Softwr

Cloud · head to head

Azure Functions vs IAR Embedded Workbench

Azure Functions logo

Azure Functions

Cloud

Event-driven serverless compute on Azure

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
IAR Embedded Workbench logo

IAR Embedded Workbench

Developer Tools

Complete toolchain for embedded software development

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Azure Functions has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Azure Functions consumption plan free grant is capped at 1 million executions and 400,000 GB-seconds of resource consumption per month per subscription, billed per GB-second beyond that; IAR Embedded Workbench no pricing information published on product page; prospective customers directed to free trial or sales contact only
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Azure Functions and IAR Embedded Workbench actually diverge.

Attributes where Azure Functions and IAR Embedded Workbench differ
AttributeAzure FunctionsIAR Embedded Workbench
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelusage-basedquote
Free tierYesNo
CategoryCloudDeveloper Tools

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated).

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Azure Functions

  • Event-driven computingnot IAR Embedded Workbench
  • Serverless application backendnot IAR Embedded Workbench
  • Scalable API endpointsnot IAR Embedded Workbench

IAR Embedded Workbench

  • Embedded software development and debuggingnot Azure Functions
  • Compiler and linker tools for embedded systemsnot Azure Functions
  • Multi-architecture embedded development supportnot Azure Functions

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Azure Functions

  • Consumption plan free grant is capped at 1 million executions and 400,000 GB-seconds of resource consumption per month per subscription, billed per GB-second beyond that
  • The newer Flex Consumption plan's free grant is smaller still, at 250,000 executions and 100,000 GB-seconds per month
  • Premium plan avoids per-execution charges but bills continuously for allocated core seconds and memory regardless of invocation volume
  • Memory is rounded up to the nearest 128 MB and execution time to the nearest 1 ms for billing, so small overages round upward

IAR Embedded Workbench

  • No pricing information published on product page; prospective customers directed to free trial or sales contact only
  • Pricing model not specified; customers must request quote or try free trial to understand licensing costs
  • Embedded development tools typically require expensive licenses, but specific IAR costs unavailable online

Pricing, plan by plan

Azure Functions

Free
  • Consumption Plan$null/month
    • 1 million requests free monthly
    • 400,000 GB-seconds free monthly
    • Billed per second and executions
  • Flex Consumption Plan$null/month
    • 250,000 executions free monthly
    • 100,000 GB-seconds free monthly
    • Event-driven scaling
  • Premium Plan$null/month
    • No execution charges
    • At least one instance required
    • Includes automatic scaling and VNET access

IAR Embedded Workbench

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the IAR Embedded Workbench review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Azure Functions if

  • You want to start without paying.
Azure Functions review

Choose IAR Embedded Workbench if

Nothing in the data separates IAR Embedded Workbench from Azure Functions on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

IAR Embedded Workbench review

Questions people ask

Is Azure Functions or IAR Embedded Workbench better?
Neither clearly leads. Azure Functions starts at Free and IAR Embedded Workbench at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Azure Functions or IAR Embedded Workbench?
Azure Functions has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Azure Functions and On request for IAR Embedded Workbench.
Does Azure Functions or IAR Embedded Workbench run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Azure Functions for free?
Yes. Azure Functions has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. IAR Embedded Workbench starts at On request.
What is Azure Functions best used for?
Azure Functions is most often used for event-driven computing, serverless application backend, scalable api endpoints. Of those, event-driven computing and serverless application backend are not what IAR Embedded Workbench is typically brought in for.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Azure Functions: Does Azure Functions have a free tier?

Yes, Azure Functions includes a monthly free grant of 1 million requests and 400,000 GB-seconds on the Consumption Plan, or 250,000 executions and 100,000 GB-seconds on Flex Consumption.

Source
IAR Embedded Workbench: How much does IAR Embedded Workbench cost?

IAR Embedded Workbench pricing is not published on the product page. Prospective customers are directed to free trials or must contact the sales team to request pricing.

Source
Azure Functions: What is Azure Functions' pricing model?

Azure Functions uses usage-based pricing. Consumption plans charge per second of resource consumption and per execution, measured in gigabyte-seconds and rounded to the nearest 128 MB.

Source
IAR Embedded Workbench: Does IAR Embedded Workbench offer a free trial?

Free trials are available for IAR Embedded Workbench evaluation at https://www.iar.com/embedded-development-tools/free-trials, though specific trial length and limitations are not detailed on the product page.

Source
Azure Functions: What is the minimum execution time for Azure Functions?

The minimum execution time is 100 milliseconds on Consumption plans. Premium plans charge based on core seconds and allocated memory.

Source
IAR Embedded Workbench: What is the pricing model for IAR Embedded Workbench?

The pricing model is not disclosed on the product page. Customers must contact the sales team to obtain quotes and understand licensing terms.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Azure Functions

More on IAR Embedded Workbench

Keep looking

Other head to heads