Service Endpoints vs. Private Endpoints: Which One to Choose?
Understanding the differences between Service Endpoints and Private Endpoints is crucial for ensuring secure and efficient connectivity to Azure services.
As organisations increasingly rely on cloud services, choosing the right connectivity method can significantly impact network performance, security, and compliance. Service Endpoints offer a straightforward setup for securing traffic within Azure, while Private Endpoints provide enhanced security by eliminating public exposure and allowing connections from on-premises and peered networks.
By making an informed decision, partners can optimize their infrastructure for better security and performance.
We recommend our partners to evaluate their specific needs and scenarios to determine the best connectivity option:
Evaluate Service Requirements
Check which services support Service Endpoints and Private Endpoints. Some Azure services may only support one of the options.
Consider Complexity and Expertise
Service Endpoints are easier to set up and require minimal configuration changes, making them ideal for quick implementation. Private Endpoints, although more complex to configure, offer superior security and connectivity features.
Assess Security Needs
If security and compliance are top priorities, and there is a need to eliminate public exposure, Private Endpoints are the better choice. They provide private IP connectivity and support on-premises access via VPN or ExpressRoute.
Plan for Scalability
Private Endpoints support cross-region and cross-tenant access, making them suitable for more complex, scalable architectures. Service Endpoints are limited to Azure VNet and do not support on-premises or cross-region access.
Main Differences
Service Endpoints
Simpler setup, traffic still uses the public endpoint, limited to Azure VNet, and no support for on-premises access.
More secure with private IP, support for on-premises and cross-region access, requires DNS configuration, and supports more advanced security requirements.
Read More:
Azure virtual network service endpoints | Microsoft Learn
What is Azure Private Link? | Microsoft Learn
Service Endpoints vs Private Endpoints - Microsoft Community Hub