
Google App Engine (GAE) will no longer have a standard free tier - TheLastSamurai
https://techtudor.blogspot.com/2019/11/google-app-engine-gae-will-no-longer.html
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floatingatoll
This title seems materially false.

[https://cloud.google.com/free/docs/gcp-free-
tier](https://cloud.google.com/free/docs/gcp-free-tier)

Cloud Build has 120 minute build minutes per day allowed under the "Always
Free" tier.

GCP has changed the service to require your account to be _capable_ of being
billed — for excess usage and to prevent fraud. So if the complaint here is
"GAE no longer lets you run code without having a credit card on file", that
is correct^, but that's not what the title says.

^ Credit card, bank account, or any other "you have a valid financial services
account" validation — Google is using the financial networks as a way to
offload identity verification costs onto the banking sector:

> _Google uses your credit card_ [and/or bank account] _information for the
> following purposes: To verify your identity. To distinguish actual customers
> from robots._

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cett
So App Engine now relies on Cloud Build which also has a free tier. Unless I'm
missing something this doesn't seem like a big deal?

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TheLastSamurai
But how can it be in free-tier if it requires credit card billing?

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floatingatoll
If you get a free night at a hotel, you'll still be required to put down a
credit card or equivalent room deposit.

Is that, then, truly a "free night"?

Most would say yes, since they're not planning to cause damages or use room
service or minibar, and so they don't expect to be charged anything as a
result of their "free night".

Some would say no, since they're planning to throw a raging party and trash
the place, and don't want any risk of being charged money for that outcome.
The credit card in both of these scenarios is used for risk prevention, not
for revenue.

"Free tier" is a statement of how much you can expect to be charged if you
stay within its boundaries, not a statement of your right to participate
without accepting the risk of financial penalty if you choose to act outside
those boundaries.

(A few would say no, since the principle of "free" means that any conversation
about "money" is inappropriate — no matter how much risk that places on
others. Other reasons surely exist too.)

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mantoto
Yeah as long as gcp doesn't has a clear budget protection, I will not add my
credit card to it as a private person.

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charlieegan3
This seems overly dramatic calling it the last proper free tier. Cloud Run has
a free tier is mostly comparable.

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umurkontaci
It sucks that a free option is gone, but companies are not in an obligation to
provide free stuff for developers forever.

They never claimed that they are doing a public service. The only reason it's
free is they hope you'll get used to it and pay for bigger stuff later on.

It's OK to be sad, but it's not OK to be morally outrageous.

No ethical dilemma or "ever hungry crony capitalism machine" here.

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jasonvorhe
Just a drop a credit card into the Billing account and be done with it?

~~~
skybrian
This will work for many people (including me), but here is a thread where
someone complains about how it doesn't work in a classroom where students
aren't allowed to enter credit card numbers:

[https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/google-
appengine/j...](https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/google-
appengine/je8glguX_Yg)

~~~
ovoovo
I agree with the OP in that link.

I don't have a credit card and don't plan to have one. I chose GAE because
it's the only one which does not need credit card. I can compromise with the
GAE heavy limitations because of that.

Because of this I might as well just choose AWS.

