Getting charged for Microsoft Defender for Cloud SQL - Unable to disable

Question

Getting charged for Microsoft Defender for Cloud SQL - Unable to disable

Amy 0

I have been getting charged $15/month for Microsoft Defender for Cloud SQL although my defender shows this option is not on. It seems this may have been from an expired trial but I see no way to disable it.

Sridevi Machavarapu 33,820 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-29T04:31:07.59+00:00
Hello Amy,

Could you please share a screenshot from the Azure portal showing where Defender for SQL is turned off?

A screenshot from Microsoft Defender for Cloud → Environment settings → your subscription → Defender plans, with Defender for SQL set to Off, will help confirm this.

Also, please make sure Defender is disabled on the SQL resource itself, as that can still generate charges even when the plan is off at subscription level:

In the Azure portal, go to: Azure Arc → Data services → SQL Server instances, or SQL virtual machines

Open the affected SQL Server.

Go to Security → Extensions + applications.

Find Defender for SQL (IaaS and Arc) (Publisher: Microsoft.Azure.AzureDefenderForSQL).

Select it and click Uninstall.

You can use this document as a reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/defender-for-cloud/disable-sql-on-machines#disable-defender-for-sql-servers-on-machines-at-the-resource-level

Once this is removed at the resource level, the charges should stop from the next billing cycle.
Sridevi Machavarapu 33,820 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-01T05:20:11.6066667+00:00

Hello Amy,

Could you confirm whether you are still facing any issue on this? Please feel free to reach out for any further queries!

Your answer

Sridevi Machavarapu 33,820 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-29T04:31:07.59+00:00

Hello Amy,

Could you please share a screenshot from the Azure portal showing where Defender for SQL is turned off?

A screenshot from Microsoft Defender for Cloud → Environment settings → your subscription → Defender plans, with Defender for SQL set to Off, will help confirm this.

Also, please make sure Defender is disabled on the SQL resource itself, as that can still generate charges even when the plan is off at subscription level:

In the Azure portal, go to: Azure Arc → Data services → SQL Server instances, or SQL virtual machines

Open the affected SQL Server.

Go to Security → Extensions + applications.

Find Defender for SQL (IaaS and Arc) (Publisher: Microsoft.Azure.AzureDefenderForSQL).

Select it and click Uninstall.

You can use this document as a reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/defender-for-cloud/disable-sql-on-machines#disable-defender-for-sql-servers-on-machines-at-the-resource-level

Once this is removed at the resource level, the charges should stop from the next billing cycle.
Sridevi Machavarapu 33,820 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-01T05:20:11.6066667+00:00

Hello Amy,

Could you confirm whether you are still facing any issue on this? Please feel free to reach out for any further queries!