Merge pull request #312594 from dlepow/apicfree

[APIC] Standard tier entitlement

Author: JamesJBarnett

articles/api-center/includes/free-standard-plan-linked-api-management.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+---
+title: Include file
+description: Include file
+services: api-center
+author: dlepow
+ms.author: danlep
+ms.service: azure-api-center
+ms.topic: include
+ms.date: 03/04/2026
+
+ms.custom: Include file
+---
+
+> [!NOTE]
+> API Center Standard can now be used at no additional cost when you link it to an API Management instance in the Standard, Standard v2, Premium, or Premium v2 tier. For more information, see [API Center plans and features](/azure/api-center/overview#api-center-plans-and-features).

articles/api-center/overview.md

@@ -14,9 +14,6 @@ ms.custom: references_regions
 
 Azure API Center enables you to track all your APIs in a centralized location for discovery, reuse, and governance. Use an API center to develop and maintain a structured and organized inventory of your organization's APIs - regardless of their type, lifecycle stage, or deployment location - along with related information such as version details, API definition files, and common metadata. 
 
-> [!TIP]
-> You can get started quickly with Azure API Center by taking advantage of the Free plan, which has no time constraints. Compare the [Free plan and Standard plan limits](/azure/azure-resource-manager/management/azure-subscription-service-limits?toc=/azure/api-center/toc.json&bc=/azure/api-center/breadcrumb/toc.json#azure-api-center-limits).
-
 By using an API center, stakeholders throughout your organization, including API program managers, IT administrators, application developers, and API developers can design, discover, reuse, and govern APIs.  
 
 > [!NOTE]
@@ -54,12 +51,24 @@ Create and use an API center for the following capabilities:
 
 For more information about the entities you can manage and the capabilities in Azure API Center, see [Key concepts](key-concepts.md).
 
-## Tiers and SKUs
+## API Center plans and features
 
-Azure API Center is offered in a [Free plan and Standard plan](../azure-resource-manager/management/azure-subscription-service-limits.md?toc=/azure/api-center/toc.json&bc=/azure/api-center/breadcrumb/toc.json#azure-api-center-limits).
+Azure API Center is offered in a Free plan and Standard plan, which are designed to meet different needs as summarized in the following table. For feature availability and limits, see [Azure API Center limits](/azure/azure-resource-manager/management/azure-subscription-service-limits?toc=/azure/api-center/toc.json&bc=/azure/api-center/breadcrumb/toc.json#azure-api-center-limits).
 
-> [!NOTE]
-> Azure API Center is also included free with Azure API Management Premium and Standard tiers.
+| Capability | Free plan | Standard plan |
+|---------|-----------|---------------|
+| **Use cases** | Evaluation and small-scale use | Enterprise and production workloads |
+| **Inventory and governance features** | Limited<sup>1</sup> | Expanded for enterprise use cases |
+| **Upgrade path** | Upgradable to Standard | N/A |
+| **Time constraints** | None | None |
+
+<sup>1</sup> For details, see [Azure API Center limits](/azure/azure-resource-manager/management/azure-subscription-service-limits?toc=/azure/api-center/toc.json&bc=/azure/api-center/breadcrumb/toc.json#azure-api-center-limits).
+
+### Standard plan benefit when API Center linked to API Management
+
+Customers who [link](synchronize-api-management-apis.md) an API Management Standard, Standard v2, Premium, or Premium v2 tier instance to their API center can use or upgrade to the API Center Standard plan at no additional cost. This benefit continues as long as at least one eligible API Management instance remains linked. 
+
+For more information, see [Azure API Management pricing](https://azure.microsoft.com/pricing/details/api-management/).
 
 ## Available regions
 

articles/api-center/synchronize-api-management-apis.md

@@ -12,11 +12,13 @@ ms.custom: devx-track-azurecli
 
 # Synchronize APIs from an API Management instance
 
-This article shows how to integrate an API Management instance so that the instance's APIs are continuously kept up to date in your [API center](overview.md) inventory. 
+This article shows how to integrate (link) an API Management instance so that the instance's APIs are continuously kept up to date in your [API center](overview.md) inventory. 
 
 > [!TIP]
 > This article explains how to integrate an API Management instance from your API center. Alternatively, quickly set up integration directly from an API Management instance. In the left menu of your instance, under **APIs**, select **API Center**, and select a target API center in your subscription to synchronize APIs to.
 
+[!INCLUDE [free-standard-plan-linked-api-management](includes/free-standard-plan-linked-api-management.md)]
+
 ## About integrating an API Management instance
 
 Although you can use the Azure CLI to [import](import-api-management-apis.md) APIs on demand from Azure API Management to Azure API Center, integrating (linking) an API Management instance enables continuous synchronization so that the API inventory stays up to date. Azure API Center can also synchronize APIs from sources including [Amazon API Gateway](synchronize-aws-gateway-apis.md). 

articles/api-management/tutorials/link-api-center.md

@@ -13,12 +13,14 @@ ms.date: 10/20/2025
 
 # Tutorial: Create or link an API Center to API Management
 
-This tutorial shows how to integrate an Azure API Management instance with an Azure API Center. When linked, the API Management instance's APIs — and optional API definitions — are continuously synchronized into the API Center inventory. API Center is a central catalog and governance hub for APIs and related artifacts, and API Management customers use it to discover and reuse APIs, share definitions across teams, and apply consistent governance and lifecycle policies.
+This tutorial shows how to integrate (link) an Azure API Management instance with an Azure API Center. When linked, the API Management instance's APIs — and optional API definitions — are continuously synchronized into the API Center inventory. API Center is a central catalog and governance hub for APIs and related artifacts, and API Management customers use it to discover and reuse APIs, share definitions across teams, and apply consistent governance and lifecycle policies.
 
 > [!NOTE]
 > 
 > Only one API Center can be linked to a single API Management instance.
 
+[!INCLUDE [free-standard-plan-linked-api-management](../../api-center/includes/free-standard-plan-linked-api-management.md)]
+
 In this tutorial, you:
 
 > [!div class="checklist"]