Over the last few years, Google Cloud has grown at the fastest rate of any cloud service provider today. From 2020 to 2021, Google Cloud’s IaaS offering, GCP, grew 64%, followed by Microsoft Azure (51%) and Alibaba Cloud (42%), according to Gartner.
Yet Google Cloud isn’t flawless. Here’s what we mean and some of the top Google Cloud alternatives you’ll want to consider today.
What Is Google Cloud?
Google Cloud is Alphabet’s cloud services provider, offering Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and serverless solutions.
Additionally, Google Cloud provides website hosting, cloud storage, Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS), virtual desktop (Google Workspace), and managed services to organizations of all sizes.
Google Cloud is also home to the Google Cloud Platform (GCP), its public cloud infrastructure offering.
The platform also holds 11% of the cloud service market, trailing behind Amazon Web Services (AWS) with 33% and Microsoft Azure with 21%. Despite this, Google Cloud is growing rapidly — and for good reason.
Google Cloud advantages
According to Gartner, Google Cloud adoption has increased because:
- It offers robust Kubernetes container technologies (Google Kubernetes Engine or GKE).
- It supports advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) Models.
- It is considerably more affordable for some products than AWS and Azure.
- It is more user-friendly than, say AWS.
- If you are used to Google services such as Gmail, Drive, and Docs, adopting Google Cloud may not have a steep learning curve.
- The platform has also expanded its partner network and availability zones to reach a wider customer base.
- In addition, if you want to leverage robust cloud data analytics, Google Cloud’s Internet Search background makes it an ideal choice.
- The Google Cloud also supports many open-source projects if you plan to use a significant number in your cloud applications.
But, not so fast. If you choose to use Google Cloud services, be aware of the following.
Google Cloud limitations
There are a few shortcomings to using Google Cloud.
- The Google Cloud offers a wide range of cloud products and services. The result is complexity, making it difficult to learn, adapt, and optimize.
- The platform offers a wide range of capabilities, which can lead to dependence and vendor lock-in.
- Several recent revelations show that the platform cooperates closely with the US government, raising security and privacy concerns.
- Google Cloud’s pricing changes more frequently than its competitors. This unpredictability could be costly if prices rise against your plans.
- The on-demand nature of Google Cloud services can make them expensive and difficult to manage.
- The Google Cloud has the fewest cloud products among the top three competitors. And this could be limiting your options regarding regional coverage and disaster recovery capabilities.
- Google Cloud has historically delivered better uptime than Azure, but less than AWS, according to Network World.
As long as you don’t mind these drawbacks, Google Cloud might be your best choice for cloud services. Alternatively, you may choose one of the best Google Cloud alternatives we’ll share below.
First, here are some factors you’ll want to consider before making a decision, whether you are new to the cloud or searching for a cloud service provider.
What To Look For In Your Google Cloud Alternatives
Consider the following.
- Supported services – Your provider doesn’t have to offer as many services as Google Cloud and GCP. Still, the Google Cloud alternative should cover your cloud computing needs – now and in the foreseeable future.
- Reliability – Choose a cloud provider with a solid track record of service availability. If it offers a Service Level Agreement (SLA) to back it up, even better.
- Data center locations – If you need a cloud provider with a broader footprint, you may need to go with Azure or AWS. But if you can localize your requirements to specific locations, you can choose a smaller provider. Yet, more locations would make data backup and disaster recovery easier, thereby minimizing single points of failure.
- Total Cost of Ownership – Google Cloud services tend to be slightly cheaper than many AWS or Azure products, so ensure you get the best price-performance from your new cloud provider.
- Cloud security – Security in the cloud follows a shared responsibility model. Yet, it’s crucial to verify that your Google Cloud alternative offers adequate security and compliance tools for your workloads.
- Technical support – If you need assistance, your cloud provider should be able to help. For example, many smaller providers, such as Linode and Vultr, provide 24/7 support without charging a premium.
- Performance – It’s essential to choose an alternative to Google Cloud that provides a good range of compute configurations to support optimal performance for various use cases.
