- AZURE LAB SERVICES REPLACEMENT
Azure Lab Services is retiring.
A clear path forward for virtual labs.
Move your hands-on training, teaching, and labs to Heropa – a purpose-built virtual labs platform that’s easier to run, easier to teach with, and ready long before Azure Lab Services (ALS) is deprecated in June 2027.
See for yourself
ALS retirement:
What you need to know
Microsoft has announced the retirement of Azure Lab Services, with full service retirement scheduled for June 28, 2027. While existing customers can continue to operate current labs until that date, new customers are no longer able to onboard.
As retirement approaches, teams are encouraged to begin transition planning early to:
- Evaluate long-term alternatives
- Avoid rushed migrations
- Secure sufficient cloud capacity
- Minimize disruption to learners and instructors
The smartest path forward is to plan your transition early, and on your own terms.
Evaluating Azure Lab Services alternatives
Azure Lab Services is commonly used for Azure classroom labs, hands-on practice environments, and virtual learning labs across education and training programs.
Microsoft recommends several alternatives to Azure Lab Services, including Azure Virtual Desktop, Azure DevTest Labs, Windows 365, Microsoft Dev Box, and select partner solutions.
These options provide powerful infrastructure capabilities, but many require combining multiple services to support lab access, user management, live instruction, and monitoring and reporting.
Heropa takes a different approach.
We provide a unified platform designed specifically to deliver hands-on labs for training, education, and enablement – without requiring teams to assemble or operate complex infrastructure stacks.
Why organizations choose Heropa
as an Azure Lab Services replacement
Purpose-Built
Heropa is designed specifically for delivering hands-on technical environments, including Azure-based virtual labs used for learning, practice, and instructor-led training.
Designed for Training
Heropa is designed for instructors, learners, and administrators, balancing simplified delivery, a superior learner experience, and centralized operational control.
Predictable Costs
Heropa provides transparent, usage-based pricing with platform-level controls to help organizations manage spend and scale responsibly.
Multiple Use Cases
Teams also use Heropa o support live training, workshops, certifications, demos, partner enablement, sandbox environments for QA, Support & Hackathons.
Comparing approaches
Features
Azure Infrastructure-First Tools
Partner Lab Tools
Designed for training delivery
Limited
Varies
Supports on-demand labs
Supports instructor-led delivery
Via additional tools
Varies
Real-time instructor visibility
Limited
Varies
Centralized lab management
Varies
Cost optimization tools
Limited
LTI integration
Limited
BYO Cloud Subscription
Azure only
Varies
Azure, AWS & GCP
Supports marketplace images
Limited
Analytics and reporting
Limited
Frequently asked questions
When is Azure Lab Services retiring?
Microsoft has announced that Azure Lab Services will be fully retired on June 28, 2027. After this date, the service will no longer be supported and existing labs will no longer be accessible. Microsoft recommends that customers begin planning their transition in advance to reduce risk and avoid disruption.
How long do I have to transition from Azure Lab Services?
Existing customers can continue running Azure Lab Services labs until the retirement date in June 2027. However, new customers can no longer onboard, and availability may change over time. Many organizations choose to transition gradually, running Azure Lab Services and Heropa in parallel to maintain continuity.
What migration options are available when moving from Azure Lab Services to Heropa?
There is no single ‘right’ approach to transitioning from Azure Lab Services. Heropa supports multiple migration paths, including reusing existing images where appropriate, rebuilding labs using updated or optimized configurations, and supporting persistent, shared, or temporary environments. We’ll work with you to determine the approach that best fits your technical and training requirements.
What happens to my existing labs, images, and learning content - will I lose anything?
After retirement, Azure Lab Services labs will no longer be accessible, though images stored in an Azure Compute Gallery remain available. During migration, most organizations are able to retain core lab content, learning objectives, and assets. Environments may be reused or rebuilt using updated configurations, often improving reliability and delivery without disrupting learners.
How does Heropa compare to other Azure Lab Services alternatives?
Many alternatives to Azure Lab Services, including DevTest Labs and Azure Virtual Desktop-based labs, focus on replacing infrastructure and require combining multiple services to deliver labs, manage users, and monitor activity. Heropa provides a unified virtual labs platform designed specifically for hands-on training. It supports on-demand labs, instructor-led delivery, and centralized visibility within a single system.
How do I know Heropa is a stable, long-term choice?
Heropa is a purpose-built virtual labs platform used globally for training and hands-on learning. It supports multiple cloud providers and regions, allowing organizations to control where lab environments are hosted and align deployments with governance, data residency, and operational requirements.
Great companies use Heropa
A partner you can trust
