Government & Public Sector · head to head
Google Cloud for Government vs CKAN
Google Cloud for Government
Government & Public Sector
Innovation Cloud for Government
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Google Cloud for Government the free tier gives new customers $300 in credits, and the 20+ always-free products are capped by monthly usage limits; CKAN the package install path requires Ubuntu 20.04 or 22.04 64-bit specifically; other operating systems must use the source install
- They diverge on capability: Google Cloud for Government covers FedRAMP High Authorized, CKAN covers Dataset Management.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Google Cloud for Government and CKAN actually diverge.
| Attribute | Google Cloud for Government | CKAN |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | usage-based | free |
| Platforms | Web, Cli, Sdk | Web |
| Founded | 2008 | 2006 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Government & Public Sector).
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 Google Cloud for Government
- FedRAMP High Authorized
- Data Analytics
- Machine Learning
- Kubernetes
- Assured Workloads
- Workspace
- Chronicle
- Cli support
Only in CKAN
- Dataset Management
- Data Harvesting
- API Access
- Visualization
- Extensions
- DataPusher
- Harvester
Both cover
- Third-party Tools
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Google Cloud for Government
- Running public sector workloads on Google Cloud compute and storagenot CKAN
- Data analytics and AI for government agenciesnot CKAN
- Migrating agency applications off on-premises infrastructurenot CKAN
CKAN
- Publishing open government datasets in a searchable public data portalnot Google Cloud for Government
- Self-hosting a data catalogue with harvesting and an APInot Google Cloud for Government
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Google Cloud for Government
- The free tier gives new customers $300 in credits, and the 20+ always-free products are capped by monthly usage limits
- Pricing is pay as you go and varies by product and usage, so there is no single published rate for the platform
- Committed use discounts of up to 57% require pre-paying for resources rather than being available on demand
- Organizations are directed to request a quote rather than being given a published organizational price
CKAN
- The package install path requires Ubuntu 20.04 or 22.04 64-bit specifically; other operating systems must use the source install
- Only Solr 9 and Solr 8 are supported, and from CKAN 2.10 they are the only Solr versions supported at all
- A working deployment requires PostgreSQL, Solr, Redis, nginx, supervisor and uWSGI to be installed and maintained separately
- Python 3.10 or later is required
Pricing, plan by plan
Google Cloud for Government
Free- Pay-as-you-goFree
- Compute Engine
- Cloud Storage
- BigQuery
CKAN
Free- Open SourceFree
- Data Management
- API Access
- Visualization
Which should you pick?
Choose Google Cloud for Government if
- You need fedramp high authorized.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Cli, Sdk.
- You also want data analytics.
Choose CKAN if
- You need dataset management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want data harvesting.
Questions people ask
- Is Google Cloud for Government or CKAN better?
- Neither clearly leads. Google Cloud for Government starts at Free and CKAN at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Google Cloud for Government or CKAN?
- Google Cloud for Government starts at Free and CKAN at Free.
- Does Google Cloud for Government or CKAN run on more platforms?
- Google Cloud for Government runs on Web, Cli, Sdk. CKAN runs on Web.
- Can I use Google Cloud for Government for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Google Cloud for Government best used for?
- Google Cloud for Government is most often used for running public sector workloads on google cloud compute and storage, data analytics and ai for government agencies, migrating agency applications off on-premises infrastructure. Of those, running public sector workloads on google cloud compute and storage and data analytics and ai for government agencies are not what CKAN is typically brought in for.
- What can Google Cloud for Government do that CKAN cannot?
- Google Cloud for Government covers FedRAMP High Authorized, Data Analytics, Machine Learning, Kubernetes. CKAN covers Dataset Management, Data Harvesting, API Access, Visualization. Both handle Third-party Tools, Web support.