- Scalability – The best cloud providers support auto-scaling, which can help you meet performance requirements with minimal cloud resource waste.
- Compliance – Choose a cloud provider that meets your industry’s regulations, regardless of how many other standards they meet.
- Vendor lock-in – Some cloud providers support open-source architecture, allowing you to integrate various components into your stack to meet your diverse needs.
Considering these factors will enable you to narrow down Google Cloud alternatives that are right for you.
Overall Top Google Cloud Alternative – Amazon Web Services (AWS)
AWS offers many of the same products and services as Google Cloud, including IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS solutions. However, AWS offers more in terms of the sheer number of services available (240+) and platform maturity.
AWS features
- 240+ services across compute, storage, AI/ML, analytics, IoT, and more
- Manage user access and permissions across your AWS environment
- Automatically adjusts resources to match workload demand
- Run code with AWS Lambda without managing infrastructure
- Extend AWS infrastructure and services to on-prem environments
- Track, visualize, and optimize AWS spending with custom insights
AWS pricing
AWS pricing is based on a pay-as-you-go model. It means you pay according to the amount of cloud resources you consume. With On-Demand pricing, there is no upfront fee or contract to sign. However, you can save up to 72% if you commit to using the service for one or three years instead of per hour.
Check out our guide to AWS vs GCP pricing here for more details.
AWS pros
- Includes an extensive number of services, making it an all-in-one cloud
- Each service offers deep functionality, such as separate services for Docker and Kubernetes-based container technologies
- Its extensive coverage means you can deploy workloads all over the world
- World-class cloud and physical infrastructure security
- Superior data backup and disaster recovery layers
- Generous free tiers, such as 750 hours free
- Excellent uptime track record despite its numerous products and global cloud infrastructure
- Pay-as-you-go pricing
AWS cons
- The sheer breadth of products can be overwhelming
- Pricing is often complex, leading to overspending and poor optimization
- Google Cloud is significantly cheaper in many services
- AWS’s IaaS offering requires more advanced expertise than GCP, which offer pre-configurations
Best Google Cloud Alternative For Small Organizations – Vultr
Vultr is great for small businesses that need fast cloud infrastructure, web hosting, and customer support. The platform is also a top Google Cloud alternative if you want powerful APIs and a control panel.
Vultr features
- Powerful control panel – Easily manage and share access to your Vultr cloud computing infrastructure seamlessly.
- In-built DDOS mitigation – Each instance comes with a mitigation capacity of up to 10 Gbps to handle increased loads.
- KVM-based platform – Upload your own operating system image, from Linux to Windows to FreeBSD.
- Kubernetes – Vultr Kubernetes Service is fully managed to optimize container management.
- High-performance IP network – Includes high-speed private and public networking to support rapid data transfers.
- Website hosting – Use a modern, fast web hosting service to support your dynamic traffic and hosting needs in the cloud.
Vultr pricing
As with Google Cloud pricing, Vultr charges based on factors such as virtual machine type and usage period. Vultr Compute starts at $2.50 per month or $28 per month for Optimized Cloud Compute. Pricing for fully automated bare metals starts at $120 per month, and cloud GPUs start at $0.03 per hour.
Vultr pros
- Ultra-fast SSD VPS servers and a broad array of NVIDIA GPUs
- Enterprise-grade security, flexibility, and scalability platform for SMBs
- User-friendly platform, including One-Click deploy and 60-second configuration
- Cost-effective pricing compared to Google Cloud services
- Multiple data center locations (32 and growing) compared to close alternatives such as Kamatera
Vultr cons
- A limited number of data center locations, leading to latency if deploying in regions not near you
- No volume discounts for now
- Ticketing-based support could be faster, especially on weekends and holidays
Best Google Cloud Alternative For Mid-Sized Organizations – DigitalOcean
DigitalOcean is a favorite for startups and developer teams looking for reliable infrastructure without the complexity of large cloud platforms. Since acquiring Cloudways, DigitalOcean now also offers fully managed hosting, making it a strong Google Cloud alternative for fast-growing businesses.
