Two Portal Experiences
As of 2026, the Foundry portal at ai.azure.com offers two distinct experiences accessible via a toggle in the top banner:
| Feature | Foundry (New) | Foundry (Classic) |
|---|
| Focus | Agent-first, streamlined | Full ML lifecycle, hub-based projects |
| Project Type | Foundry resource (simplified) | Hub + Project (Azure ML workspace) |
🆕 NEW (May 2026): Azure AI Foundry Agent Service — Managed Memory (Preview) gives agents long-term memory. The service manages user preferences, conversation history, and personalisation, consolidating information to keep storage efficient. Integrates with both the Microsoft Agent Framework and LangGraph.
| Prompt Flow | Not available (use Agent Framework) | Available (retiring April 2027) |
| Agent Service | Full support | Limited |
| Model Catalog | Full access | Full access |
| Recommended For | New projects, agent development | Legacy projects, Prompt Flow users |
🚧 Important: Prompt Flow in the classic portal has ended development and is scheduled for retirement on April 20, 2027. Microsoft recommends migrating to the Microsoft Agent Framework for new orchestration workloads.
When to Use Which
- Use New Portal for all new projects — it's the future of the platform
- Use Classic Portal only if you have existing hub-based projects or need Prompt Flow features not yet migrated
- Don't start new projects in Classic — they will need migration eventually