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ConfigCat vs Google Cloud SQL

ConfigCat logo

ConfigCat

Developer Tools

Feature flag service priced per flag and environment with unlimited seats and unlimited monthly active users

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit ConfigCatFull review
Google Cloud SQL logo

Google Cloud SQL

Databases

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

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit Google Cloud SQLFull review

The short version

  • Free plans on both; paid from $110/mo and $25/mo.
  • Only ConfigCat lists feature flags and configuration; only Google Cloud SQL lists high Availability.
  • Where Google Cloud SQL falls short: locked into Google Cloud ecosystem with limited cross-cloud portability.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where ConfigCat and Google Cloud SQL differ
AttributeConfigCatGoogle Cloud SQL
Pricing modelPer month by feature flag and environment countUsage-based
PlatformsWeb, API, iOS, Android, WindowsWeb
CategoryDeveloper ToolsDatabases

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes).

Not yet recorded: founded for ConfigCat.

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 ConfigCat

  • Feature flags and configuration
  • Percentage rollouts
  • Targeting rules and segments
  • Unlimited seats
  • Global CDN delivery
  • Audit log
  • Public API and webhooks
  • SDKs across languages

Only in Google Cloud SQL

  • High Availability
  • Automated Backups
  • Point-in-time Recovery
  • Encryption
  • Regional/Zonal Instances
  • Read Replicas
  • Private IP
  • BigQuery

What people use each for

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

ConfigCat

  • A consumer or mobile app with millions of users where per-MAU flag pricing would cost more than the flags are worthnot Google Cloud SQL
  • A team that wants every engineer, product manager and support agent to have a login without paying per seatnot Google Cloud SQL
  • Decoupling deployment from release with percentage rollouts and a kill switch, without buying an experimentation platformnot Google Cloud SQL
  • A small team that needs ten flags permanently and can run indefinitely on the free tiernot Google Cloud SQL

Google Cloud SQL

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

Where each one falls short

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

ConfigCat

  • There is no experimentation or statistical analysis engine, so teams wanting real A/B tests with significance testing must buy and integrate a separate analytics or experimentation product
  • Pricing by flag count punishes exactly the hygiene you want: the Pro tier caps at 100 flags, so teams that do not aggressively retire stale flags are pushed to the 325 dollar Smart tier for housekeeping reasons rather than growth
  • The free tier allows only 2 environments, which does not cover the common development, staging and production split, so almost any real deployment starts on a paid plan
  • It is a smaller vendor than the category incumbents, so enterprise procurement teams will find less depth in compliance attestations, contractual terms and reference architecture than LaunchDarkly offers
  • Flag evaluation relies on SDK-side caching of a CDN-delivered config, which is fast but means propagation of a change is eventually consistent rather than instant, something to understand before relying on it as an emergency kill switch

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

ConfigCat

Free
  • Forever FreeFree
    • 10 feature flags
    • 2 environments and 2 products
    • 2 segments
  • Pro$110/mo
    • 100 feature flags
    • 3 environments and 3 products
    • Unlimited seats and MAUs
  • Smart$325/mo
    • Unlimited feature flags
    • Unlimited environments, products and segments
    • Unlimited seats and MAUs
  • Enterprise$900/mo
    • Everything in Smart
    • Enterprise support and controls
    • Unlimited everything on flag counts

Google Cloud SQL

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

Which should you pick?

Choose ConfigCat if

  • You need feature flags and configuration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API, iOS, Android, Windows.
  • You also want percentage rollouts.
ConfigCat review

Choose Google Cloud SQL if

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

Questions people ask

Is ConfigCat or Google Cloud SQL better?
Neither clearly leads. ConfigCat 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, ConfigCat or Google Cloud SQL?
ConfigCat starts at Free and Google Cloud SQL at Free.
Does ConfigCat or Google Cloud SQL run on more platforms?
ConfigCat runs on Web, API, iOS, Android, Windows. Google Cloud SQL runs on Web.
Can I use ConfigCat for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is ConfigCat best used for?
ConfigCat is most often used for a consumer or mobile app with millions of users where per-mau flag pricing would cost more than the flags are worth, a team that wants every engineer, product manager and support agent to have a login without paying per seat, decoupling deployment from release with percentage rollouts and a kill switch, without buying an experimentation platform, a small team that needs ten flags permanently and can run indefinitely on the free tier. Of those, a consumer or mobile app with millions of users where per-mau flag pricing would cost more than the flags are worth and a team that wants every engineer, product manager and support agent to have a login without paying per seat are not what Google Cloud SQL is typically brought in for.
What can ConfigCat do that Google Cloud SQL cannot?
ConfigCat covers Feature flags and configuration, Percentage rollouts, Targeting rules and segments, Unlimited seats. Google Cloud SQL covers High Availability, Automated Backups, Point-in-time Recovery, Encryption.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ConfigCat: How is ConfigCat priced?

By feature flag, environment and product count. Seats, monthly active users and flag reads are unlimited on every plan.

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
ConfigCat: Is the free tier usable?

For small projects yes, but at 10 flags and 2 environments it will not cover a dev, staging and production setup.

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
ConfigCat: Can it run A/B tests?

It can split traffic, but there is no statistics engine. You need a separate analytics tool to decide a winner.

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
ConfigCat: How fast does a flag change take effect?

SDKs poll and cache, so changes propagate on the polling interval rather than instantly.

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Related pages

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