If you’ve been exploring Azure AI learning paths or watching older demos, you’ve probably run into something confusing:

• The documentation and training links often reference Foundry (Classic)

• But the portal you’re using today might show Foundry (New)

• And the way you create projects and resources looks slightly different

This blog is a practical guide on what changed, how “Classic” and “New” relate, and what you’ll actually see in your Azure subscription.

1. What is Microsoft Foundry?

At a high level, Microsoft Foundry is Azure’s unified platform for building, deploying and governing modern AI applications—especially those built around agents, AI workflows, evaluations, tools, and observability.

Instead of stitching together isolated services for model hosting, agent orchestration, monitoring, and governance, Foundry brings all of these capabilities into a single experience.

Think of it as Azure’s “all-in-one” platform for AI development.

2. Project Types in Microsoft Foundry

Before comparing Classic and New Foundry portals, it’s important to get one thing right:

Foundry has two project types.

1. Hub-based Projects (older model)

2. Foundry Projects (modern unified model)

Everything else—Classic vs New portals—is essentially different UX layers sitting on top of these project types.

Hub-based Projects (Older Model)

This is the pre-Foundry architecture, built around:

• Azure AI Hub

• Azure AI Project

• Supporting resources (storage accounts, managed identities, network components, etc.)

This was the default model before Foundry unified the platform.
As a result, Foundry (Classic) continued to support and create these hub-based setups.

When you create a hub-based project, Azure provisions:

• Azure AI Hub resource

• Azure AI Project resource

You’ll still see references such as:

• Azure AI Hub

• AI Project

• Project under a hub

Most older tutorials, Prompt Flow documentation, and Learn modules are based on this model. Also, Prompt Flow is currently supported only in hub-based projects.

Foundry Classic = supporting the old Hub-based architecture.

Foundry Projects (Modern Model)

This is the recommended, simplified, and future-facing project type.

A Foundry project includes:

• Foundry resource

• Foundry Project resource

There is no hub in this model.

This architecture simplifies:

• Access control

• Monitoring & observability

• Resource management

• Agent workflows

• Tooling integrations

• Lifecycle operations

When you create a Foundry project, Azure provisions:

• Foundry resource

• Foundry Project resource

Foundry New = hub-less, modern, and the future of the platform.

3. Two Portals — One platform

There are two Foundry portal experiences, but both operate on the same platform.

Foundry (Classic)

This is the older UI, and most existing training content still references it.

• Lets you create both Hub-based Projects and Foundry Projects

• Still widely used because of older documentation

• Provides the UI that hub-based resources depend on

Foundry (New)

This is the modern experience with a cleaner UI and a project model aligned to the future of Azure AI development.

• Only allows creation of Foundry Projects

• Streamlined navigation

• Better integrations for agents, tools, workflows and evaluations

• A unified structure without hubs

In the Foundry portal, you can switch between Classic and New using the toggle at the top:

The official docs also include a Version toggle for Classic vs New—very useful when your UI doesn’t match the tutorial:

4. Foundry Classic vs Foundry New — Side-by-Side

Now that we’ve seen both portals, here’s a simple comparison to keep in mind:

When in doubt:

• If you’re starting something new, use Foundry (New) with a Foundry Project.

• If you’re following an older tutorial or managing an existing hub-based environment, you may still need Foundry (Classic).

5. Migration & Following Training Material

If your team is still running on hub-based projects, Microsoft supports migrating to the modern Foundry Project model. The migration involves moving:

• Model deployments

• Data connections

• Tools & workflows

• Identity & access policies

Depending on how the old project was structured, some steps may be manual.

Tips when learning or following training modules

• If a tutorial shows Classic, just switch the docs to the matching version.

• If you’re creating something new, always choose a Foundry Project in the new portal.

• Prompt flow is currently supported only in Hub based projects.

• Expect naming confusion initially—AI Hub, Foundry, AI Project, Foundry Project—because the platform has been evolving.

6. Final Thoughts

The difference between Foundry (New) and Foundry (Classic) is not about two different products.
It’s about one platform moving from an older Hub-based architecture to a cleaner, unified project model.

To keep it simple in your mind:

• Foundry (New) + Foundry Project
  → Modern, streamlined, and the recommended default for all new scenarios

• Foundry (Classic) + Hub-based Projects
  → Older architecture, still supported, primarily used when following legacy tutorials or working with older deployments

As the Azure AI ecosystem continues to evolve, the Foundry Project model is where Microsoft is investing—so that’s where you’ll want to be.