AWS vs Google Cloud (GCP)

AWS RDS and Google Cloud SQL offer entry-level managed database hosting, though they differ in how they pack resources into their base billing tiers. AWS RDS starts at $11.68/mo and scales to $116.07/mo, providing a consistent 2 vCPU count alongside 1 GB to 8 GB of RAM. Google Cloud SQL presents a wider range, starting cheaper at $7.11/mo and reaching $230.00/mo. Google allows for more aggressive scaling, offering up to 16 GB of RAM and 4 vCPU cores, while including between 10 GB and 200 GB of provisioned storage in their baseline configurations.

• Google Cloud SQL charges $0.08/GB for additional disk storage, which is slightly more efficient than the $0.12/GB overage rate applied by AWS RDS.
• Both providers align on network costs, charging $0.09/GB for egress, keeping the penalty for data-heavy application traffic identical across both platforms.
• Google provides a higher memory ceiling of 16 GB compared to the 8 GB limit found in the equivalent AWS RDS instance range.
• AWS maintains a static 2 vCPU floor for its entry-tier instances, whereas Google offers a smaller 1 vCPU option for lighter workloads.

Choosing between these two depends on your specific memory and disk requirements. Google Cloud SQL is better suited for applications that need more memory headroom or larger initial disk allocations without immediate cost spikes. AWS RDS remains a reliable choice for teams already deeply integrated into the AWS ecosystem who prefer the predictable performance of the 2 vCPU baseline. Neither provider offers unlimited IOPS at these lower tiers, so if you are running write-heavy workloads, you will eventually hit performance walls regardless of which vendor you select.