Software · head to head
Google Cloud Platform vs IBM Cloud
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Google Cloud Platform the $300 Free Trial credit expires 90 days from signup, whichever comes first with spending it; IBM Cloud the USD 200 starter cloud credit is valid for 30 days only
- They diverge on capability: Google Cloud Platform covers Compute Engine, IBM Cloud covers Virtual Servers.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Google Cloud Platform and IBM Cloud actually diverge.
| Attribute | Google Cloud Platform | IBM Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Api, Cli | Linux, Windows, Api, Cli |
| Founded | 2008 | 2013 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Platform
- Compute Engine
- App Engine
- Cloud Run
- Cloud Storage
- Cloud SQL
- BigQuery
- Dataflow
- Cloud Pub/Sub
Only in IBM Cloud
- Virtual Servers
- Bare Metal
- Cloud Foundry
- Watson AI
- Blockchain
- Databases
- API Gateway
- Ansible
Both cover
- Terraform
- Kubernetes
- Docker
- Jenkins
- SOC2
- ISO27001
- HIPAA
- Cloud deployment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Google Cloud Platform
- Running compute, storage and managed data services on Google's cloudnot IBM Cloud
- Hosting Kubernetes workloads on GKE alongside BigQuery analyticsnot IBM Cloud
IBM Cloud
- Running containerized and VM workloads on IBM's public cloudnot Google Cloud Platform
- Building on Watson APIs and IBM middleware as managed servicesnot Google Cloud Platform
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Google Cloud Platform
- The $300 Free Trial credit expires 90 days from signup, whichever comes first with spending it
- Free Tier Compute Engine is limited to one non-preemptible e2-micro instance per month and only in the us-west1, us-central1 or us-east1 regions
- Free Tier Compute Engine includes only 30 GB-months of standard persistent disk and 1 GB of outbound North America data transfer per month
- Free Tier Cloud Storage covers 5 GB-months of regional storage in US regions only, 5,000 Class A and 50,000 Class B operations per month
- Free Tier outbound data transfer allowances exclude destinations in China and Australia
- Compute Engine resources are governed by allocation quotas that require a quota increase request to exceed
IBM Cloud
- The USD 200 starter cloud credit is valid for 30 days only
- The larger promotional credits are time boxed: USD 1,000 for Bare Metal Servers for VPC over 120 days, USD 2,500 for Power Virtual Server over 90 days, and USD 5,000 for Backup and Recovery over 90 days
- The USD 5,000 Backup and Recovery promotion is valid for new clients only and requires a checkout promo code
- The listed promotions carry an expiry date of 31 December 2026
- Beyond the free tier the account is pay as you go, so cost tracks usage with no published cap
Pricing, plan by plan
Google Cloud Platform
Free- Free TierFree
- Compute Engine 744 hours/month
- Cloud Storage 5GB
- Cloud SQL 250MB storage
IBM Cloud
Free- Lite PlanFree
- Free services
- Limited resources
- 30-day trial
- Standard PlanFree
- Pay-as-you-go
- Enterprise support
- Advanced services
Which should you pick?
Choose Google Cloud Platform if
- You need compute engine.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api, Cli.
- You also want app engine.
Choose IBM Cloud if
- You need virtual servers.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
- You also want bare metal.
Questions people ask
- Is Google Cloud Platform or IBM Cloud better?
- Neither clearly leads. Google Cloud Platform starts at Free and IBM Cloud at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Google Cloud Platform or IBM Cloud?
- Google Cloud Platform starts at Free and IBM Cloud at Free.
- Does Google Cloud Platform or IBM Cloud run on more platforms?
- Google Cloud Platform runs on Web, Api, Cli. IBM Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
- Can I use Google Cloud Platform for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Google Cloud Platform best used for?
- Google Cloud Platform is most often used for running compute, storage and managed data services on google's cloud, hosting kubernetes workloads on gke alongside bigquery analytics. Of those, running compute, storage and managed data services on google's cloud and hosting kubernetes workloads on gke alongside bigquery analytics are not what IBM Cloud is typically brought in for.
- What can Google Cloud Platform do that IBM Cloud cannot?
- Google Cloud Platform covers Compute Engine, App Engine, Cloud Run, Cloud Storage. IBM Cloud covers Virtual Servers, Bare Metal, Cloud Foundry, Watson AI. Both handle Terraform, Kubernetes, Docker, Jenkins.