities where licence efficiencies can be made, giving you better cost savings.
Optimise API calls
Reducing the number of API calls can significantly lower your costs. Here are some tips to optimise your API usage:
- Batch requests: Combine multiple requests into a single API call where possible. This reduces the number of transactions and can lead to cost savings.
- Cache responses: Implement caching for frequently accessed data to minimise repeated API calls.
- Use efficient query parameters: Ensure your queries are as specific as possible to avoid unnecessary data retrieval.
Build your own Multi-Itinerary Optimisation Service
For more advanced route optimisation, consider building your own MIO (multi-itinerary optimisation service). This involves creating a travel cost matrix using an optimisation engine to find the best routes. You can use the Azure Maps Route Matrix service to calculate travel times between locations and an open-source optimiser library to determine the most efficient paths.
TOP TIP: Check out our Build your own MIO blog for step-by-step instructions and a link to the optimiser library.
This approach can help you streamline operations and minimise costs, especially for your logistics and route planning applications.
Utilise the Route Matrix API
The Route Matrix API is a valuable tool for calculating travel costs between multiple locations. By using this API, you can create a cost matrix that helps optimise routes and reduce travel expenses. This is particularly useful for applications involving logistics and delivery services.
How to optimise app performance for Azure Maps cost efficiency
Improving the performance of your Azure Maps applications can also lead to cost savings. Here are some performance optimisation tips:
- Minimise data transfer: Reduce the amount of data transferred between your application and Azure Maps by using efficient data formats and compression techniques.
- Optimise rendering: Use vector tiles instead of raster tiles for map rendering to reduce data usage and improve performance.
- Load balancing: Distribute your requests evenly across multiple instances to avoid overloading a single instance and incurring additional costs.
By following these tips and best practices, you can optimise your use of Azure Maps and manage your costs more effectively. Cost optimisation is an ongoing process, so it’s important to review your usage and adjust your strategies accordingly.
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Our mapping team are ready to walk you through the process, pricing, and pathways to help you make the most of your Azure investment. You can check out Microsoft's blog for more tips and tricks.