Where code runs.
WHAT COMPUTE ENGINE PROVIDES
Virtual machines you control entirely.
What it suits: existing applications, anything needing full control.
What it costs: you patch, secure, scale and monitor them.
WHAT APP ENGINE PROVIDES
A managed platform running your application without server management.
What it suits: web applications where you want no infrastructure concern.
WHAT CLOUD RUN PROVIDES
Containers run on managed infrastructure, scaling to zero when idle.
What it suits: web services, APIs, and anything containerised.
Why it is frequently the right default: you provide a container, and everything else is managed.
WHAT CLOUD FUNCTIONS PROVIDE
Individual functions executed in response to events.
What they suit: event handling, integration, scheduled work.
WHAT KUBERNETES ENGINE PROVIDES
Managed container orchestration.
What it suits: many services, complex deployment requirements, teams with the expertise.
What it costs: substantial operational complexity.
WHAT TO CHOOSE
The most managed option meeting the requirement.
WHAT TO AVOID
Orchestration for a single application Virtual machines chosen out of familiarity
WHAT TO CONSIDER
Whether the workload runs continuously or intermittently, which changes the economics entirely.
