How to get discounts on Google Cloud Platform
- January 4, 2023
- Posted by: Floris
- Category: Google Cloud Platform
Start saving on your monthly Google Cloud Platform spend
Google Cloud Platform provides a variety of tools and services for developing, deploying, and managing applications on the cloud, including:
- Compute services: such as Google Compute Engine, Google Kubernetes Engine, and App Engine, which provide a range of options for running your applications on the cloud.
- Storage and database services: such as Cloud Storage, Cloud Bigtable, and Cloud SQL, which provide scalable and secure storage options for your data
- Data analytics and machine learning services: such as BigQuery, Cloud Machine Learning Engine, and Cloud Datalab, which provide tools for analyzing and visualizing data, and for training and deploying machine learning models.
- Networking and security services: such as Cloud Load Balancing, Cloud CDN, and Cloud Identity and Access Management, which provide tools for networking and security on the cloud.
Google Cloud Platform also offers a range of other services, such as Google Maps, Google Translate, and Google Cloud Functions, which provide additional functionality for building and deploying applications on the cloud.
GCP licensing and pricing
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) offers a variety of pricing and licensing options for its services. Some GCP services are free to use, while others require payment. For paid services, GCP offers a pay-as-you-go pricing model, which charges users for the resources they consume. This means that users only pay for what they use, and can scale up or down their resource usage as needed.
GCP also offers discounts for long-term commitments and volume discounts for high usage. In addition, GCP offers a free trial period for new users to try out its services at no cost. GCP has a number of licensing options for its services, including:
- On-demand licensing: This option allows users to pay for services on an as-needed basis.
- Committed use discounts: This option offers discounts for users who make long-term commitments to use GCP services.
- Sustained use discounts: This option offers additional discounts for users who consistently use GCP services at high levels.
It’s important to note that GCP’s licensing and pricing can vary depending on the specific services being used and the terms of the agreement. It’s always a good idea to carefully review the terms and conditions of any licensing agreement before signing up for GCP services.
GCP Committed Use Discounts
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) offers committed use discounts as a way for users to save money on their cloud computing costs. Committed use discounts are available for many GCP services, including Compute Engine, Kubernetes Engine, and BigQuery.
With committed use discounts, users commit to using a certain amount of a GCP service over a specified period of time (typically one or three years). In return, they receive a discounted rate on their usage of that service.
To qualify for committed use discounts, users must:
- Make a commitment to use a specific GCP service for a certain amount of time.
- Use the committed amount of that service each month.
- Pay for the committed usage upfront.
Committed use discounts can be a good option for users who have predictable workloads and can make long-term commitments to using GCP services. They can also be a good way to save money on cloud computing costs for users who are expecting to use a lot of a particular GCP service over a longer period of time.
It’s important to note that committed use discounts are subject to certain terms and conditions, and may not be available for all GCP services. It’s always a good idea to carefully review the terms and conditions of any committed use discount agreement before signing up for GCP services.
GCP Sustained Use Discounts
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) offers sustained use discounts as a way for users to save money on their cloud computing costs. Sustained use discounts are available for many GCP services, including Compute Engine, Kubernetes Engine, and BigQuery.
With sustained use discounts, users receive a discounted rate on their usage of a GCP service after using a certain amount of that service for a certain number of days in a month. The discount increases as the amount of usage increases, up to a maximum discount.
Sustained use discounts are automatically applied to a user’s account and do not require any upfront commitment or payment. They are applied to the user’s usage of a GCP service on a rolling 30-day basis, so the discounts can change from month to month depending on the user’s usage.
Sustained use discounts can be a good option for users who have unpredictable workloads and cannot make long-term commitments to using GCP services. They can also be a good way to save money on cloud computing costs for users who are expecting to use a lot of a particular GCP service over a longer period of time.
It’s important to note that sustained use discounts are subject to certain terms and conditions, and may not be available for all GCP services. It’s always a good idea to carefully review the terms and conditions of any sustained use discount agreement before using GCP services.
Top 5 ways to optimize your Google Cloud Platform consumption
There are a number of ways to optimize the use of GCP in order to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Here are a few strategies that you can consider:
- 1. Use cost-saving features: GCP offers a number of features that can help you save money on your cloud computing costs, such as sustained use discounts, committed use discounts, and preemptible VMs. Utilizing these features can help you reduce your costs on GCP.
- 2. Right-size your resources: Make sure that you are using the appropriate amount of resources for your workloads. If you are using more resources than you need, you will pay more than necessary. On the other hand, if you are using too few resources, your workloads may not perform optimally.
- 3. Use managed services: GCP offers a number of managed services, such as Cloud SQL and Cloud Bigtable, which can help you save time and reduce the complexity of managing your resources.
- 4. Use automation: Automating tasks, such as resource provisioning and management, can help you save time and reduce the risk of errors. GCP offers a number of tools and services, such as Cloud Functions and Cloud Deployment Manager, that can help you automate tasks on the cloud.
- 5. Monitor your usage and optimize as needed: Regularly monitoring your usage and costs on GCP can help you identify opportunities for optimization. Use tools like Stackdriver to monitor your usage and identify areas where you can improve efficiency.
By implementing these strategies, you can optimize your use of GCP and reduce your costs on the cloud.
GCP compared to Azure and AWS
Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, and Amazon Web Services are three of the leading cloud computing platforms on the market. All three platforms offer a wide range of cloud computing services, including computing, storage, networking, security, and more. Here are some key differences between the three platforms:
- Pricing: All three platforms offer pay-as-you-go pricing models, but the specific pricing for each service can vary. GCP offer committed use discounts and sustained use discounts, while Azure and AWS offers reserved instances and savings plans.
- Services: All three platforms offer a wide range of cloud computing services, but the specific services offered and the features of those services can vary. For example, GCP offers the Cloud Functions serverless platform, while Azure offers Azure Functions and AWS offers Lambda.
- Regions and availability zones: All three platforms have a global presence, with multiple regions and availability zones (AZs) around the world. However, the specific regions and AZs available can vary between the three platforms.
- Integration with other products: GCP integrates with other Google products, such as Google Maps and Google Translate, while Azure integrates with Microsoft products like Office 365 and Dynamics 365. AWS does not have this integration.
Ultimately, the choice between GCP, Azure, and AWS will depend on the specific needs and requirements of your business or organization. It’s a good idea to carefully evaluate the features and pricing of all three platforms before making a decision.
About Google Cloud Platform
Google Cloud Platform is a cloud computing platform and infrastructure created by Google for building, deploying, and managing applications and services on the cloud. It offers a range of cloud services, including computing, data storage, data analytics, machine learning, networking, security, and more.