provider:azure-ionq-aria

Azure Quantum — IonQ Aria 1 (PAYG)

IonQ Aria 1 (25-qubit trapped-ion) · trapped-ion · 25 physical qubits · 99.50% 2Q fidelity

verified primary

Pricing model

Per-program AQT formula with minimum. $97.50 minimum per execution with error mitigation on (default). $12.42 with mitigation off.

1.Representative workload costs

Concrete circuit costs for common workload sizes. Where the pricing model is non-linear (per-program minimums, per-month subscriptions), the table surfaces the floor and break-even points.

Table 1 — Workload cost reference

Workload	Cost (USD)	Note
Single mitigation-on program (minimum)	$97.50	Floor cost. Run as many shots as the program allows within this.
Single mitigation-off program (minimum)	$12.42	8x cheaper if mitigation is not required.
Sustained workload: 100 programs × 1k shots	$9,750+	Per-program minimum compounds. Batch into fewer larger programs where possible.

2.Structural hardware advantage

Azure Quantum is now the only cloud selling Aria 1: AWS Braket dropped the device, leaving Forte as its IonQ option. Azure's per-program billing also suits workloads that run a few large programs rather than many small ones.

3.Position in the 2026 stack

Production on Azure only. Microsoft's pricing doc still lists Aria 1 alongside Forte 1 and Forte Enterprise 1, and the $25,000/month Aria-Forte subscription covers all three. IonQ's strategic emphasis is on Forte.

4.Best-fit workloads

Workloads naturally structured as larger batched programs
Buyers who want to opt out of error mitigation (the $12.42 path)
Azure-native quantum pipelines
Anyone who specifically needs Aria hardware, now that Braket has withdrawn it

5.Pricing trap

Watch for: The $97.50 minimum is per-program-execution, not per-shot. Many small workloads add up fast. If you have 200 distinct short circuits of 1,000 shots each, that is $19,500 in minimums; the same 200,000 shots on Braket's per-shot model come to $16,060 on IonQ Forte, and Aria itself is no longer available there.

Verification note. Minimum per execution: $97.50 with error mitigation on (default), $12.4166 with mitigation off. Plus $0.000220/1Q-gate-shot, $0.000975/2Q-gate-shot. Re-read 2026-09-07; the Azure doc still carries a 2026-04-23 update stamp and the rates are unchanged. Azure also sells a $25,000/month Aria-Forte subscription covering Aria 1, Forte 1 and Forte Enterprise 1.

6.Source

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/quantum/pricing · verified 2026-09-07