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Cloudflare R2 vs Google Cloud Storage
Short answer: Pick Cloudflare R2 if you want egress-free S3-compatible storage; pick Google Cloud Storage if you want scalable object storage with tiered classes. Cloudflare R2 has a free plan; Google Cloud Storage is paid, with a free trial.
Cloudflare R2S3-compatible object storage with no egress fees
Google Cloud StorageObject storage on Google CloudWhich to pick
Pick Cloudflare R2 if you want…
- Egress-free S3-compatible storage
- A free plan to start with
- Integrations with Cloudflare Workers, DuckDB or Spark (on Cloudflare R2's list, not Google Cloud Storage's)
Pick Google Cloud Storage if you want…
- Scalable object storage with tiered classes
- Standard S3 object storage
- Integrations with BigQuery, Managed Service for Apache Spark or Gemini platform (on Google Cloud Storage's list, not Cloudflare R2's)
Side by side
- What it is
- Cloudflare R2:Cloudflare R2 is an S3-compatible, globally distributed object storage with zero egress fees.
- Google Cloud Storage:Google Cloud Storage is a managed object storage service for storing and retrieving any amount of unstructured data.
- Best for
- Cloudflare R2:Egress-free S3-compatible storage
- Google Cloud Storage:Scalable object storage with tiered classes
- Who it’s for
- Cloudflare R2:Developers building data-driven apps that need scalable, affordable storage without egress costs.
- Google Cloud Storage:Developers and enterprises needing scalable, durable cloud storage
- Pricing
- Cloudflare R2:Freemium
- Google Cloud Storage:Paid
- Free plan or trial
- Cloudflare R2:Free plan (Free)
- Google Cloud Storage:Free trial
- Plans
- Cloudflare R2:Free $0 · Paid $0.015 / GB-month per month
- Google Cloud Storage:—
- Works with
- Cloudflare R2:Cloudflare Workers, DuckDB, Spark, Trino, Snowflake
- Google Cloud Storage:BigQuery, Managed Service for Apache Spark, Gemini platform, Cloud Storage FUSE, Cloud FTP, Pub/Sub, Cloud Audit Logs
Cloudflare R2 features
- Zero egress fees. No charges for data download, preventing surprise bills as usage grows.
- S3-compatible API. Use existing S3 tools, SDKs, and pipelines without code changes.
- Progressive migration. R2 can sit in front of legacy storage and copy objects on demand.
- Data Catalog. Iceberg-compatible catalog lets you query stored data with SQL engines.
- Native Workers integration. Access buckets directly from Cloudflare Workers via a built-in API.
- Global distribution. Data is stored at edge locations for low-latency access worldwide.
Google Cloud Storage features
- Multiple storage classes. Standard, Nearline, Coldline, and Archive options for hot, infrequent, and archival data.
- Automatic lifecycle management. Policy-based transitions and Autoclass move objects to cheaper classes automatically.
- Storage Intelligence. Analyzes metadata, provides cost/security insights, and enables batch actions with no-code.
- Rapid Cache. SSD-backed read cache reduces latency for AI/ML workloads up to 20 Tbps.
- Fine-grained IAM permissions. Object- and bucket-level access control via Cloud IAM.
- Data security features. Encryption (customer-managed/supplied), retention policies, holds, soft delete, and signed URLs.
- Integration with analytics/ML. Native connectors to BigQuery, Apache Spark, Gemini, and Cloud Storage FUSE.
- Transfer services. Online Transfer Service, Transfer Appliance, and Cloud FTP for bulk data movement.
Cloudflare R2 vs Google Cloud Storage FAQ
What is the difference between Cloudflare R2 and Google Cloud Storage?+
Google Cloud Storage: AWS S3 charges egress fees and has different pricing tiers.
Should I use Cloudflare R2 or Google Cloud Storage?+
Pick Cloudflare R2 if you want egress-free S3-compatible storage, a free plan to start with or integrations with Cloudflare Workers, DuckDB or Spark (on Cloudflare R2's list, not Google Cloud Storage's). Pick Google Cloud Storage if you want scalable object storage with tiered classes, standard S3 object storage or integrations with BigQuery, Managed Service for Apache Spark or Gemini platform (on Google Cloud Storage's list, not Cloudflare R2's).
Is Cloudflare R2 or Google Cloud Storage free?+
Cloudflare R2 has a free plan and paid plans. Google Cloud Storage is paid, with a free trial.
Do Cloudflare R2 and Google Cloud Storage integrate with the same tools?+
Their integration lists don't overlap: Cloudflare R2 lists Cloudflare Workers, DuckDB, Spark, Trino and 1 more; Google Cloud Storage lists BigQuery, Managed Service for Apache Spark, Gemini platform, Cloud Storage FUSE and 3 more.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.