How does AlloyDB pricing compare to Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL?

AlloyDB instances tend to cost more per vCPU-hour than Cloud SQL, but AlloyDB delivers significantly higher throughput — up to 4x faster for transactional workloads and up to 100x faster for analytical queries compared to standard PostgreSQL. AlloyDB storage also includes automatic IOPS scaling without separate provisioning. For high-performance workloads, AlloyDB can be more cost-effective per transaction even at a higher unit price.

What are AlloyDB read pool instances and how do they affect cost?

Read pool instances are horizontally scaled read replicas that distribute read queries across multiple nodes. They are billed per vCPU-hour and memory, independent of the primary instance. You can configure different machine types for read pool nodes than the primary. Read pool instances are cost-effective for read-heavy workloads because they offload the primary instance and can be scaled independently.

GCP AlloyDB Cost Estimator

StorageGCP

Estimate AlloyDB cluster costs including primary instance, read pool replicas, storage, and backup pricing.

AlloyDB Configuration

Primary Instance

vCPUs

Storage (GB)

Read Pool

Read Pool Nodes

vCPUs per Read Node

Backup

Backup Storage (GB)

Raw Output

Output will appear here...

About This Tool

AlloyDB for PostgreSQL is Google Cloud's fully managed PostgreSQL-compatible database service, designed for demanding enterprise workloads that need high performance, availability, and scalability. AlloyDB costs are composed of instance vCPU and memory charges, storage capacity and IOPS, networking, and optional cross-region read replicas. This estimator helps you model monthly costs by configuring instance sizes, storage volumes, backup retention, and cross-region replication to find the right balance between performance and budget.

When to Use This Tool

•Estimating monthly costs for migrating an on-premises PostgreSQL database to AlloyDB with equivalent compute and storage capacity
•Comparing AlloyDB pricing against Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL for transactional workloads exceeding 10,000 transactions per second
•Budgeting for a highly available AlloyDB cluster with a primary instance, read pool instances, and cross-region replicas
•Modeling cost impact of AlloyDB's columnar engine acceleration for analytical queries mixed with OLTP workloads

Frequently Asked Questions

How does AlloyDB pricing compare to Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL?: AlloyDB instances tend to cost more per vCPU-hour than Cloud SQL, but AlloyDB delivers significantly higher throughput — up to 4x faster for transactional workloads and up to 100x faster for analytical queries compared to standard PostgreSQL. AlloyDB storage also includes automatic IOPS scaling without separate provisioning. For high-performance workloads, AlloyDB can be more cost-effective per transaction even at a higher unit price.
What are AlloyDB read pool instances and how do they affect cost?: Read pool instances are horizontally scaled read replicas that distribute read queries across multiple nodes. They are billed per vCPU-hour and memory, independent of the primary instance. You can configure different machine types for read pool nodes than the primary. Read pool instances are cost-effective for read-heavy workloads because they offload the primary instance and can be scaled independently.

Related Learning Guides

AlloyDB Guide22 min read

Disclaimer: This tool runs entirely in your browser. No data is sent to our servers. Always verify outputs before using them in production. AWS, Azure, and GCP are trademarks of their respective owners.