Software · head to head
IBM Cloud vs Google Cloud Platform
The short version
- Each has a real cost: IBM Cloud the USD 200 starter cloud credit is valid for 30 days only; Google Cloud Platform the $300 Free Trial credit expires 90 days from signup, whichever comes first with spending it
- They diverge on capability: IBM Cloud covers Virtual Servers, Google Cloud Platform covers Compute Engine.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which IBM Cloud and Google Cloud Platform actually diverge.
| Attribute | IBM Cloud | Google Cloud Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Linux, Windows, Api, Cli | Web, Api, Cli |
| Founded | 2013 | 2008 |
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 IBM Cloud
- Virtual Servers
- Bare Metal
- Cloud Foundry
- Watson AI
- Blockchain
- Databases
- API Gateway
- Ansible
Only in Google Cloud Platform
- Compute Engine
- App Engine
- Cloud Run
- Cloud Storage
- Cloud SQL
- BigQuery
- Dataflow
- Cloud Pub/Sub
Both cover
- Kubernetes
- Terraform
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- Jenkins
- SOC2
- ISO27001
- HIPAA
- Cloud deployment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
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
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
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
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
Pricing, plan by plan
IBM Cloud
Free- Lite PlanFree
- Free services
- Limited resources
- 30-day trial
- Standard PlanFree
- Pay-as-you-go
- Enterprise support
- Advanced services
Google Cloud Platform
Free- Free TierFree
- Compute Engine 744 hours/month
- Cloud Storage 5GB
- Cloud SQL 250MB storage
Which should you pick?
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.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is IBM Cloud or Google Cloud Platform better?
- Neither clearly leads. IBM Cloud starts at Free and Google Cloud Platform at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, IBM Cloud or Google Cloud Platform?
- IBM Cloud starts at Free and Google Cloud Platform at Free.
- Does IBM Cloud or Google Cloud Platform run on more platforms?
- IBM Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli. Google Cloud Platform runs on Web, Api, Cli.
- Can I use IBM Cloud for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is IBM Cloud best used for?
- IBM Cloud is most often used for running containerized and vm workloads on ibm's public cloud, building on watson apis and ibm middleware as managed services. Of those, running containerized and vm workloads on ibm's public cloud and building on watson apis and ibm middleware as managed services are not what Google Cloud Platform is typically brought in for.
- What can IBM Cloud do that Google Cloud Platform cannot?
- IBM Cloud covers Virtual Servers, Bare Metal, Cloud Foundry, Watson AI. Google Cloud Platform covers Compute Engine, App Engine, Cloud Run, Cloud Storage. Both handle Kubernetes, Terraform, Docker, Kubernetes.