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E-Commerce · head to head

FastSpring vs Google Cloud SQL

FastSpring logo

FastSpring

E-Commerce

Merchant-of-record commerce platform for global payments, subscriptions, and tax compliance

From
On request
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

  • Only Google Cloud SQL has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: FastSpring pricing is not published and requires contacting sales for a quote, making cost comparison difficult upfront.; Google Cloud SQL locked into Google Cloud ecosystem with limited cross-cloud portability
  • They diverge on capability: FastSpring covers Global online payments, Google Cloud SQL covers High Availability.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where FastSpring and Google Cloud SQL differ
AttributeFastSpringGoogle Cloud SQL
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modeltransactionusage-based
Free tierNoYes
Platformsweb, apiGoogle Cloud Platform
CategoryE-CommerceDatabases
Founded20062008

Identical on both: 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 FastSpring

  • Global online payments
  • Subscription billing
  • Branded checkout
  • Tax compliance
  • Fraud prevention
  • Digital invoicing and quotes

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.

FastSpring

  • Selling software or SaaS internationally without a local tax entitynot Google Cloud SQL
  • B2B invoicing and custom quotes for enterprise SaaS dealsnot Google Cloud SQL
  • Recurring subscription billing for digital productsnot Google Cloud SQL
  • Reducing fraud and chargebacks on digital purchasesnot Google Cloud SQL

Google Cloud SQL

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

Where each one falls short

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

FastSpring

  • Pricing is not published and requires contacting sales for a quote, making cost comparison difficult upfront.
  • As a merchant-of-record, FastSpring takes on more control of the checkout and payment relationship than a pure payment gateway like Stripe.
  • Revenue share pricing can become more expensive than flat per-transaction gateway fees at very high volumes.
  • Primarily targeted at software/digital goods sellers, so it is less suited to physical product e-commerce.

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

FastSpring

On request
  • Custom$undefined/mo
    • All-in-one transaction-based pricing based on sales volume
    • No subscription fees or per-feature charges
    • Discounted rates for ACH and wire transfers

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 FastSpring if

  • You need global online payments.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want subscription billing.
FastSpring 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 FastSpring or Google Cloud SQL better?
Neither clearly leads. FastSpring starts at On request and Google Cloud SQL at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FastSpring or Google Cloud SQL?
Google Cloud SQL has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for FastSpring and Free for Google Cloud SQL.
Does FastSpring or Google Cloud SQL run on more platforms?
FastSpring runs on web, api. Google Cloud SQL runs on Google Cloud Platform.
Can I use Google Cloud SQL for free?
Yes. Google Cloud SQL has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. FastSpring starts at On request.
What is FastSpring best used for?
FastSpring is most often used for selling software or saas internationally without a local tax entity, b2b invoicing and custom quotes for enterprise saas deals, recurring subscription billing for digital products, reducing fraud and chargebacks on digital purchases. Of those, selling software or saas internationally without a local tax entity and b2b invoicing and custom quotes for enterprise saas deals are not what Google Cloud SQL is typically brought in for.
What can FastSpring do that Google Cloud SQL cannot?
FastSpring covers Global online payments, Subscription billing, Branded checkout, Tax compliance. Google Cloud SQL covers High Availability, Automated Backups, Point-in-time Recovery, Encryption.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

FastSpring: What does FastSpring cost?

FastSpring uses flat-rate, all-in-one pricing based on transaction volume, with fees withheld from payouts. There is no minimum volume or subscription fee, and pricing is typically quoted based on expected sales volume after contacting their sales team.

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
FastSpring: Is there a free plan?

FastSpring does not offer a free plan; instead pricing is transaction-based with no upfront subscription cost, and merchants only pay a commission on completed sales.

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
FastSpring: What does FastSpring integrate with or include compared to a payment gateway like Stripe?

FastSpring bundles international payments, subscription management, tax compliance, fraud prevention, reporting, and B2B invoicing into one price, whereas gateways like Stripe charge separately for many of these features.

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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