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Azure Functions vs RAD Studio

Azure Functions logo

Azure Functions

Cloud

Event-driven serverless compute on Azure

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
RAD Studio logo

RAD Studio

Developer Tools

Cross-platform native app development with Delphi and C++Builder

From
$2000/perpetual
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; RAD Studio professional edition costs $2,000 for the perpetual license plus $599 for year one maintenance, totaling $2,599 before tax
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Azure Functions and RAD Studio actually diverge.

Attributes where Azure Functions and RAD Studio differ
AttributeAzure FunctionsRAD Studio
Starting priceFree$2000/perpetual
Pricing modelusage-basedone-time
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 RAD Studio
  • Serverless application backendnot RAD Studio
  • Scalable API endpointsnot RAD Studio

RAD Studio

  • Building Windows desktop applications with VCL componentsnot Azure Functions
  • Creating iOS and Android apps from shared Delphi codebasenot Azure Functions
  • Connecting to Oracle databases through FireDAC connectivitynot Azure Functions
  • Building REST web services that run on Linux serversnot 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

RAD Studio

  • Professional edition costs $2,000 for the perpetual license plus $599 for year one maintenance, totaling $2,599 before tax
  • Enterprise edition steps up to $3,400 license plus $1,199 maintenance, and Architect edition to $4,416 license plus $2,183 maintenance
  • The perpetual license only entitles the buyer to updates for one year; continued access to new updates and upgrades requires an annually renewable Update Subscription

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

RAD Studio

$2000/perpetual
  • Professional Edition$2000/perpetual
    • Perpetual License
    • First year maintenance $599
    • Total $2,599 + Tax
  • Enterprise Edition$3400/perpetual
    • Perpetual License
    • First year maintenance $1,199
    • Total $4,599 + Tax
  • Architect Edition$4416/perpetual
    • Perpetual License
    • First year maintenance $2,183
    • Total $6,599 + Tax

Which should you pick?

Choose Azure Functions if

  • You want to start without paying.
Azure Functions review

Choose RAD Studio if

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

RAD Studio review

Questions people ask

Is Azure Functions or RAD Studio better?
Neither clearly leads. Azure Functions starts at Free and RAD Studio at $2000/perpetual, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Azure Functions or RAD Studio?
Azure Functions has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Azure Functions and $2000/perpetual for RAD Studio.
Does Azure Functions or RAD Studio 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. RAD Studio starts at $2000/perpetual.
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 RAD Studio 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
RAD Studio: How much does RAD Studio cost?

RAD Studio uses perpetual licensing: Professional Edition $2,000 perpetual license + $599 first year maintenance ($2,599 total + tax). Enterprise Edition $3,400 license + $1,199 maintenance ($4,599 total + tax). Architect Edition $4,416 license + $2,183 maintenance ($6,599 total + tax).

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
RAD Studio: What is the difference between RAD Studio editions?

Professional Edition ($2,599 total + tax) targets individual developers. Enterprise Edition ($4,599 total + tax) adds multi-tier app capabilities. Architect Edition ($6,599 total + tax) includes advanced database and cloud features. All three include perpetual licenses.

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
RAD Studio: Does RAD Studio offer Kai AI integration and discounts?

Yes, adding Kai AI to any edition provides discounts: 25% off Professional ($2,136 + tax), 30% off Enterprise ($3,394 + tax), and 40% off Architect ($4,109 + tax). This promotion is active through August 31, 2026.

Source
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