Google Cloud Datastore
Document databases
Database as a service (DBaaS) providers
Database software
NoSQL databases
Serial number database software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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What is Google Cloud Datastore
Google Cloud Datastore is a managed NoSQL document database service on Google Cloud, now positioned as Cloud Datastore mode within Firestore. It stores schemaless entities and supports indexed queries and transactions for web and mobile back ends that need horizontal scaling and managed operations. It integrates with Google Cloud IAM, monitoring, and application runtimes, and it emphasizes automatic scaling and operational simplicity over advanced query features found in some other NoSQL platforms.
Fully managed on Google Cloud
The service is operated by Google, reducing the need to manage servers, patching, and capacity planning. It supports automatic scaling and multi-region configurations depending on the selected setup. This fits teams that want a managed NoSQL store as part of a broader Google Cloud deployment.
Strong consistency options
Datastore mode supports ACID transactions within entity groups and provides consistency characteristics that can be important for application state and counters. It also supports indexed queries that are predictable when designed around its indexing model. This can be simpler to operate than self-managed NoSQL clusters when consistency requirements are moderate and well-scoped.
Tight GCP security integration
It integrates with Google Cloud IAM for access control and with Cloud Audit Logs for administrative and data access auditing. It also works with VPC Service Controls and other Google Cloud security controls used in regulated environments. This helps organizations standardize governance when most workloads already run on Google Cloud.
Limited query flexibility
Datastore mode uses a constrained query model compared with databases that offer richer ad hoc querying and aggregation. Complex joins are not supported, and query patterns often require careful index planning and data modeling. Teams with analytics-heavy or highly relational access patterns may need additional systems for reporting or search.
Data modeling constraints
Entity group design affects transaction scope and performance, which can require application-level tradeoffs. Certain patterns (for example, high-write hotspots on a single logical parent) can become bottlenecks. Migrating from relational schemas or from other document databases may require significant redesign.
Product positioning transition
Google positions Cloud Datastore as Firestore in Datastore mode, which can create confusion about feature parity and long-term roadmap between modes. Some newer capabilities are introduced under Firestore branding first, and documentation can be split across products. Organizations may need to validate which APIs, limits, and features apply to their chosen mode before committing.
Plan & Pricing
Pricing model: Pay-as-you-go Free tier/trial: Datastore (Firestore in Datastore mode) provides permanent free daily usage quotas (see details below). Google Cloud also offers a 91-day $300 new-customer Free Trial and an Always Free program that may be used with Datastore when eligible.
Example costs (official Google Cloud Datastore / Firestore in Datastore mode pricing):
- Entity reads: Free 0–50,000 reads per 1 day / project. Above free quota: $0.06 per 100,000 reads, per 1 day / project.
- Entity writes: Free 0–20,000 writes per 1 day / project. Above free quota: $0.18 per 100,000 writes, per 1 day / project.
- Entity deletes: Free 0–20,000 deletes per 1 day / project. Above free quota: $0.02 per 100,000 deletes, per 1 day / project.
- Stored data: Free 0–1 GiB-day per 1 day / project. Above free quota: $0.000246575 per GiBiByte-hour (billed per 1 day / project).
- Small operations: Free (includes allocate IDs, keys-only queries, projection results counted as small ops). Small operations show $0.00 per 100,000 beyond quota (i.e., free but billing must be enabled to exceed daily free usage).
- Outbound network (Datastore requests): 0–10 GiB/month free per account; above 10 GiB: $0.01 per GiB per month for Datastore-specific outbound; general internet egress pricing applies for other destinations and larger volumes (see network egress tiers).
Other notes (official):
- Some features (PITR, Backup, Restore, Clone, TTL) do not include free usage and require billing to be enabled; their storage/operation costs are billed separately.
- Export/import are billed as entity reads and writes at the rates above.
- Committed use discounts (CUDs) are available for Datastore mode (discounts for 1-year or 3-year commitments) per Google Cloud documentation.
(Prices and free quotas taken directly from Google Cloud's official Datastore (Firestore in Datastore mode) pricing page and related Google Cloud Free Program and CUD documentation.)
Seller details
Google LLC
Mountain View, CA, USA
1998
Subsidiary
https://cloud.google.com/deep-learning-vm
https://x.com/googlecloud
https://www.linkedin.com/company/google/
