Azure Weekly: Developer Tools Get Smarter, Database Pricing Gets Better

What Shipped This Week Azure's March releases wrapped with a clear signal: Microsoft is doubling down on making Azure easier to use, cheaper to run, and more aligned with how developers actually build AI-native applications. The Azure Developer CLI got seven updates in one month, database pricing finally caught up to AWS, and .NET Aspire graduated to GA on App Service. If you're building cloud-native or AI-enabled apps on Azure, this is the most impactful week since agentic infrastructure went GA last month. Azure DevCLI: Local AI Agent Debugging and Copilot Integration The Azure Developer CLI (azd) shipped seven releases in March 2026—versions 1.23.7 through 1.23.13. The headline features are all about closing the loop between local development and Azure deployment for AI agents. GitHub Copilot integration in azd init: You can now scaffold new projects with GitHub Copilot assistance directly in the CLI. The flow checks for uncommitted changes before modifying files, prompts for Model