Google Cloud Storage
Google Cloud's object storage service for files, backups, data lakes and website assets.
Updated · AppBreakup editorial · Web
Is Google Cloud Storage free?
Free plan, plus paid plans
- Free tier:
- 5 GiB Standard storage per month
Checked on Google Cloud Storage's site Nov 8, 2026
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All 5
Amazon S3CompareFree Tier: Up to $200 in credits for new AWS customers
Cloudflare R2CompareStandard storage price: $0.015 per GB-month
Azure Blob StorageCompareFree trial: $200 credit for 30 days
- Verified facts
- 6 of 6
- Alternatives ranked
- 5
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 0
About Google Cloud Storage
Google Cloud Storage keeps files of any size as objects in buckets and serves them over an API, the Google Cloud counterpart to Amazon S3. It offers four main storage classes, Standard, Nearline, Coldline and Archive, which trade a lower monthly price for minimum storage periods on the colder classes. Lifecycle rules and Autoclass can move objects between classes automatically based on access. Buckets can be regional, dual-region or multi-region, and the service plugs directly into BigQuery, Vertex AI, Cloud Run and the rest of Google Cloud. Developers use it for app uploads, static assets, backups, analytics data and machine-learning datasets. Pricing is pay-as-you-go for storage, operations and outbound data transfer, with a small monthly free allowance and starting credits for new customers. It is a sensible default for teams already running on Google Cloud, and less so for those wanting zero egress fees.
Best for: Teams on Google Cloud that need durable object storage close to their compute and analytics..
Google Cloud Storage pricing (checked Nov 8, 2026)
Each line is quoted from Google Cloud Storage's own site, with the page it came from.
| Plan or term | What it says | Checked | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 5 GiB Standard storage per month | Nov 8, 2026 | cloud.google.com |
| New customer credit | $300 in free credits | Nov 8, 2026 | cloud.google.com |
| Dual-region Standard storage | $0.022 per GB/month for each region SKU (Iowa + Oregon) | Nov 8, 2026 | cloud.google.com |
| Free plan | Yes, 5 GB-months of Standard storage | Nov 8, 2026 | cloud.google.com |
Pros and cons
What works
- Four storage classes with automatic lifecycle moves
- Small monthly free allowance plus starting credits
- Works directly with BigQuery and other Google Cloud services
- Regional, dual-region and multi-region bucket options
Why people leave
- Outbound data transfer is billed, unlike Cloudflare R2
- Colder classes carry minimum storage durations
- Pricing has many line items and is hard to predict
Google Cloud Storage vs Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2 and Azure Blob Storage
From each app's listing and the prices verified on its own site. A dash means we haven't verified it yet.
| Attribute | Google Cloud Storage | Amazon S3 | Cloudflare R2 | Azure Blob Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan + paid | Free plan + paid | Free plan + paid | Paid |
| Verified price | — | Up to $200 in credits for new AWS customers | $0.015 per GB-month | $200 credit for 30 days |
| Free plan | 5 GiB Standard storage per month | Up to $200 in credits for new AWS customers | 10 GB storage per month | No |
| Open source | No | No | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No | No | No |
| Platforms | Web | Web | Web | Web |
Full Google Cloud Storage vs Amazon S3 comparisonFull Google Cloud Storage vs Cloudflare R2 comparisonFull Google Cloud Storage vs Azure Blob Storage comparison
Top Google Cloud Storage alternatives
See all 5- 1Amazon S368.8
The most widely supported object storage API, with the deepest set of storage classes and tooling.
- 2Cloudflare R264.8
S3-compatible storage with no egress fees, worth it if most of your cost is serving files out.
- 3Azure Blob Storage61.8
Microsoft's equivalent with Hot to Archive tiers, for teams whose workloads run on Azure.
- 4WaWasabi59.4
Flat-rate S3-compatible storage without egress or API request fees, for predictable bills.
- 5
MinIO57.5S3-compatible object store you host yourself, for keeping data on your own hardware.
Why people left Google Cloud Storage
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
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Reviews
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Google Cloud Storage: common questions
What is Google Cloud Storage?
Google Cloud Storage: Google Cloud's object storage service for files, backups, data lakes and website assets. Best for teams on Google Cloud that need durable object storage close to their compute and analytics. Available for Web.
Is Google Cloud Storage free?
Google Cloud Storage has a free plan and paid plans. Free tier: 5 GiB Standard storage per month (checked on Google Cloud Storage's own site).
How much does Google Cloud Storage cost?
Google Cloud Storage is free with paid plans. Free tier: 5 GiB Standard storage per month; New customer credit: $300 in free credits; Dual-region Standard storage: $0.022 per GB/month for each region SKU (Iowa + Oregon); Free plan: Yes, 5 GB-months of Standard storage. Checked on Google Cloud Storage's own site, November 2026.
Is Google Cloud Storage open source?
No, Google Cloud Storage is not open source.
What platforms does Google Cloud Storage run on?
Google Cloud Storage is available for Web.
What are the best alternatives to Google Cloud Storage?
The highest-ranked Google Cloud Storage alternatives right now are Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2 and Azure Blob Storage. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.
Google Cloud Storage vs Amazon S3: what's the difference?
Both Google Cloud Storage and Amazon S3 are free with paid plans. Both run on Web.