Azure Artifact Signing review
A managed signing service for Microsoft-focused teams, with Basic and Premium plans.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Azure Artifact Signing is Microsoft’s managed cloud service for signing applications and software artifacts. It is designed for developers and organizations distributing Win32 applications, PE binaries, VBS enclaves, CI policy files, internal or private artifacts, containers, and other SignTool-supported file types. The service provides Microsoft-managed certificates, identity validation, certificate profiles, role-based access control, and public or private trust models. It supports web, Windows, Linux, and API access.
Pricing is organized into two monthly plans. Basic costs $9.99 per account per month and includes public and private signing plus one of each certificate profile type. Premium costs $99.99 per account per month and includes the same signing models with ten of each certificate profile type. Both plans are paid, and there is no free plan. The practical difference is certificate profile capacity, making Basic a better fit for smaller signing requirements and Premium more suitable for teams managing a larger set of certificate profiles.
Its strongest fit is within Microsoft-oriented development and delivery workflows. Integrations include SignTool, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, PowerShell for Authenticode, Azure PowerShell, the Artifact Signing SDK, Notation, and Visual Studio. Keys are generated, stored, and used with FIPS 140-3 Level 3 hardware protection, while signing history, certificate monitoring, revocation actions, and trusted timestamping support ongoing certificate administration. Digest signing lets files remain in the customer environment. Choose Azure Artifact Signing when managed certificates, cloud signing, and Microsoft tooling are priorities. Teams needing broader target coverage or a free entry plan should consider an alternative.
Azure Artifact Signing pros and cons
- Where it wins
- FIPS 140-3 Level 3 hardware-protected signing keys
- Integrations with SignTool, GitHub Actions, and Azure DevOps
- Public and private signing with trusted timestamping
- Where it doesn't
- No free plan
- Premium costs $99.99 per account monthly
- Target coverage is narrower than broader code-signing platforms
Azure Artifact Signing fact sheet, pricing and score →
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Last updated · How we research and update