Azure Quantum pricing in 2026: four different billing models on one platform
Azure Quantum is the hardest platform to price because it runs four different billing models at once. IonQ devices use a per-program AQT formula with a per-program minimum ($97.50 on Aria, $168.20 on Forte, error mitigation on). Quantinuum H2 is a monthly subscription ($125,000 Standard, $175,000 Premium) metered in HQCs. Rigetti is billed per 10-ms execution increment ($120/min effective). Pasqal Fresnel is per QPU-hour (EUR 3,000, about $3,210). This page separates them so the minimums and subscription floors are visible.
1.How Azure Quantum bills
IonQ on Azure uses the AQT formula: per-program cost = shots x (one-qubit-gate-shots x $0.000220 + two-qubit-gate-shots x $0.000975), floored at a per-program minimum. The minimum is load-bearing: small circuits pay the floor, not the formula. Quantinuum H2 is a monthly commitment metered in Hardware Quantum Credits (HQC = 5 + C(N_1q + 10*N_2q + 5*N_m)/5000). Rigetti bills $0.02 per 10-ms increment. The cross-device span is enormous: a single IonQ program can cost under $100, while Quantinuum access starts at $125,000/month.
2.Azure Quantum devices and verified rates
Table 1 — Azure Quantum offerings, 2026
| Offering | Tech | Qubits | Price | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Quantum — IonQ Aria 1 (PAYG) | trapped-ion | 25 | $12.42-97.5 per program (minimum) | verified primary |
| Azure Quantum — IonQ Forte (PAYG) | trapped-ion | 36 | $25.79-168.2 per program (minimum) | verified primary |
| Azure Quantum — Quantinuum H2 Standard | trapped-ion | 56 | $125,000 per month | verified primary |
| Azure Quantum — Quantinuum H2 Premium | trapped-ion | 56 | $175,000 per month | verified primary |
| Azure Quantum — Rigetti Cepheus | superconducting | 108 | $0.02 per 10-ms | verified primary |
| Azure Quantum — Pasqal Fresnel | neutral-atom | 100 | $3,210 per QPU hour | verified primary |
Each offering links to its full per-device analysis. Prices verified 2026-06-03 against the source on each provider page. Estimate a specific job with the cost calculator.
3.Frequently asked questions
How much does Azure Quantum cost?
It depends on the device. IonQ Aria has a per-program minimum of $97.50 (error mitigation on) or $12.42 (off), plus the AQT formula above the floor. IonQ Forte's minimum is $168.20 / $25.79. Quantinuum H2 is a monthly subscription: $125,000 (Standard, 10k HQCs) or $175,000 (Premium, 17k HQCs). Rigetti Cepheus is $0.02 per 10-ms increment (about $120/minute). Pasqal Fresnel is EUR 3,000 per QPU-hour.
What is the Azure Quantum IonQ minimum charge?
Every IonQ program on Azure is floored at a per-program minimum even if the formula computes less. With error mitigation on (the default) that floor is $97.50 on IonQ Aria and $168.20 on IonQ Forte. Turning mitigation off lowers the floor to $12.42 and $25.79 respectively but removes the error-mitigation post-processing.
Why is Quantinuum on Azure so expensive?
Quantinuum H2 is sold as a monthly subscription ($125,000-$175,000) rather than pay-per-job because it is a high-fidelity 56-qubit QCCD trapped-ion machine with 12 logical qubits, aimed at committed enterprise and research programmes rather than ad-hoc jobs. The subscription includes a monthly HQC allocation plus emulator credits.
See also: cost calculator · all-provider price reference · providers index · methodology. Independent reference, no affiliate revenue. Corrections: oliver@digitalsignet.com.