Freedom251 › Load Balancing Software
Google Cloud Load Balancing
What Google Cloud Load Balancing is
Google Cloud Load Balancing is a managed service for distributing application traffic across backends to support performance and resilience. Application Load Balancers handle Layer 7 HTTP(S) traffic, while Network Load Balancers handle Layer 4 traffic. Global proxy load balancers can direct requests to backends in multiple regions through one anycast IP address, with automatic multi-region failover and scaling from zero to full traffic in seconds without pre-warming. Application Load Balancers can also send traffic to on-premises data centers and other cloud environments. Supported capabilities include IPv6, WebSockets, user-defined request headers and protocol forwarding for private virtual IP addresses. Cloud CDN can provide cached content delivery with specified Application Load Balancers, and Cloud Armor integrates to help protect against DDoS and targeted application attacks. Depending on type and mode, security controls can include Cloud Armor and SSL policies and frontend or backend mutual TLS. Cloud Logging records requests, which can be exported to Cloud Storage, BigQuery or Pub/Sub. Pricing is usage-based: forwarding-rule charges are separate for global and regional rules and per project, while data processing charges depend on region. The service is presented for global or regional application workloads, including hybrid and multicloud environments; no free plan is listed.
Who it suits
It suits application workloads that need global or regional traffic distribution, including deployments with hybrid or multicloud backends.
What it does well
- Offers Layer 7 and Layer 4 load balancers.
- Global proxy routing uses one anycast IP address.
- Supports automatic multi-region failover.
- Can direct Application Load Balancer traffic outside Google Cloud.
- Request logs can be exported to three listed services.
What to know first
- No free plan is listed.
- Forwarding-rule charges are billed separately.
- Data processing charges depend on region.
- Pricing also depends on traffic and other applicable services.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Pay-as-you-go | Usage-based; charges depend on forwarding rules, traffic processed, and other applicable services. · First 5 global forwarding rules: $0.025 / 1 hour · Each additional global forwarding rule: $0.01 / 1 hour · Regional inbound and outbound data processing: $0.008 / 1 gibibyte | On request |
As cloud.google.com lists them, read 30 Sept 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
Google Cloud Load Balancing provides managed traffic distribution across regional, global and external backends, with routing, failover and logging options. Buyers should account for the separate rule and data-processing charges, which vary with use and region.
Facts from Google Cloud Load Balancing's own pages
- Backend scope
- Application Load Balancers can direct traffic to backends outside Google Cloud, including on-premises data centers and other cloud environments. · docs.cloud.google.com, 30 Sept 2026
- CDN integration
- Cloud CDN can be integrated for cached content delivery with global external and classic Application Load Balancers. · docs.cloud.google.com, 30 Sept 2026
- Extensibility
- Service Extensions support gRPC callouts to user-managed services and Wasm plugins in the networking data path. · cloud.google.com, 30 Sept 2026
- Global routing
- Global proxy load balancers can distribute requests among backends in multiple regions using a single anycast IP address. · docs.cloud.google.com, 30 Sept 2026
- Intended users
- The product is presented for application workloads that need global or regional traffic distribution, including hybrid and multicloud environments. · cloud.google.com, 30 Sept 2026
- Load balancer types
- It offers Application Load Balancers for Layer 7 HTTP(S) traffic and Network Load Balancers for Layer 4 traffic. · docs.cloud.google.com, 30 Sept 2026
- Logging
- Cloud Logging records load balancing requests, and request logs can be exported to Cloud Storage, BigQuery, or Pub/Sub for analysis. · cloud.google.com, 30 Sept 2026
- Pricing limits
- Forwarding rule charges are billed separately for global and regional rules and per project; data processing charges depend on region. · cloud.google.com, 30 Sept 2026
- Protocols and features
- Supported capabilities include IPv6 load balancing, WebSockets, user-defined request headers, and protocol forwarding for private virtual IP addresses. · docs.cloud.google.com, 30 Sept 2026
- Purpose
- Cloud Load Balancing is a fully managed service that distributes traffic across apps for performance and resilience, scaling from zero to millions of users. · cloud.google.com, 30 Sept 2026
- Scaling and failover
- The service supports automatic multi-region failover and can scale from zero to full traffic in seconds without pre-warming. · docs.cloud.google.com, 30 Sept 2026
- Security controls
- Depending on load balancer type and mode, supported security capabilities include Cloud Armor policies, SSL policies, and frontend or backend mutual TLS. · docs.cloud.google.com, 30 Sept 2026
- Security integration
- Google Cloud Armor integrates with load balancers to help protect infrastructure from DDoS and other targeted application attacks. · docs.cloud.google.com, 30 Sept 2026
- Support
- Google Cloud support packages can include 24/7 coverage, phone support, and access to a technical support manager; community help is also available through Stack Overflow and Google Cloud Slack. · docs.cloud.google.com, 30 Sept 2026
Where Google Cloud Load Balancing stands on Freedom251
- Load Balancing Software#15 of 32