Top Google Cloud Alternatives for 2025
- by jean lou
- in Cloud
- View 477
- Date 27 May, 25
Both businesses and individuals consider Google Cloud to be one of the best cloud computing and storage solutions. There's no doubt that due to its excellent development tools, accurate data analytics, APIs, and secure infrastructure, however, some of the challenges and disadvantages of Google Cloud have made many businesses and startups look for Google Cloud Alternatives. If you are one of these people and are planning to migrate from Google Cloud to an alternative cloud service, we are here to help you.
Why Consider Google Cloud Alternatives
Google products are convenient and seemingly free. However, in recent years, the Google name has become synonymous with privacy violations, data breaches, and legality under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Google's history of blatant disregard for data protection has led a growing list of EU member countries, including Austria, France, Denmark, and Italy, to ban Google products such as Google Analytics, Google Workspace, and Google Chromebook. However, these are not the only reasons why you should look for an alternative to Google Cloud. For example, consider the following challenges:
- Steep learning curve: Google Cloud Platform can be complex and confusing for beginners, especially those with limited knowledge of cloud technology. It requires a thorough understanding of Linux and adaptation to the cloud environment.
- Frequent interface changes: Google Cloud Platform's web browser interface is constantly changing, which can be confusing for users. This can affect user experience and productivity.
- Inconsistent customer service: Users reported slow responses from the Google Cloud support team, especially for non-critical issues. Some users also reported that they could not contact customer support unless they paid for a support plan.
- Difficulties with data migration: Some users encountered problems migrating their virtual machines from one region to another. The process can be complex and confusing, requiring considerable time and effort.
- Billing and cancellation issues: Users have reported difficulty removing credit card information, canceling subscriptions, and resolving billing issues. Some users have also reported being mistakenly charged large amounts, with refunds taking several days to process.
If you're concerned about data privacy and want a reliable alternative, MonoVM's Cloud VPS offers a secure and customizable solution that puts you in control of your infrastructure.
Considering the risks associated with using Google products, it becomes clear that you need to find Google Cloud competitors. We've done our best to provide a comprehensive list of Google Cloud alternatives for businesses.
Top Google Cloud Alternatives
Here you can see the best alternatives to Google Cloud along with their key features and pricing. Also, you can see which option is ideal for you.
1. Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Amazon is one of the Google Cloud competitors that offers cloud computing platforms and on-demand APIs to individuals and organizations under the umbrella of Amazon Web Services. Amazon Web Services is an excellent alternative to Google Cloud, which provides its services on a pay-as-you-go basis. AWS offers a wide range of cloud-based products, including computing, IoT, security, and more.
Furthermore, Amazon AWS is the largest shareholder in the cloud market. It holds approximately 32-34% of the cloud market share, according to a recent Synergy Research Group report. Dow Jones, Airbnb, Autodesk, and Baidu are the leading companies using AWS cloud services.
Key Features
- Identity and Access Management: At the enterprise level, there are multiple users performing different operations. AWS's Identity and Access Management feature allows you to define user roles and permissions. It helps organizations grant specific access to specific users.
- AWS Advisor: This feature acts as an advisor. It inspects the AWS environment and helps you maximize resource utilization, save money, and optimize your application performance.
- Scalability: AWS's scalability is very useful for most customers. Customers can acquire resources based on their needs. They would only have to pay for the services and resources they consume.
- Physical Security: Amazon has years of experience managing data centers. AWS data centers are physically secured to eliminate unauthorized access to servers.
Pricing
AWS cloud services are priced based on usage. You don't need to enter into long-term contracts and pay for them. Fortunately, there are no hidden fees, complex licensing requirements, or termination costs when you work with AWS.
Ideal for: Large enterprises, complex projects, a wide range of cloud services including AI, machine learning, and analytics
2. Microsoft Azure
In 2010, Microsoft launched a cloud computing service that allows applications to be built, deployed, and managed through Microsoft-managed data centers. It is one of the most popular GCP alternatives, holding a large market share. More than 200 products and services are designed to provide new cloud computing solutions.
A recent report from Synergy Research Group indicates that Azure held a 20% share of the cloud computing market in the fourth quarter of 2020. Azure's top customers include Adobe, ASOS, Accenture, and Reuters.
Key Features
- Backup and Disaster Recovery: Azure can help you create backup copies of your files and folders. Azure Recovery Service Vault stores customer backup data. In the event of data loss, it can be easily recovered from the backup stored by Azure.
- Data Security: Security is one of the most important factors for any business. However, Microsoft Azure offers multiple levels of security to customers. Customers can customize security according to their needs.
- Analytics: Administrators can view all user activity within an organization. They can monitor all user logins, administrative changes, email logs, and more.
- Azure Advisor: The Azure Advisor feature is very useful for resource utilization. It analyzes the environment to optimize costs and performance.
Pricing
The cost of Azure cloud services depends on the resources you want for your business. You can use the Azure pricing calculator to calculate the estimated price of the services you need.
