Google Cloud Reviews

Pros

GCP is a very complicated platform, with unlimited potential for those who know how to use it; but once you learn how to use a specific tool - it becomes a very powerful and simple tool to use.

I currently only use the Compute Manager (Virtual Machine), VPC Network (External IP) and Network Services (Cloud DNS) to run a cloud-based Wordpress site. Overall, once you learn the system, Google Cloud offers a very powerful solution for web management - giving unlimited potential for upgrades & sizes, allowing for localized solutions & access to the full Google Cloud network, and giving a (cheap) solution for powerful web hosting. With GCP, we spend only $7 a month (CAD), and our site runs significantly faster than it previously did on other hosting services.

On top of that, GCP allows complete control over the backend linux server; which is a learning curve in itself, but offers quick & easy ways to manage every aspect of your website - the PHP version, specific file permissions, custom platform solutions (such as access to install different Google API's).

Cons

Google Cloud Platform is an insanely powerful platform with incredible features, but it also carries a VERY steep learning curve and is not for the faint of heart. While other web hosting services provide a simple interface most people can learn quickly, GCP throws you into the deep-end; requiring deeper knowledge of linux code (for backend management) and an understanding of web hosting in order to operate properly. Fortunately, with numerous guides and support forums/groups out there, it can be easy to learn.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Google Cloud

Switched From

Reasons for Switching to Google Cloud

Pros

The integration with other Google products is particularly impressive and makes it easy to set up. Using Forms for entry to Sheets which sync to BigQuery and DataStudio makes for very quick and easy expansion. Recently they have added a feature whereby query results can be viewed in Sheets for quick, less technical analysis.

I was particularly impressed by BigQuery's free public datasets: such as covid.

AppSheet is much easier to use than MS PowerApps.

They are continually adding novel features, with a natural language processing feature coming soon, allowing SQL queries to be composed using natural English.

Cons

BigQuery does not feel like a mature product yet. The UI can be buggy and is not particularly user friendly.

DataStudio lacks the flexibility of software like MS PowerBI; it lacks basic scientific graphs like boxplots and control charts and I would not recommend it for scientific data.

AppSheet lacks the flexibility of MS PowerApps and is priced per user, making it expensive to scale and greatly reducing the potential use cases.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Google Cloud

Pros

The integration across devices and accounts really streamlines file transfer. It is easy to organize and allows for many folders and other choices to help organize your files.

Cons

Overall cloud size on the base account is too small, however, that is normal for most cloud services.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Google Cloud

Pros

My marketing team uses Google Cloud Platform to collect Google Analytics clickstream data and marry it with structured data from other sources. I analyze that correlated dataset using SQL queries. Some benefits I see off using GCP: I can access data online using a Google email address which I already use for other Google tools. I can export the data extract using Google Sheets and store it in Google Drive. I can import additional data by setting up a daily feed from Google Analytics. So, I get the benefits of a relational database with ability to scale using Google servers.

Cons

Google Cloud Platform is great for importing datasets from Google Analytics and other Google suite tools. But from tools which are not in the Google eco system, it involves heavy lift from ETL developers or architects. Additionally, GCP Bigquery tool has a limit on the volume of queries an analyst can run. Once that limit or cap is crossed, companies have to pay extra. So, using the LIMIT command in SQL becomes critical to limit the numbers of rows. Also, there is a challenge of legacy SQL vs. current version because they use different syntax.

Pros

Many services have free plans.
Easy to use.
Value for money.
Can add collaborators.
Cost tracking.
Free tutorials and documentation are available.
Community support is available.

Cons

Might have steep learning curve.
The User Interfaces might be congested at first.
Some services mightbbe expensive.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Google Cloud

Pros

Generous sign up discounts and pricing afterwards is competitive

Cons

Not as versatile as AWS. For me, AWS is a lot better laid out too and much better documented

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Google Cloud

Pros

GCP has a massive set of products we use on the regular from ML-based, virtual PCs and SQL; they typically have a free-tier you can use to develop on to see if larger deployments will be worth it.

Cons

There's a lot of products/APIs you can leverage and sometimes knowing which one(s) is/are best can be a whole thing in of itself.

Pros

We run all our core business services from Google Cloud including email, document management, productivity and using it as an OAUTH provider for all the other products we use. Their business suite has everything we need for email, scheduling, conferencing and document storage.

