Hey everyone! My development tenant just expired, and I can't renew it or create a new one. I'm looking for the most affordable replacement option. I mostly used this tenant to test new features and policy changes, and I linked it to my homelab for trying out things like certificate-based authentication and app proxies.
The F1 license seems like a cheap way to get access to Entra P1, which includes Intune and some limited Exchange Online capabilities—great for testing integrations with third-party tools without serious risks.
I'm not too worried about the F1 license restrictions on screen sizes or lack of desktop Outlook access, but I want to make sure I'm not missing any major downsides. Has anyone replaced their dev subscription with a lower-cost option like the F1? What do you think about it? Would love to hear your experiences or alternatives! Just a note: I work for an MSP, and I'm trying to avoid bothering our licensing team for a work account if I can help it.
3 Answers
Why not sign up for a new developer sandbox tenant? It’s typically pretty easy to get one unless they closed it for inactivity. They’ve made it tougher recently, but still possible! It’s a bummer your old tenant went inactive, though.
I get E5 tenants from a vendor for about 50 bucks for three months, which act like dev tenants. They’re not renewable unless you pay up, so it might be worthwhile checking with some resellers for deals like that.
The F1 license is designed for frontline workers using smaller screens or devices for limited hours, so Microsoft keeps an eye on how it’s used. I had around 30 medical staff using iPads, and I regularly got emails from MS about our licensing. To make things easier, we switched everyone to Business Premium recently, and I haven’t heard from them since. Just be careful if you choose F1—it could lead to some annoying follow-ups from Microsoft.
Related Questions
Can't Load PhpMyadmin On After Server Update
Redirect www to non-www in Apache Conf
How To Check If Your SSL Cert Is SHA 1
Windows TrackPad Gestures