Azure Static Web Apps and the Google SSO Problem
Azure Static Web Apps is genuinely good value for Microsoft-ecosystem companies. The free tier includes: - Unlimited static hosting - Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) authentication built in - Custom domains - GitH
What Azure Static Web Apps offers
Azure Static Web Apps is genuinely good value for Microsoft-ecosystem companies. The free tier includes:
- Unlimited static hosting
- Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) authentication built in
- Custom domains
- GitHub Actions integration for CI/CD
If your company runs on Microsoft 365 and Entra ID, this is cheap, solid, and well-integrated with your existing infrastructure.
The Entra-only problem
The free tier supports exactly one identity provider: Microsoft Entra ID. Companies using Google Workspace for email and identity are excluded.
The Standard tier ($9/app/month) adds custom identity provider support — but setting it up is not simple:
- Requires Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions pipeline configuration
- Custom IdP integration requires OAuth credentials from the IdP admin console (for Google: Google Cloud Console, project creation, OAuth consent screen, credentials)
- Each application is its own $9/month line item — separate billing for each artifact or team publishing endpoint
- Ongoing maintenance: Azure portal configuration updates, IdP credential rotation, pipeline maintenance
Most Series A–C SaaS companies use Google Workspace, not Microsoft 365. For these teams, Azure Static Web Apps is structurally a poor fit.
Display for Google Workspace teams
Google Workspace SSO is included on the Teams plan ($49/month). No Azure account. No GitHub Actions pipeline. No Azure portal. No OAuth credentials to manage.
dsp publish ./report.htmlThe same plan also includes Microsoft 365 SSO. If your company has both (common during acquisitions or migrations), both work simultaneously with no additional configuration.
Comparison
| Azure SWA (Free) | Azure SWA (Standard) | Display Teams | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $0 | $9/app | $49 (entire workspace) |
| Google Workspace SSO | ❌ | ✅ (complex setup) | ✅ |
| Microsoft 365 SSO | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Both Google + Microsoft | ❌ | ✅ (separate setup) | ✅ (included) |
| Publish CLI | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| MCP integration | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Setup complexity | Medium | High | Low |
| Maintenance | Low-Medium | Medium | None |
When Azure Static Web Apps makes sense
Your company runs entirely on Microsoft 365 and Entra ID. You already have Azure infrastructure and the portal is familiar. You need deep integration with Azure DevOps or existing Azure CI/CD pipelines. You're within the Microsoft ecosystem and the free tier's Entra-only auth is sufficient.
When Display makes sense
Your company uses Google Workspace. You want both Google and Microsoft SSO without separate configuration. You want a publishing CLI and don't want to configure Azure pipelines. You're deploying for a team that spans multiple IdPs.
FAQ
Can I use Azure SWA with a Google Workspace company?
On the free tier: no. On the Standard tier ($9/app/month): yes, with custom IdP configuration. This requires creating an OAuth application in Google Cloud Console, configuring the Azure SWA custom auth provider, and maintaining both. For teams without Azure expertise, this is significant setup.
Is Display more expensive than Azure SWA?
At $0 (free tier) vs. $49/month, Azure's free tier appears cheaper. But Azure's free tier only supports Microsoft auth — which excludes most Google Workspace companies. For teams that need Google SSO, the Standard tier at $9/app/month scales with every artifact you need to protect. Display is $49/month regardless of how many artifacts or how many viewers.
What if I need both Google and Microsoft SSO?
Display includes both on the same Teams plan with no additional configuration. Azure SWA requires separate custom IdP setup for each provider on the Standard tier.
Free tier. No credit card. One-time password auth for viewers on free, Google + Microsoft SSO on Teams ($49/month flat).