Cons

There's not much to dislike unless you're a Microsoft shop that needs features specific to their ecosystem.

Pros

Personally, I have a lot of photos, videos, and files, so I use them every day. I like it because it's cheap. It's very easy to use and I think it's safe because it's Google's software.

Cons

Customer support was not done in real time. I contacted when there was a problem, but it took longer than I expected. I think we need fast customer support.

Pros

I love the high security at a low price

Cons

There isn't anything I disliked it's overall a great software.

Pros

Ease of use. I like the most as a admin when compared to other cloud providers the spec can be customizable & the new cpu type N2d which gives better performance with less price. Easy to deploy vm's.

Cons

Oh! The dislike which comes to my mind is the Migration tool. google's M4ce migration engine version 4 is very difficult to setup , such a complex setup. One good relief is M4ce version 5 which supports migration from vmware which setup is so simple & i have migrated workloads easily. But struggled a lot with version 4.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Google Cloud

Switched From

Reasons for Switching to Google Cloud

Pros

GCP is a powerhouse platform with a lot of flexibility and strengths. Now that they've optimized the platform to make it more understandable for non-engineers, we're using it more often since it is easy to spin up whatever you need.

Cons

While GCP was behind AWS for quite a while, Google had a slow start to be an approachable platform for the less tech-savvy. Even now, there are more options and switches than sometimes seem appropriate.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Google Cloud

Reasons for Switching to Google Cloud

Pros

Google Cloud provided an intuitive, user-friendly experience that made setting up and managing my cloud environment a breeze. The support team was knowledgeable and always available to help answer questions. The cloud platform was reliable and provided a secure environment for my data.

Cons

Google Cloud is not the most cost-effective option, as there are cheaper alternatives available. There were also some issues with the user interface being a bit clunky at times.

Pros

Google Cloud has made my job so much easier. As a teacher, I have to store my data, assignments, and everything else digitally. I tried other platforms but they all were clunky, difficult to use, or non-compatible with other services. Google fixed all of that. All of my data is at my fingertips and, as an educator, I will never leave this product.

Cons

Since everything is connected through Google, there is sometimes some overlap in different apps that do similar-but-technically-different functions. It can be a little frustrating to work in one thing and then find that a different app does it much better.

Pros

In the context of education, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is wonderfully accessible, powerful and useful. Connecting to virtual instances is simple when deploying both Linux and Windows. The instances can be accessed through SSH and there is even a Chrome extension (Chrome RDP) that facilitates connections to Windows under any operating system in use. The platform is extremely well integrated with courses that the same company offers as part of their MOOCs. Instances are responsive and allow to really dig deep without the fear of breaking anything for real. They each get their own IP address accessible publicly so it is a breeze to launch background services and servers inside an instance and test functionality from the outside world. I am not personally familiar with all the tools available, but I know I can count on the platform to support any future development I might do with big data and machine learning. Because Google also offers open source libraries such as TensorFlow which are an integral part of the platform, I know I will not be limited with scalability issues anytime soon when relying on this service.

Cons

Like any software of comparable complexity, the hardest part is always getting started, because everything feels so overwhelming. When opening the dashboard for the first time, you can click on the menu to access an impressive long list of available products. Since there are so many aspects to learn, I would find it very useful to have a shortcut next to each item that goes directly to the most relevant documentation page on the subject. I have also been annoyed once or twice in a MOOC connected to a virtual instance on Google Cloud Platform when I was informed that the instance was ready but in reality I would still need to wait longer for all tools to be properly loaded, hence some confusion was generated from the fact that I would have to close and re-open the instance to see a new file appear or something similar. I wish the communication between GCP and the information available from a course connected to the platform could be more accurate. Knowing this little pitfall and knowing there is a very good documentation available with many tutorials does help to get pass those initial hurdles.

Pros

Google Cloud left an indelible mark on me with its outstanding features and capabilities. The scalability and flexibility it offered were unparalleled, allowing us to effortlessly adjust resources based on our evolving needs. The robust security measures implemented by Google ensured our data remained protected and gave us peace of mind. The wide array of services and tools available within the platform empowered us to tackle complex tasks with ease. The seamless integration with other Google products facilitated a cohesive workflow. Above all, the reliability and performance of Google Cloud solidified its position as our preferred cloud computing solution.