Ideal for: Businesses using Microsoft products, needing robust cloud solutions
If you’re looking for OS-specific cloud alternatives, a Linux VPS may be a good option for you.
3. DigitalOcean
Digital Ocean is one of the most renowned cloud service providers in the world. To compare Google Cloud vs DigitalOcean, we can say it is one of the best alternatives to Google Cloud, offering a wide range of cloud products and services at a competitive price. That’s why it can be one of the cheapest Google Cloud alternatives. If we compare the cost of a cloud instance, it is 26% cheaper than Azure and 28% cheaper than AWS. Developers can certainly deploy and scale their applications in the cloud using Digital Ocean's cloud services. Digital Ocean provides simple solutions to complex problems.
Key Features
- Ease of Learning: Most cloud-based platforms are very complex, and you need to take courses to understand the system. However, Digital Ocean provides developers with a simple and easy-to-learn platform for deploying and managing applications in the cloud.
- Compute: You can build and deliver applications in the cloud using Digital Ocean's scalable compute products. It offers flexible server configurations for any application.
- Storage: You can store and access data of any size using Digital Ocean's cloud storage.
- Secure Networking: Digital Ocean provides the services needed to secure and control traffic. It also load balances and filters traffic to your applications.
Pricing
Prices vary for the various cloud-based services and products here. However, pricing starts at $5 per month for a 1GB processor, a 25GB SSD, and 1000GB of data transfer. You can get the expected pricing for the required services on the Digital Ocean official website.
Ideal for: Independent developers, startups, and small teams looking for a cost-effective service with a simple and easy-to-learn environment.
4. Linode
Linode is an American private cloud hosting company that provides cloud hosting solutions and virtual private servers. It is one of the GCP alternatives for small, medium, and large businesses. It allows you to deploy and manage applications on cloud-based platforms with a wide range of features. Also, it is one of the cheapest Google Cloud alternatives.
Key Features
- Storage: Linode provides reliable storage services to customers. You can access scalable block and object storage for your data. Object storage can be used to store data across a server cluster.
- Backup and Recovery: You can access backup and recovery services from Linode for your data. In the event of data loss, you can recover your data in seconds.
- Development Tools: There are numerous development tools available for customers, including CLI, Linode API, Cloud Manager, and many more.
Pricing
Several plans are available for shared and dedicated CPUs. Shared plans start at $5/month, and dedicated CPU plans start at $30/month. Similarly, a high-memory plan for 24GB starts at $60/month, and the GPU bundle starts at $1,000/month.
Ideal for: Developers, tech-savvy users, high customization needs, comprehensive documentation
If you need a Windows-based solution, explore our reliable Windows VPS plans.
5. IBM Cloud
IBM remains one of the leading names in the IT industry. Among GCP alternatives, IBM Cloud is one of the best cloud computing service providers. IBM Cloud is a full-stack cloud platform containing more than 170 products and services covering AI, IoT, blockchain technology, and more.
Key Features
- Storage: IBM Cloud provides object, block, and file storage for clients.
- DevOps: For consistent delivery and monitoring, IBM Cloud provides DevOps functionality, including the Eclipse IDE.
- Flexibility and Scalability: Users can adapt services and customize cloud applications as needed.
- Collaboration: Globally distributed teams can collaborate easily using IBM Cloud services. It helps teams manage and merge their work easily and efficiently.
Pricing
IBM Cloud's flexible purchasing model allows you to pay for the resources and services you use. You can also reserve instances for 1 or 3 years.
Ideal for: Businesses need secure hybrid cloud solutions with AI capabilities
If you don’t know the differences between cloud servers and VPS, read our blog post about Cloud Servers vs VPS which helps you choose the best option for your needs.
6. Vultr
Vultr is another of the best Google Cloud alternatives, launched in 2014. It provides cloud computing services with a powerful control panel and APIs. Vultr offers over 40,000,000 cloud servers for customer-facing cloud computing services. Vultr provides multiple features and products to provide better cloud computing services.
Key Features
- Powerful Control Panel: The powerful control panel helps you properly manage your infrastructure. You can securely manage and share access to your cloud system using the powerful features of the Vultr control panel.
- Native DDoS Mitigation: This feature adds an extra layer of protection and ensures security against attacks.
- High-performance IP network: The Vultr team optimizes routing and peering agreements across all regions to improve performance. This tool also helps reduce latency.
- Easy to use: It is known for its simple interface. The client can quickly learn the entire system. A better user interface also improves the user experience.
Pricing
The price of Vultr Cloud services depends on the type of server you need. It also varies depending on the resources you want to purchase to run your application. Dedicate Cloud prices start at $60/month. It's $1/month for block storage and $2.50/month for cloud computing.
