Question 1

What's the difference between Compute Engine and Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE)?

Accepted Answer

Compute Engine gives you virtual machines where you manage the operating system and everything on it. GKE is a managed Kubernetes service for running containers; Google manages the Kubernetes control plane and helps automate scheduling, scaling, and updates. Use Compute Engine when you need full VM control or non-container workloads; use GKE when you want to run containerized apps with orchestration.

Question 2

When should I use Compute Engine?

Accepted Answer

Use Compute Engine when you need OS-level control, custom machine shapes (CPU/memory), specialized hardware (like GPUs), custom images, or when migrating existing server-based apps to the cloud. It’s also a good fit for predictable workloads that benefit from committed use discounts, and for architectures that require specific networking or storage configurations.

Question 3

How much does Compute Engine cost?

Accepted Answer

Cost depends on the VM’s machine type (vCPU and memory), region/zone, attached storage (persistent disks), network egress, and any accelerators (GPUs). Pricing is typically per-second (with a minimum charge period), and you can reduce costs with sustained use discounts (automatic for eligible usage), committed use discounts (commit to usage for 1 or 3 years), and spot VMs (lower cost but can be interrupted).

Compute Engine

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