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Microsoft makes money from Azure through cloud-service consumption, from Microsoft 365 through commercial and consumer subscriptions and software licenses, and from AI through services sold within those businesses—including Azure AI services and Microsoft 365 Copilot. Microsoft’s cited reporting does not provide a standalone total for AI revenue, so AI is best understood as a set of monetization channels within its broader cloud and productivity businesses.
Microsoft’s main revenue streams
Microsoft describes its business as selling cloud-based solutions and services, licensing and supporting software, delivering online advertising, and designing and selling devices. Azure and Microsoft 365 sit within the cloud and software parts of that mix; AI is increasingly embedded in those offerings rather than reported as a separate business with its own revenue total. Microsoft’s FY2025 annual report provides the detailed financial categories used below.
Azure: cloud services billed by use
Azure monetization includes cloud and AI services that customers consume, alongside other cloud offerings. In fiscal 2025, Microsoft reported more than $75 billion in Azure revenue, up 34% from the prior fiscal year. The reported “Azure and other cloud services” growth measure covers more than Azure infrastructure alone: Microsoft says it includes cloud and AI consumption-based services, GitHub cloud services, Nuance Healthcare cloud services, virtual desktop offerings, and other cloud services. Microsoft’s FY2025 metrics reported 41% growth for Azure and other cloud services in fiscal 2026.
Microsoft 365: subscriptions and licenses
Microsoft earns Microsoft 365 revenue from subscriptions for businesses and consumers, as well as from licensed products. The distinctions matter: the annual-report category “Microsoft 365 Commercial products and cloud services” includes both cloud subscriptions and on-premises Windows Commercial and Office licenses. Its FY2025 revenue was $87.767 billion, but that is not a subscription-only figure. The annual report separately defines Microsoft 365 Commercial cloud as subscriptions spanning Microsoft 365 Commercial, Enterprise Mobility + Security, the cloud portion of Windows Commercial, the per-user portion of Power BI, Exchange, SharePoint, Teams, Microsoft 365 Security and Compliance, and Microsoft 365 Copilot.
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- Built-in AI Companion – Work smarter, create freely, and communicate with confidence—Copilot[5] on Windows 11 is always there to help.
AI: monetized within existing products
Microsoft monetizes AI through Azure consumption services and AI features included in products such as Microsoft 365 Copilot. Its financial reporting places these within existing revenue categories: AI consumption is part of Azure and other cloud services, while Copilot is included in the Microsoft 365 Commercial cloud subscription definition. The cited reports do not state a standalone Microsoft AI revenue figure, so attributing a specific share of company revenue to AI would go beyond what they establish.
What the reported figures show
These figures illustrate the scale and growth of Microsoft’s cloud and productivity businesses, but they do not all describe the same reporting boundary. Fiscal years are Microsoft’s, not calendar years.
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| Reported measure | Fiscal year | Reported result | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft total revenue | 2025 | $281.7 billion | Company-wide revenue, not just cloud, Microsoft 365, or AI. |
| Azure revenue | 2025 | More than $75 billion; up 34% | Azure revenue; distinct from the broader Microsoft Cloud aggregate. |
| Server products and cloud services revenue | 2025 | $98.435 billion | An annual-report revenue category broader than Azure alone. |
| Microsoft 365 Commercial products and cloud services revenue | 2025 | $87.767 billion | Includes commercial cloud subscriptions and on-premises licensed products. |
| Microsoft 365 Commercial cloud revenue growth | 2025 | Up 15%; seats up 6% | Cloud subscription measure, not the broader commercial products-and-cloud total. |
| Microsoft 365 Consumer | 2025 | 89 million subscribers; cloud revenue up 11% | Microsoft reports subscriber count and cloud revenue growth; the consumer category also includes licenses and other services. |
| Microsoft Cloud revenue | 2025 | $168.9 billion; up 23% | Company-defined aggregate covering multiple businesses, not Azure alone. |
| Microsoft Cloud gross margin | 2025 | 69% | Microsoft attributed margin pressure in part to scaling AI infrastructure, partly offset by Azure efficiency gains. |
| Azure and other cloud services revenue growth | 2026 | Up 41% | Growth measure includes the broader services in Microsoft’s definition, not only Azure infrastructure. |
| Microsoft 365 Commercial cloud revenue growth | 2026 | Up 17% | Cloud subscription measure. |
| Microsoft Cloud revenue | 2026 | $214.4 billion | Aggregate cloud-oriented measure, not Azure revenue. |
FY2025 annual-report figures come from Microsoft’s annual report and investor materials; the FY2026 figures come from Microsoft’s investor metrics. Microsoft notes that investor metrics are unaudited unless otherwise indicated. FY2025 and FY2026 investor metrics and FY2026 metrics should be read alongside each category’s definition.