The platform now spans over 15 global data centers, offering simplified cloud infrastructure, managed K8s, and cost-effective compute plans.
DigitalOcean features
- Simple cloud VPS services with managed or self-managed options
- Cloudways for scalable, fully managed app hosting
- App Platform for rapid app deployment without managing infrastructure
- Kubernetes clusters with built-in monitoring
- Developer-focused tools, API, CLI, and marketplace
- Block storage, object storage, and managed databases
DigitalOcean pricing
Transparent, usage-based pricing starting at $4/month for VMs. Storage, database, and bandwidth add-ons are billed separately. Free tier includes static sites, data transfer, and DNS management.
DigitalOcean pros
- Superior Linux support
- Excellent documentation and technical support
- Developer-friendly and includes a Developer Center
- Supports broad cloud computing capabilities, from compute and containers to serverless and web hosting
- Available across eight regions globally
- Simpler UI, API, and CLI compared to Google Cloud
- More affordable pricing for medium-sized enterprises vs GCP
- Free offers (three static sites, data transfer to and within VPCs, cloud firewalls, DNS management, etc)
DigitalOcean cons
- Limited global infrastructure coverage (15 data centers only)
- Limited service offerings
- Designed for technical operators
- Scaling storage needs could be simpler
Best Google Cloud Alternative For Enterprises – Microsoft Azure
Currently, Microsoft Azure is the second largest cloud provider in the world. Furthermore, it offers extensive global cloud infrastructure and geographical locations. Azure is a lot like GCP, but with more enterprise-grade capabilities.
Azure features
- PaaS, IaaS, and SaaS: Strong platform for app development and edge computing.
- Hybrid and Multi-cloud support: Integrate public and private clouds seamlessly.
- Auto-scaling: Dynamically scale resources to match workload needs.
- IAM support: Enterprise-grade access control across your Azure environment.
- Backup and disaster recovery: Multi-layered protection with global data centers.
- Azure Cost Management: Track and manage Azure spend natively.
- AWS matching: Ideal for teams using Microsoft 360 or Windows-based workloads.
Azure pricing
Pricing for Azure cloud services is based on usage. Each service has its own billing and price per hour or second. There is no upfront fee or commitment required to get started. Rather, you pay a monthly fee based on your usage. Like Google Cloud, Azure offers discounts for committed usage, including Reserved Instances (RIs) and Savings Plans.
Azure pros
- Extensive cloud infrastructure to support low-latency global computing
- Excellent edge computing
- Top alternative to Google Cloud for hybrid cloud deployments
- Supports pay-as-you-go pricing
- Get up to 57% discounts for committed usage and 90% off with spot VMs
- Great uptime, backed by 99.9% SLAs
- Most affordable option for Windows licenses
- Solid virtual desktop offering (Supports Microsoft 360 suite of apps natively)
Azure cons
- Wide range of services can be overwhelming
- Complex pricing
- High potential for vendor lock-in
- Requires advanced experts to configure and maintain
- Limited cost management capabilities
Check out our comparison guide to AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud Platform here to decide which major cloud provider is best for your requirements.
Still Shopping? Here Are Even More Google Cloud Alternatives
In this section, we’ll look at other alternatives to Google Cloud and GCP, giving you more options to find the cloud provider that’s right for you.
Alibaba Cloud
Alibaba Cloud is similar to Google Cloud in multiple ways. It offers a single platform for IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS deployments. However, like AWS, Alibaba Cloud has a strong e-commerce background in Alibaba.com.
Alibaba Cloud features
- All-in-one CSP: 100+ services across compute, storage, containers, AI/ML, and more
- Cloud firewall: Built-in firewalls, anti-DDoS, IAM, and security tools
- Elastic Compute: High-performance virtual servers for various workloads
- Database backups: Support for relational, NoSQL, and data warehouse storage
- Hybrid and multi-cloud: Deploy across public and private cloud environments
- DCDN: Dynamic content delivery with acceleration capabilities
Alibaba Cloud pricing
Similar to Google Cloud Platform, Alibaba Cloud pricing is pay-as-you-go. You pay only for what you use with free offers and discounts for committed usage.
