Ubuntu on Azure

Canonical produces official Ubuntu images in the Microsoft Azure Marketplace and continuously tracks and delivers updates to these, ensuring security and stability are built-in from the moment your machines and containers launch.

Canonical works closely with Microsoft to optimise Ubuntu images on Azure and ensure Ubuntu supports the latest cloud features as these are released. Today, Ubuntu powers more mission-critical workloads on Azure than any other operating system.

Beyond Ubuntu Server images, Canonical offers a number of premium Ubuntu images that extend Ubuntu Server with additional security and management features, billed through your existing Microsoft Azure account.

Ubuntu on Azure powers
cloud leaders

Choose the right Ubuntu for you

Select between the standard Ubuntu Server and the Pro edition, which includes expanded security, compliance and Azure integration:

Ubuntu

Free to use

Azure-optimised kernel and userspace components built from the latest releases
Broad set of open source application components available for development
Security patches for the kernel and key infrastructure components
Updates mirrored and images published in all Azure regions worldwide
5-year lifetime

Launch Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

Ubuntu Pro for Azure

From $0.002/hour (Equivalent to $18/year)

Includes all Ubuntu optimisations and updates of the free version
Expanded security covering 26,000 additional application components delivered with Ubuntu
Kernel live patching for instant security and longer uptimes
FIPS 140-2 and CC-EAL certified components
Security hardening and audit tools (CIS) to establish a security baseline across your systems (and help you meet the Azure Linux Security Baseline policy)
FIPS-certified modules and CIS audit/hardening tooling for Ubuntu Pro 22.04 are in progress, launch Ubuntu Pro and activate the fips-preview channel for a preview, or use Ubuntu Pro FIPS 20.04 LTS
Optional 24/7 support for your Ubuntu workloads (contact us to discuss adding this by Azure Marketplace Private Offer)
10-year lifetime

Features

Optimised

Ubuntu on Azure runs on an Azure-optimised kernel, which includes improved device drivers, like Accelerated Networking, and out of the box support for accelerators like GPUs. This means faster instance starts and better runtime performance for your workloads.

Security built in

Our security teams track alerts 24/7 and release patches to system components and applications continuously. Canonical operates a worldwide distribution network ensuring that package updates are delivered in-region quickly.

All the bits you need

Ubuntu includes everything you need out of the box to build and operate cloud-native applications at scale. Supporting runtimes like Python, Node.js and Go, and server components like Apache Kafka, NGINX, MongoDB, Redis and PostgreSQL.

Get Ubuntu Pro on Azure now

Learn more about Ubuntu Pro ›

Optimise your cloud journey with Canonical

Canonical works with the top enterprises and innovators in the world to define and execute their cloud journeys. Migration, application redesign, support and optimisation services are some of the ways in which we have helped customers make the most of Ubuntu and Azure together.