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Software · head to head

Google Cloud Platform vs Packer

Google Cloud Platform logo

Google Cloud Platform

Software

Trusted by millions of enterprises

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
P

Packer

Software

Build automated machine images

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Packer packer 1.10.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1 with IBM Corporation as licensor, not an OSI open source licence
  • They diverge on capability: Google Cloud Platform covers Compute Engine, Packer covers Image building.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Cloud Platform and Packer actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Cloud Platform and Packer differ
AttributeGoogle Cloud PlatformPacker
Pricing modelusage-basedopen-source
PlatformsWeb, Api, CliLinux, Windows, Mac
Founded20082013

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Packer

  • Image building
  • Multi-platform support
  • Provisioners
  • Builders
  • Post-processors
  • Variables
  • Data sources
  • Validation

Both cover

  • Terraform
  • Docker
  • Encryption
  • 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 Packer
  • Hosting Kubernetes workloads on GKE alongside BigQuery analyticsnot Packer

Packer

  • Building identical machine images for multiple clouds from one templatenot Google Cloud Platform
  • Baking golden AMIs and VM images into a CI pipelinenot Google Cloud Platform
  • Creating immutable infrastructure artifacts consumed by Terraformnot 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

Packer

  • Packer 1.10.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1 with IBM Corporation as licensor, not an OSI open source licence
  • The Additional Use Grant forbids offering Packer to third parties on a hosted or embedded basis in a paid product that competes with IBM's paid versions of Packer
  • Each version converts to the MPL 2.0 Change License only four years after that version is first published, and the Change Date is set separately per version
  • Alternative licensing for uses outside the grant must be arranged with the licensor rather than taken under the public licence

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Cloud Platform

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • Compute Engine 744 hours/month
    • Cloud Storage 5GB
    • Cloud SQL 250MB storage

Packer

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Multi-platform image building
    • Template-driven
    • Provisioner support

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.
Google Cloud Platform review

Choose Packer if

  • You need image building.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac.
  • You also want multi-platform support.
Packer review

Questions people ask

Is Google Cloud Platform or Packer better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Cloud Platform starts at Free and Packer at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Cloud Platform or Packer?
Google Cloud Platform starts at Free and Packer at Free.
Does Google Cloud Platform or Packer run on more platforms?
Google Cloud Platform runs on Web, Api, Cli. Packer runs on Linux, Windows, Mac.
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 Packer is typically brought in for.
What can Google Cloud Platform do that Packer cannot?
Google Cloud Platform covers Compute Engine, App Engine, Cloud Run, Cloud Storage. Packer covers Image building, Multi-platform support, Provisioners, Builders. Both handle Terraform, Docker, Encryption, Cloud deployment.
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