Alibaba Cloud pros
- Designed for businesses and workloads of all types and sizes
- Has data centers in six continents, 22 regions, 63 Availability Zones (4 in the US), and over 70 locations globally
- Offers over 50 free tier products and a 60% renewal discount
- If you are planning on deploying in your Asia market, this is the most popular cloud provider
- Discounted storage
- Easier to set up backup servers and mirror sites
Alibaba Cloud cons
- Limited data centers outside Asia
- Smaller selection of engineers are familiar with it
- Fewer integrations than Google Cloud
- Quite similar to Google Cloud in complexity
Kamatera Cloud
What is special about Kamatera Cloud is that it is more user-friendly with an easier setup process and intuitive UI than Google Cloud. It also offers discounts on storage and makes it easier to set up backup servers and mirror sites.
Kamatera features
- Managed VPC: Build a secure, enterprise-grade virtual cloud
- Cloud desktop: Launch high-performance virtual desktops
- Website hosting: Fast, reliable web hosting
- Unlimited scaling: Scale apps without infrastructure limits
- Load balancers: Optimize performance across distributed workloads
Kamatera pros
- 150+ server configurations possible
- Enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure
- More affordable vs Google Cloud
- More user-friendly
- Managed and unmanaged VPS
- Run 100+ operating system images
- 99.95% uptime guarantee despite limited coverage
Kamatera cons
- Just 14 global data centers are located in the US and Europe, limiting deployment in other locations
- Customer support costs a premium
- Limited cloud services compared to Google Cloud, so it’s ideal for small businesses
IBM Cloud
IBM Cloud isn’t trying to compete with AWS or Google Cloud on breadth — instead, it focuses on hybrid and multi-cloud deployments, especially for enterprises using Red Hat, VMware, or SAP. If your workloads are sensitive, compliance-heavy, or need to run across multiple environments, IBM Cloud is worth considering.
Their edge-ready infrastructure, strong open-source partnerships, and global data centers make them a solid Google Cloud alternative for regulated industries and cloud-native transformations.
IBM Cloud features
- Supports hybrid and multi-cloud strategies
- Deep integration with Red Hat OpenShift
- On-premises deployment support
- Strong security model: protect data in use, in transit, and at rest
- Full SAP, VMware, and Kubernetes support
- Cloud-native services with AI, IoT, and blockchain tools
IBM Cloud pricing
Pay-as-you-go pricing with options for Reserved Instances and enterprise subscriptions. Offers 40+ free-tier products, including Watson API and cloud monitoring tools.
IBM pros
- Offers over 170 cloud products and services across 15 categories
- Over 60 global data centers across six continents
- Combines PaaS and IaaS capabilities to deliver an integrated experience
- Supports hybrid and multi-cloud deployments
- Works seamlessly on-premises
- Great for your SAP and VMWare applications
- Deep enterprise-grade security and computing capabilities
- Supports Red Hat OpenShift and Kubernetes
IBM cons
- Setting up bare metal servers can be quite time-consuming
- A limited number of offerings vs Google Cloud
- Might not be less complex or cheaper than Google Cloud
OVHCloud
OVHCloud is Europe’s leading cloud service provider and a strong Google Cloud alternative for organizations focused on data privacy, regulatory compliance, and cost control. While known for VPS and hosting, OVHCloud now offers a broader cloud infrastructure and a growing global presence.
They’ve expanded to over 40 data centers across four continents, with strong privacy controls, GDPR-first policies, and European-based data handling — making them a top pick for privacy-conscious teams.
OVHCloud features
- Virtual Private Servers and dedicated servers with full root access
- Managed Kubernetes service for containerized applications
- Edge computing with 40+ Points of Presence for low-latency workloads
- Web and app hosting with strong price-performance ratio
- New data centers in Asia-Pacific, North America, and Europe
- Compliance-focused infrastructure for GDPR and local laws
OVHCloud pricing
Pay-as-you-go model with discounts for committed use. Pricing depends on configuration and usage time. Offers public, private, and hybrid cloud options.
