Google Compute Engine vs AWS

I've had a few people ask me what I think of Google Compute Engine vs AWS.

My take on Google Compute Engine is that it is now a viable alternative to AWS, as is Microsoft Azure for some firms. It is less mature than AWS in many ways and has had a few glitches - like AWS had in it's early days.

Areas that are particularly strong for Google Compute Engine are:

• automatic price discounting (sustained use discounts) when machines run for a while (you have to reserve instances with AWS)
• data querying. You pay for what you use versus AWS Redshift which charge you continuously
• Google App Engine can be connected to it and is a true PaaS. I feel AWS Elastic Beanstalk is IaaS shoehorned into PaaS.

AWS remains stronger for the maturity, the ecosystem around it and the sheer depth of products Amazon offer.

For me the pain to migrate from AWS to GCE wouldn't be worth any (theoretical) gain right now, especially given it would probably cause a few months delay to business. Google are keen to help people migrate and will extend offers I'm sure.

So I would still use AWS right now on balance but competition from Google (and Microsoft) has to be good for the whole cloud ecosystem and it would be a harder decision for me if I was starting again.