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Amplitude vs Google Cloud SQL

Amplitude logo

Amplitude

Technology

The digital analytics platform to understand your users

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Google Cloud SQL logo

Google Cloud SQL

Databases

Fully managed relational database service for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Amplitude metered on event volume, so instrumenting more of a product raises the bill even if the audience does not grow; Google Cloud SQL locked into Google Cloud ecosystem with limited cross-cloud portability
  • They diverge on capability: Amplitude covers Event tracking, Google Cloud SQL covers High Availability.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amplitude and Google Cloud SQL actually diverge.

Attributes where Amplitude and Google Cloud SQL differ
AttributeAmplitudeGoogle Cloud SQL
Pricing modelUnknownusage-based
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiGoogle Cloud Platform
CategoryTechnologyDatabases
Founded20122008

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Amplitude

  • Event tracking
  • User segmentation
  • Funnel analysis
  • Retention analysis
  • Cohort analysis
  • A/B testing
  • Revenue analytics
  • Predictive analytics

Only in Google Cloud SQL

  • High Availability
  • Automated Backups
  • Point-in-time Recovery
  • Regional/Zonal Instances
  • Read Replicas
  • Private IP
  • Dataflow
  • App Engine

Both cover

  • BigQuery
  • Encryption

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Amplitude

  • User behavior analysisnot Google Cloud SQL
  • Feature adoption trackingnot Google Cloud SQL
  • Conversion rate optimizationnot Google Cloud SQL
  • Customer journey mappingnot Google Cloud SQL
  • Retention improvementnot Google Cloud SQL

Google Cloud SQL

  • Transaction processingnot Amplitude
  • Data storagenot Amplitude
  • Application backendnot Amplitude
  • Reportingnot Amplitude
  • Data analyticsnot Amplitude

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Amplitude

  • Metered on event volume, so instrumenting more of a product raises the bill even if the audience does not grow
  • The free plan covers 2M events a month
  • The Plus plan scales to 70M events, above which pricing is custom
  • Growth and Enterprise pricing is not published

Google Cloud SQL

  • Locked into Google Cloud ecosystem with limited cross-cloud portability
  • Pay-as-you-go pricing can become expensive with unpredictable workloads
  • Limited customization options compared to self-managed databases

Pricing, plan by plan

Amplitude

Free
  • StarterFree
    • 2 million events per month
  • Plus$49/month
    • $0.049 per MTU
    • Up to 300k MTUs
    • Advanced analytics
  • GrowthFree
    • Causal insights
    • Feature experimentation
    • Real-time streaming
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Cross-product analysis
    • Advanced permissions
    • Dedicated account manager

Google Cloud SQL

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • db-f1-micro instance
    • 30GB storage
    • Limited usage
  • Standard$25/month
    • High availability
    • Automated backups
    • Point-in-time recovery

Which should you pick?

Choose Amplitude if

  • You need event tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want user segmentation.
Amplitude review

Choose Google Cloud SQL if

  • You need high availability.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Google Cloud Platform.
  • You also want automated backups.
Google Cloud SQL review

Questions people ask

Is Amplitude or Google Cloud SQL better?
Neither clearly leads. Amplitude starts at Free and Google Cloud SQL at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amplitude or Google Cloud SQL?
Amplitude starts at Free and Google Cloud SQL at Free.
Does Amplitude or Google Cloud SQL run on more platforms?
Amplitude runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Google Cloud SQL runs on Google Cloud Platform.
Can I use Amplitude for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Amplitude best used for?
Amplitude is most often used for user behavior analysis, feature adoption tracking, conversion rate optimization, customer journey mapping. Of those, user behavior analysis and feature adoption tracking are not what Google Cloud SQL is typically brought in for.
What can Amplitude do that Google Cloud SQL cannot?
Amplitude covers Event tracking, User segmentation, Funnel analysis, Retention analysis. Google Cloud SQL covers High Availability, Automated Backups, Point-in-time Recovery, Regional/Zonal Instances. Both handle BigQuery, Encryption.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amplitude: Does Amplitude have a free plan?

Yes, Amplitude offers a free Starter plan with 2 million events per month and access to the entire platform including analytics, session replay, and experimentation features.

Source
Google Cloud SQL: What database engines does Google Cloud SQL support?

Google Cloud SQL supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server. Users can choose their preferred engine when provisioning an instance and Google handles automated backups, replication, patching, and scaling.

Source
Amplitude: What is Amplitude's pricing based on?

Amplitude's pricing is based on the number of monthly tracked users (MTUs), data volume, and advanced features selected. The Plus plan starts at $49 per month with a rate of $0.049 per MTU.

Source
Google Cloud SQL: Does Google Cloud SQL have a free tier?

Google Cloud SQL does not have a free tier, though new users receive free trial credits from Google Cloud Platform. Pricing is based on compute resources (CPU and memory) and storage used, with options for committed use discounts.

Source
Amplitude: What analytics features does every Amplitude plan include?

Every plan includes access to the full platform: analytics, session replay, feature experimentation, web experimentation, guides and surveys, activation, and AI tools like AI Feedback and AI Assistant.

Source
Google Cloud SQL: Can Google Cloud SQL scale automatically?

Yes. Cloud SQL automatically scales database storage and compute resources to handle increased workloads without manual intervention, and includes automated backups and high availability configurations.

Source
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