Cons

While Google Cloud offers an impressive range of features, there were a few areas that fell short of my expectations. One drawback was the complexity of the platform, which required a significant learning curve to fully grasp and utilize its capabilities. Additionally, the pricing structure felt somewhat convoluted, making it challenging to estimate costs accurately. The customer support, although available, sometimes took longer than desired to address our queries. We also experienced occasional performance issues during peak usage times. Despite these shortcomings, Google Cloud's overall performance and feature set make it a compelling choice for cloud computing needs.

Pros

I love how user-friendly and easy-to-use GCP is. Despite having no prior knowledge of cloud implementation, GCP's clear documentation and built-in automations helped me quickly overcome the learning curve. The platform's user-friendly libraries further simplified complex tasks, allowing me to focus on my project's core aspects.

Cons

You have to be aware on how each feature will impact your expenses on cloud, even though you have ways of managing and limiting their costs, the way they bill the tools usage are not really clear, and you have to look out for every little feature that is enabled when you activate a new tool and the costs they bring along.

Alternatives Considered

Pros

Like all cloud software, I love how easy it is to import data and incorporate it into my work-flow for spinning up marketing dashboards. I specifically like Google Cloud Platform for its multiple integrations into Google Data Studio and other platforms, such as Datorama.

Cons

Like most Google products, I wish it was easier to integrate into third-party (non-Google) products.

Pros

One of the most modern cloud service providers provides a cloud console that makes it simple for users to interact with a wide variety of cloud-based services. Navigating the menu is easy because each service is broken down into a number of distinct categories. There is a cloud shell capability that allows you to use a command line interface to interact with the cloud as well.
There is no need for everyone to travel to the company to participate in the development of our video game projects because we can publish and manage them online.
It's a cinch to set up.

Cons

Everything appears to be in fine working order. You can manage, administer, and monitor cloud resources without experiencing any delays by utilizing the GUI. It appears to me that there is significant room for improvement in the user interface in order to provide a more engaging user experience.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Google Cloud

Pros

I really like that Google Cloud gives to me and my team a full suite of services for data management, from storage to reporting and analytics. The platform is cost competitive in comparison to other similar resources, and allows us to manage our very complex data efficiently. There are frequent updates and new features, ensuring that we always have access to the latest technology while maintaining a high level of security, automated backups and data storage.

Cons

Customer support is the biggest issue for us since any time we were in need, responses were so slow! Even on very urgent matters, things were not expedited enough.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Google Cloud

Pros

Cloud storage and compute engine are very powerful tools that we have been happy with. We use these on top of firebase and it made sense to stick with GCP rather than AWS or Azure. The client-side cloud storage API is very easy to work with. We use compute engine to host a basic web server in a docker contains, and it has been a good experience overall.

Cons

I have not figured out how and where to open a support case. Cloud console and the google issue tracker are one of several options. It can take several days to answer simple questions.

Documentation is good, but spread out. For example, there is documentation for firebase functions and google cloud functions. The documentation is similar but not exactly the same, so it's unclear which we should be using. It would be nice to have more consolidated GCP documentation.

Alternatives Considered

Pros

rewarding the experience of how simple and fast it is to operate different services

Cons

the price in my opinion is quite enough

Pros

Integrating with google cloud is very straightforward and it's fantastically easy to use compared to competitors such as AWS. The capabilities are comparable with the biggest players in the space but google cloud is much easier to use.

Cons

Something to be wary of is pricing as it can ramp up quickly depending on which services you utilize. The customer support is also not quite where it should be for a company of this size.

Pros

It's like a Swiss army knife, it has everything you need in one place just a few clicks of the mouse away, the experience of the platform is very easy to use for those who are just starting out or those who are already an expert.

Cons

I don't like your payment system, the way you invoice should have multiple options such as the use of a debit card or prepaid credit subscriptions for the use of virtual machines, just having credit cards keeps many from spending more

Alternatives Considered

Pros

One of the pros of Google Cloud Platform is its strong focus on security. It offers several security features, such as identity and access management, encryption, and network security. Additionally, its global network of data centers and edge locations provide fast and reliable performance.Another pro is its wide range of services and integrations with other Google products. This allows users to easily integrate their existing Google tools and technologies with their cloud infrastructure.

Cons

Some users may find the pricing of Google Cloud Platform to be a con. It can be complex and difficult to understand, making it challenging to accurately predict and manage costs. Additionally, some users may find the user interface to be overwhelming and not as user-friendly as other cloud platforms.

Alternatives Considered