Why Microsoft Cloud is not another name for Azure
Microsoft Cloud is a company-defined aggregate. It includes Microsoft 365 Commercial cloud, Azure and other cloud services, the commercial portion of LinkedIn, and Dynamics 365. Its components appear across several revenue rows, so the aggregate should not be added to those component figures. In FY2025, Microsoft Cloud revenue was $168.9 billion, while Azure revenue was more than $75 billion; these numbers answer different questions.
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- A 13.8" TOUCHSCREEN YOU'LL ACTUALLY USE — Sharp colors, real detail, smooth 120Hz scrolling on the PixelSense touchscreen[1] with LCD display[2]. Tap, scroll, or pinch to zoom - whichever feels right for streaming, editing photos, or daily work.
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The same care applies to Microsoft 365. Microsoft 365 Commercial cloud is the subscription-focused measure, while Microsoft 365 Commercial products and cloud services also includes on-premises licensed products. Using the latter as a proxy for subscription revenue would overstate what the subscription measure represents.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How AI contributes—and what the figures do not say
AI can generate revenue when customers use AI-related cloud services or pay for productivity subscriptions that include Copilot. That places AI monetization in both consumption-based and subscription channels. However, the cited financial categories do not separate those AI sales into a single company-wide total, nor do they establish how much of Azure or Microsoft 365 growth came specifically from AI.
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- A PREMIUM PERFORMANCE LAPTOP — Ready for work, school, and creativity. Built for busy days, big projects, and nonstop multitasking. Run video calls, school and work apps, 20+ browser tabs, and AI tools at the same time without slowing down.
- WITH AI BUILT IN — With a dedicated AI chip (Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite), this Copilot+ PC[5] on Windows 11 helps you work smarter and faster. Prompt, create, and automate with ease - ready for even your most demanding tasks.
- A 15" TOUCHSCREEN YOU'LL ACTUALLY USE — Sharp colors, real detail, smooth 120Hz scrolling on the PixelSense touchscreen[1] with LCD display[2]. Tap, scroll, or pinch to zoom - whichever feels right for streaming, editing photos, or daily work.
- 19 HOURS OF BATTERY (LEAVE THE CHARGER) — Up to 19 hours of video playback[3] on a single charge. Work from a coffee shop, take it to class/work, or binge an entire season on a long flight — it'll keep up.
- Two USB-C / USB4[4] ports and a microSD card reader for fast charging, big file transfers, or hooking up to three 4K monitors when you want a full desktop. Wi-Fi 7 keeps you online and fast wherever you are.
AI infrastructure also has a cost side. Microsoft reported a 69% Microsoft Cloud gross margin in FY2025 and said that scaling AI infrastructure pressured the margin, with Azure efficiency gains partly offsetting the effect. This indicates that investment in AI capacity can affect profitability even as cloud businesses grow; it does not provide a standalone measure of AI’s profit or revenue.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Brilliant Display – Stunning 13.8" PixelSense touchscreen[1], with brilliant LCD display[2], unleashes luminous whites, deeper blacks and colors so richly saturated bringing vivid life into every frame – perfect for work, school, streaming and creative tasks.
- Power that lasts all day – With 20 hours of battery life[3], the new Surface Laptop powers through your entire day, so you can create, work and stream from morning to night without reaching for a charger.
- Work at the speed of your ideas – Built with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite (12 Core) processors, Surface Laptop delivers fast, AI‑accelerated performance—making it the most powerful Surface laptop for everything from multitasking to demanding workloads.
- The ports you need – Charge on-the-go, transfer data fast, or create the ultimate desktop set up with two USB-C / USB4[4] ports.
- Built-in AI Companion – Work smarter, create freely, and communicate with confidence—Copilot[5] on Windows 11 is always there to help.
How to compare Microsoft’s growth figures
- Check the fiscal year. FY2025 and FY2026 are different reporting periods; growth rates from them should not be treated as if they were measured over the same year.
- Check the metric’s scope. Azure revenue, Azure and other cloud services growth, Microsoft 365 Commercial cloud, and Microsoft Cloud each cover different sets of products.
- Do not add overlapping categories. Microsoft Cloud is an aggregate whose component businesses are reported across several revenue rows.
- Separate revenue growth from profitability. Revenue growth does not show the cost of delivering services; Microsoft’s FY2025 margin discussion specifically notes AI infrastructure scaling.
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