OVHCloud pros
- Dedicated servers for SMEs
- Cost-effective web hosting service
- Robust VPS service
- More than 40 global data centers across 4 continents
- Supports managed VMWare virtualization
- Asia-Pacific locations are ideal if you are targeting this developing market
- Includes a managed Kubernetes service for containerized applications
- Offers help to migrate from on-premises to its private or public cloud environment
- Pre-configurations enable you to deploy a Big Data & analytics platform in under an hour
- 100% dedicated resources for your public cloud
OVHCloud cons
- No built-in email service
- Limited or slow technical support
- Limited server locations
Linode Cloud
Linode, now part of Akamai Connected Cloud, is a strong alternative to Google Cloud for small to mid-sized teams, especially those running Linux workloads. Akamai acquired Linode in 2022 and has since integrated its developer-friendly cloud services into its global edge infrastructure.
Akamai now provides the same Linux-powered virtual machines, simple pricing, and high-performance NVMe storage Linode was known for — with broader reach and security baked in.
Linode features
- Linux-powered VMs with predictable flat pricing
- High-memory compute for intensive data workloads
- Cloud firewall, DDoS protection, and private networking
- Managed services available for hands-free operations
- One-click app deployments via Cloud Manager
Akamai (Linode) pricing
Flat-fee pricing model with bundled resources. Plans start at $36/month or $0.054/hour for 2vCPUs, 4GB RAM, 80GB storage, 4TB transfer, and 40/4 Gbps network speeds.
Linode pros
- Reliable Linux cloud hosting with simple billing
- Now backed by Akamai’s global infrastructure and CDN
- Includes high-performance NVMe block storage
- User-friendly APIs and control panel
- Strong uptime SLA (99.99%)
- Great support and developer experience
Linode cons
- Smaller product ecosystem than Google Cloud
- Limited data center footprint compared to AWS or Azure
Some setup tasks still require technical know-how
Oracle Cloud
Oracle Cloud is a strong Google Cloud alternative if you need an all-in-one platform with deep enterprise roots. It’s built for running databases, analytics, and enterprise apps — and recently, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) has expanded to support advanced AI workloads, including training large models and running inference at scale.
OCI now delivers high-performance computing with flexible pricing, multi-cloud support, and sovereign cloud options for data-sensitive regions.
Oracle Cloud features
- Oracle Autonomous Database for hands-free database management
- High-performance AI/ML infrastructure with NVIDIA GPUs
- Oracle Cloud Guard for built-in IAM, DDoS protection, and compliance
- Supports hybrid and multi-cloud deployments
- Seamless integration for Oracle ERP, CRM, and BI apps
- Flexible VM shapes and bare metal servers
- New sovereign cloud regions for data residency compliance
Oracle Cloud pricing
Pay-as-you-go pricing with deep discounts for committed usage. Oracle’s BYOL model helps reduce costs for existing Oracle customers. Over 100 services are included in the free tier.
Oracle Cloud pros
- Extensive global data center infrastructure to support low-latency applications
- All-in-one cloud service provider like Google Cloud
- High-performance computing
- Migrate your on-premises workloads to the OCI platform as is
- Oracle-Bring-Your-Own licenses help reduce costs on OCI
- Great for running ERP, CRM, BI, and CSP solutions
- Ideal for both small and large enterprises (not necessarily SMBs)
Oracle Cloud cons
- It is not necessarily a less complex alternative to Google Cloud
- Not the best .NET experiences
- Understanding and controlling Oracle Cloud costs can be challenging, similar to managing Google Cloud costs
That’s it.
If you need a Google Cloud alternative now or in the near future, these cloud service providers can help.
Before switching, we recommend assessing each provider’s products and services more closely, especially those related to migration, service level agreements, and pricing.
As for getting exact cost data in the cloud, native cost management tools often provide an overview – not the big picture and the actionable details you need to stop overspending.
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The step-by-step guide to cost maturity
