The main difference between Google App Engine and Google Compute Engine is that Google App Engine is a Platform-as-a-Service which means you deploy your code, and the platform does everything else for you, whereas Google Compute Engine is an Infrastructure-as-a-Service in which you have to create and configure your virtual machine instances.
Google App Engine (GAE)
- Platform as a Service (PaaS): GAE provides a fully managed platform for developing, deploying, and scaling web applications and services.
- Automatic scaling: GAE automatically scales your application based on incoming traffic and resource requirements without manual intervention.
- Limited customization: GAE supports specific runtimes and languages (Python, Java, PHP, Go, and Node.js). You must adhere to the available APIs and services within the GAE ecosystem.
- Simplified deployment: GAE abstracts the underlying infrastructure, allowing you to focus on writing code. You don’t need to manage the operating system, networking, or other infrastructure components.
- Integrated services: GAE offers easy integration with other GCP services like Datastore, Memcache, and Task Queues.
Google Compute Engine (GCE)
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): GCE provides virtual machines (VMs) running on Google’s infrastructure that you can customize and manage.
- Manual scaling: GCE allows you to manually configure the number of instances, instance types, and other resources to scale your application.
- Full customization: GCE supports any language, runtime, or application stack. You have complete control over the VMs, including the operating system, libraries, and software packages.
- Greater control: GCE gives you more control over the underlying infrastructure, including VM configurations, networking, and storage.
- Flexible integrations: GCE can be integrated with other GCP services and third-party tools, providing a flexible environment for complex applications.
Google App Engine vs Google Compute Engine: Comparison Table in 2023
| Feature | Google App Engine | Google Compute Engine |
|---|---|---|
| Service Type | Platform as a Service (PaaS) | Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) |
| Scalability | Automatic scaling | Manual scaling |
| Customization | Limited (specific runtimes) | Full customization (any runtime) |
| Deployment | Simplified deployment | Greater control over infrastructure |
| Integrated Services | GAE-specific services | Flexible integrations |
| Infrastructure Management | Fully managed infrastructure | User-managed infrastructure |
| Pricing Model | Pay-per-use, based on resources | Pay-per-use, based on VM instances |
| Language Support | Python, Java, PHP, Go, Node.js | Any language or runtime |
| Use Cases | Web applications, APIs, microservices | Complex applications, custom stacks |
That’s it.
Amit Doshi is a Cloud Engineer who has experienced more than 5 years in AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. He is an IT professional responsible for designing, implementing, managing, and maintaining cloud computing infrastructure, applications, and services.