Developers and platform engineers have much to gain from using both Google App Engine and Compute Engine, as these cloud computing solutions offer distinct benefits during the various stages of application development. Despite their similar names, these two services serve different purposes, with Google App Engine functioning as a Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Google Compute Engine operating as an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).

PaaS solutions like Google App Engine offer a platform where developers can build and deploy their applications without having to worry about managing the infrastructure that makes its base. This helps them to focus solely on developing the application code and functionality, with the platform handling tasks such as scaling and load balancing.

On the other hand, IaaS solutions like Google Compute Engine provide developers with virtual machines and other computing resources that can be used to build and manage their own infrastructure. This gives developers greater flexibility and control over their computing environment, allowing them to customize their infrastructure to meet specific needs and requirements.

While the two services differ in their approach to cloud computing, they are often used together in cloud-native applications. Developers may use Google App Engine to build and deploy their applications, while relying on Google Compute Engine to provide the necessary computing resources for their application to function at scale. This provides advantages of both PaaS and IaaS solutions, enabling them to create and manage high-performance applications in the cloud.

Here’s how Google App Engine is different from Google Compute Engine in 2023:

Google App Engine

Google App Engine is a cloud computing service that is Platform as a Service (PaaS). Its main purpose is to simplify application development by providing a variety of automation features and removing the need for users to configure deployment.

One of the key benefits of using Google App Engine is its scalability. The service is fully scalable and can automatically acquire more instances to handle increased application traffic without requiring any input from developers. This means that users can rest assured that their applications will continue to function optimally even under heavy loads.

Google App Engine also offers a range of software development kits (SDKs) that enable users to optimize their applications for the platform. This allows developers to make the most of the features and resources provided by Google App Engine, ultimately resulting in better performing and more efficient applications.

The service offers a number of key features that make it an attractive choice for developers looking to build scalable and reliable applications. For example, Google App Engine provides full support for common web technologies, including dynamic web serving. It also offers persistent storage with sorting, transaction, and query capabilities, enabling developers to store and retrieve data quickly and efficiently.

Other features of Google App Engine include load balancing and auto-scaling, which help ensure that applications remain available and responsive at all times. The service also offers authentication using email via Google account and APIs, providing a secure and convenient way for users to access their applications.

Google Compute Engine

Google Compute Engine is categorized under Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), which is a cloud computing model that offers virtualized computing resources over the internet. With Google Compute Engine, users can easily create and manage virtual machines (VMs) with a variety of customizable features such as CPU, memory, and storage options. Users can choose between Solid State Drive (SSD) or Hard Disk Drive (HDD) storage to meet their specific workload requirements.

Although Google Compute Engine is highly customizable, it may not be the most user-friendly platform for beginners. Users may need to manually adjust the volume of virtual machines as application traffic increases or decreases, which can be challenging for those who lack experience in cloud computing.

Google Compute Engine offers several notable features that make it an excellent choice for businesses and organizations. The virtual machine manager has a suite of tools that make it easy to manage operating systems for large virtual machine fleets. Additionally, users can create custom virtual machines that complement tailored workloads, allowing them to optimize their cloud computing resources.

One of the most significant advantages of Google Compute Engine is its support for local SSD storage, which provides low latency and fast access to data. Additionally, the platform offers GPU accelerators to accelerate computational-intensive workloads, making it an ideal choice for businesses and organizations that need high-performance computing resources.

Google Compute Engine also offers the ability to encrypt usable data during processing using confidential virtual machines, ensuring the privacy and security of sensitive information. Sole tenant nodes are available for users who require dedicated computing resources on a priority basis, ensuring that they have access to the resources they need to meet their specific workload requirements.