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Azure Cosmos DB Emulator

learn.microsoft.com

Free plan WindowsLinuxSelf-hosted
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Spec score 8.1 #10 of 21 in Service Virtualization Software

Spec sheet

Purpose
Provides a local environment that emulates Azure Cosmos DB for development and offline testing.Read 14 Nov 2026 · learn.microsoft.com
API support
The Linux vNext emulator supports only the API for NoSQL in gateway mode, with a subset of features.Read 14 Nov 2026 · learn.microsoft.com
Authentication and transport
The classic emulator requires key authentication over TLS/SSL; Linux vNext currently does not enforce authentication.Read 14 Nov 2026 · learn.microsoft.com
CI integrations
Microsoft documents CI workflow examples using GitHub Actions for .NET, Python, Java, and Go on x64 and ARM64 Linux runners.Read 14 Nov 2026 · learn.microsoft.com
Current feature gap
Linux vNext does not support authentication enforcement, stored procedures, triggers, or UDFs.Read 14 Nov 2026 · learn.microsoft.com
Data Explorer
The Linux vNext emulator includes an interactive Data Explorer component.Read 14 Nov 2026 · learn.microsoft.com
Linux container
The next-generation emulator is Linux-based and available as a Docker container.Read 14 Nov 2026 · learn.microsoft.com
Linux vNext authentication limitation
Linux vNext currently does not enforce authentication.Read 14 Nov 2026 · learn.microsoft.com
Local-to-cloud transition
Applications can transition from the emulator to an Azure Cosmos DB account with minimal friction.Read 14 Nov 2026 · learn.microsoft.com
Observability
The Linux vNext emulator supports OpenTelemetry metrics including request rates, query execution times, resource utilization, and error rates.Read 14 Nov 2026 · learn.microsoft.com
Processor limitation
The Linux-based emulator does not support developer machines running on Apple silicon or Microsoft ARM chips.Read 14 Nov 2026 · learn.microsoft.com
Production use
Microsoft does not recommend using the emulator for production workloads.Read 14 Nov 2026 · learn.microsoft.com
Scaling limitation
The classic emulator supports only one running instance and cannot be scaled out or replicated across regions.Read 14 Nov 2026 · learn.microsoft.com
Throughput limitation
The classic emulator supports provisioned throughput but not serverless throughput.Read 14 Nov 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Plans and prices

Free Free Local development and testing without an Azure subscription · Available for Windows or Linux environments Read 20 Sep 2026 · azure.microsoft.com
Azure Cosmos DB Emulator Free No service costs Local development and offline testing · Not recommended for production workloads Read 14 Nov 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

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