Question 1

What's the difference between Cloud SQL and Cloud Spanner?

Accepted Answer

Cloud SQL is a managed relational database for traditional engines (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server) and is typically used when you want standard SQL features and compatibility with existing apps. Cloud Spanner is a different Google database designed for horizontal scaling across regions with strong consistency. Choose Cloud SQL for familiar relational workloads and easier migrations; choose Spanner when you need global scale, multi-region availability, and very high throughput with relational semantics.

Question 2

When should I use Cloud SQL?

Accepted Answer

Use Cloud SQL when you need a managed relational database and want Google to handle common operations like patching, backups, and replication. It’s a good fit for web and mobile apps, SaaS backends, CMS platforms, transactional (OLTP) workloads, and migrations from on-prem MySQL/PostgreSQL/SQL Server. If you need massive horizontal scale, multi-region active-active writes, or specialized analytics, consider alternatives like Cloud Spanner (scale) or BigQuery (analytics).

Question 3

How much does Cloud SQL cost?

Accepted Answer

Cloud SQL pricing depends on the database engine, instance size (vCPU and memory), storage type and allocated size, high availability configuration, backup storage, and network egress (for example, traffic leaving Google Cloud or crossing certain boundaries). Costs typically increase with larger instances, more provisioned storage and IOPS, HA/replicas, and longer backup retention. For accurate estimates, use the Google Cloud Pricing Calculator and model your expected instance size, storage growth, and HA/replica needs.

Cloud SQL

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