Ideal for: Developers, startups, small and medium-sized businesses, high-performance needs
Google Cloud vs. Competitors
In the following table, you can see the difference between Google Cloud and its alternatives:
Provider |
Market Share |
Pros |
Cons |
Best For |
Pricing |
Notable Features |
Google Cloud |
~10% |
Tight integration with Google services; global infrastructure |
Privacy concerns, steep learning curve, poor support unless paid, billing issues |
Tech-savvy teams familiar with Google ecosystem |
Complex; usage-based + optional tiers |
BigQuery, Cloud Run, TensorFlow integration, GKE, AutoML |
AWS |
32-34% |
Market leader, broad service offering, high scalability, physical security |
Complex pricing, steep learning curve |
Enterprises, high-demand applications |
Pay-as-you-go, no long-term contracts |
IAM, AWS Advisor, 200+ services across computing, IoT, AI/ML, security |
Azure |
~20% |
Integration with Microsoft products, hybrid cloud, backup & recovery tools |
Can be expensive, inconsistent support |
Enterprises using Microsoft ecosystem |
Customizable; pricing calculator available |
Azure Advisor, Active Directory, seamless MS Office & Windows integration |
DigitalOcean |
<5% |
Simple UI, developer-friendly, transparent pricing |
Not ideal for enterprises, fewer global data centers |
Startups, developers, small teams |
Starts at $5/month |
Simple droplets, App Platform, Spaces (object storage), community tutorials |
Linode |
Small (~1-2%) |
Budget-friendly, good support, predictable pricing |
Limited features vs AWS/Azure, fewer global regions |
Developers, small businesses |
Starts at $5/month |
CLI, Cloud Manager, object/block storage, dedicated CPU & GPU plans |
IBM Cloud |
Small |
Strong in AI/ML, hybrid cloud, blockchain |
Less intuitive UI, lower market share |
Enterprises needing AI/ML or hybrid cloud |
Usage-based; reserved plans available |
Watson AI, DevOps integration, global collaboration tools |
Vultr |
Small |
Affordable, good performance, easy interface |
Lacks advanced cloud features offered by top competitors |
Cost-conscious developers needing basic services |
Starts at $2.50/month |
DDoS protection, high-performance IP, intuitive UI, 40M+ deployed instances |
Migrating from Google Cloud: A Step-by-Step Guide
Now that you’ve covered the best Google Cloud alternatives, you’re probably wondering how to migrate from Google’s service to a new cloud platform. So let’s answer this important question step by step.
1. Determine your needs and goals.
First of all, you need to consider your needs and goals. To do this, simply look at your current cloud service and make a list of what you have in your current Google Cloud service. This list should include compute instances, databases, network components, APIs, and anything else that is stored in your current service. You should also consider the volume of data transfers, compliance issues, service uptime, and your future development process. Once your list is complete, you can easily choose an alternative service that meets all your needs.
2. Reviewing Alternative Providers
Once you’ve identified your priorities and needs, it’s time to choose the service that best suits your needs. We recommend considering the following factors:
- Scalability and flexibility
- Automated storage and backup plans
- Support for CDNs, private networks, and DNS services
- Data encryption, IAM, DDoS protection, and compliance with standards like GDPR and HIPAA
- Managed, highly available databases
- Developer tools like CLI, SDKs, and CI/CD integration
- 24/7 support and strong SLAs
- Transparent pricing and a free trial period
We also recommend using calculators like CloudPing to make an informed estimate and not just focus on price. Keep in mind that over-saving when choosing a service can lead to bigger costs in the future.
3. Plan your migration.
After you’ve purchased your new service, you’ll need to decide how you’ll move your files, applications, and projects. If your technical team has experience migrating from one cloud service to another, ask them to help you with the migration process. You can also use automated tools like Terraform, Velostrata, or the migration services offered by your new service provider. In either case, there are a few things to consider:
- Choose a good time to migrate (e.g., during off-peak hours)
- Have a fallback plan in place in case something goes wrong
- Plan the migration sequence (e.g., backend systems before frontend applications)
- Ensure data is backed up and consistent before the migration
- And so on.
Finally, you should document everything, especially network configurations and firewall rules, to minimize downtime.
4. Test and optimize performance on the new platform
After the migration is complete, you need to make sure everything is working properly. Start by testing application performance, data validity, response time, and consistency, and then run real-world performance and load tests. Once you’re sure everything is working properly, it’s time to optimize. Cloud offerings typically come with a variety of optimization features (such as autoscaling or serverless computing) that you can tweak to increase performance and reduce costs. Monitor usage closely for the first few weeks to spot any anomalies.
If you're looking for a more affordable and customizable alternative to Google Cloud, services like MonoVM VPS hosting can be a great fit for developers, businesses, and even enterprises seeking control and performance.
Conclusion
Google's digital ecosystem is vast, robust, and commoditizes people. Given all we know about their questionable data collection practices, there's no better time to start "de-Googling" your business. In this article, we have tried to introduce the best Google Cloud alternatives. Each of these services has its advantages and disadvantages, so don’t go looking for the best option. Instead, try to consider your needs, priorities, and goals, and choose one of the introduced services accordingly. Finally, if you think a service should be left out of this list, we would be happy to hear your opinion.
Category: Cloud