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Cloud · head to head

Google Cloud Platform vs Zipkin

Google Cloud Platform logo

Google Cloud Platform

Cloud

Trusted by millions of enterprises

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zipkin logo

Zipkin

Cloud

Distributed tracing system for microservice latency

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; Zipkin less active development and smaller community momentum than Jaeger
  • They diverge on capability: Google Cloud Platform covers Compute Engine, Zipkin covers Trace collection and search.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Google Cloud Platform and Zipkin differ
AttributeGoogle Cloud PlatformZipkin
Pricing modelusage-basedOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, Api, CliLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted
Founded2008Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud).

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 Zipkin

  • Trace collection and search
  • Dependency diagram
  • Simple deployment
  • Pluggable storage

What people use each for

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

Google Cloud Platform

  • Cloud infrastructure and computing servicesnot Zipkin
  • Machine learning and data analyticsnot Zipkin
  • Enterprise application hostingnot Zipkin

Zipkin

  • Adding distributed tracing quickly without standing up heavy infrastructurenot Google Cloud Platform
  • Java and Spring Boot estates, where instrumentation support is long-establishednot Google Cloud Platform
  • Small deployments where Jaeger is more than the problem requiresnot 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

Zipkin

  • Less active development and smaller community momentum than Jaeger
  • Fewer features: sampling, storage options and UI are all more limited
  • The interface is dated and slower to work with on large trace volumes
  • Tracing alone still leaves metrics and logs in separate tools during an incident

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Cloud Platform

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

Zipkin

Free
  • ZipkinFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community 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 Zipkin if

  • You need trace collection and search.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
  • You also want dependency diagram.
Zipkin review

Questions people ask

Is Google Cloud Platform or Zipkin better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Cloud Platform starts at Free and Zipkin at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Cloud Platform or Zipkin?
Google Cloud Platform starts at Free and Zipkin at Free.
Does Google Cloud Platform or Zipkin run on more platforms?
Google Cloud Platform runs on Web, Api, Cli. Zipkin runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
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 cloud infrastructure and computing services, machine learning and data analytics, enterprise application hosting. Of those, cloud infrastructure and computing services and machine learning and data analytics are not what Zipkin is typically brought in for.
What can Google Cloud Platform do that Zipkin cannot?
Google Cloud Platform covers Compute Engine, App Engine, Cloud Run, Cloud Storage. Zipkin covers Trace collection and search, Dependency diagram, Simple deployment, Pluggable storage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Google Cloud Platform: What is Google Cloud Platform's pricing model?

Google Cloud uses usage-based pay-as-you-go pricing with options for committed use discounts at 1-year or 3-year terms, which can reduce costs by 25-70%. Pricing varies by region, service, and usage volume.

Source
Zipkin: Is Zipkin free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Google Cloud Platform: Does Google Cloud offer a free tier?

Yes, Google Cloud offers an always-free tier with generous free allowances for development, plus $300 in free credits for new customers during their first 90 days.

Source
Zipkin: Zipkin or Jaeger?

Jaeger has more momentum, more features and CNCF backing. Zipkin is lighter and quicker to stand up, and remains well supported in the Java and Spring ecosystem.

Google Cloud Platform: How do committed use discounts work?

Users can commit to 1-year or 3-year usage of specific services to receive discounts of 25-70% compared to on-demand pricing. These discounts apply to compute, storage, and other services.

Source
Zipkin: Does Zipkin work with OpenTelemetry?

Yes. OpenTelemetry can export to Zipkin, which is now the usual way to instrument for it.

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