What's the difference between Basic, Standard, and Professional Direct Azure support plans?

These are Microsoft's direct Azure support tiers, which differ mainly in response times, support channels, and scope:

General distinctions

• Basic: free, limited to billing/subscription questions, no technical support SLA.
• Standard: paid, technical support with defined response times, business-hours-plus coverage for most severities.
• Professional Direct: paid, faster response times, 24/7 support for critical issues, and a more proactive/advisory relationship.

If you're a CSP customer, your partner's bundled support may cover much of what Standard/Professional Direct would otherwise provide — it's worth comparing what your partner includes against these tiers before purchasing a separate Microsoft support plan.