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Google announces pricing for Cloud SQL

Google has announced the pricing for its Cloud SQL database, signalling the end of the free trial period that selected developers have been enjoying, but also opening it up to the wider public.
Written by Michael Lee, Contributor

Google has announced the pricing for its Cloud SQL database, signalling the end of the free trial period that selected developers have been enjoying, but also opening it up to the wider public.

The internet giant launched a limited preview of Cloud SQL last year in October, allowing early adopters to use the database for Google App Engine applications. It was based on the popular MySQL database, and hosted on Google's own infrastructure, but has also had additional features added to it over time, including scheduled back-ups and performance enhancements.

With 10,000 developers already using the preview, Google is now releasing pricing for the service. At Cloud SQL's preview launch, the company said that it would announce pricing at least 30 days before charging users. Keeping with this promise, Cloud SQL will not become a paid service until 12 June.

Developers can choose whether to take up a packaged billing plan, which allows them to use tiered database instances on a cost-per-day basis, or a per-use plan. Per-use plans allow developers to break database performance, storage and I/O transfers into separate billing chunks, and only pay for what they use. This may be more cost effective for users getting started with the service, with Google stating on its developer blog that it could cost as little as $1 per month.

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(Screenshot by Michael Lee/ZDNet Australia)

In addition, there is an external outbound-traffic charge of US$0.12 per GB, regardless of whether developers are billed per use or per package.

Curious developers can still sign on to preview Cloud SQL free of charge up until 12 June.

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