Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Google BigQuery VS Google Cloud Functions

Compare Google BigQuery VS Google Cloud Functions and see what are their differences

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Google BigQuery logo Google BigQuery

A fully managed data warehouse for large-scale data analytics.

Google Cloud Functions logo Google Cloud Functions

A serverless platform for building event-based microservices.
  • Google BigQuery Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-03
  • Google Cloud Functions Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-25

Google BigQuery features and specs

  • Scalability
    BigQuery can effortlessly scale to handle large volumes of data due to its serverless architecture, thereby reducing the operational overhead of managing infrastructure.
  • Speed
    It leverages Google's infrastructure to provide high-speed data processing, making it possible to run complex queries on massive datasets in a matter of seconds.
  • Integrations
    BigQuery easily integrates with various Google Cloud Platform services, as well as other popular data tools like Looker, Tableau, and Power BI.
  • Automatic Optimization
    Features like automatic data partitioning and clustering help to optimize query performance without requiring manual tuning.
  • Security
    BigQuery provides robust security features including IAM roles, customer-managed encryption keys, and detailed audit logging.
  • Cost Efficiency
    The pricing model is based on the amount of data processed, which can be cost-effective for many use cases when compared to traditional data warehouses.
  • Managed Service
    Being fully managed, BigQuery takes care of database administration tasks such as scaling, backups, and patch management, allowing users to focus on their data and queries.

Possible disadvantages of Google BigQuery

  • Cost Predictability
    While the pay-per-use model can be cost-efficient, it can also make cost forecasting difficult. Unexpected large queries could lead to higher-than-anticipated costs.
  • Complexity
    The learning curve can be steep for those who are not already familiar with SQL or Google Cloud Platform, potentially requiring training and education.
  • Limited Updates
    BigQuery is optimized for read-heavy operations, and it can be less efficient for scenarios that require frequent updates or deletions of data.
  • Query Pricing
    Costs are based on the amount of data processed by each query, which may not be suitable for use cases that require frequent analysis of large datasets.
  • Data Transfer Costs
    While internal data movement within Google Cloud can be cost-effective, transferring data to or from other services or on-premises systems can incur additional costs.
  • Dependency on Google Cloud
    Organizations heavily invested in multi-cloud or hybrid-cloud strategies may find the dependency on Google Cloud limiting.
  • Cold Data Performance
    Query performance might be slower for so-called 'cold data,' or data that has not been queried recently, affecting the responsiveness for some workloads.

Google Cloud Functions features and specs

  • Scalability
    Google Cloud Functions automatically scale up or down as per demand, allowing you to handle varying workloads efficiently without manual intervention.
  • Cost-effectiveness
    You only pay for the actual compute time your functions use, rather than for pre-allocated resources, making it a cost-effective solution for many use cases.
  • Easy Integration
    Seamless integration with other Google Cloud services like Cloud Storage, Pub/Sub, and Firestore simplifies building complex, event-driven architectures.
  • Simplified Deployment
    Deploying functions is straightforward and does not require managing underlying infrastructure, reducing the operational overhead for developers.
  • Supports Multiple Languages
    Supports various programming languages including Node.js, Python, Go, and Java, offering flexibility to developers to use the language they are most comfortable with.

Possible disadvantages of Google Cloud Functions

  • Cold Start Latency
    Functions may experience cold start latency when they have not been invoked for a while, leading to higher initial response times.
  • Limited Execution Time
    Cloud Functions have a maximum execution timeout (typically 9 minutes), making them unsuitable for long-running tasks or processes.
  • Vendor Lock-In
    Heavily relying on Google Cloud Services can make it difficult to migrate to other cloud providers, leading to potential vendor lock-in.
  • Complexity in Local Testing
    Testing cloud functions locally can be challenging and may not fully replicate the cloud environment, complicating the development and debugging process.
  • Limited Customization
    Less control over the underlying infrastructure might pose challenges if you require specific customizations that are not supported by Cloud Functions.

Analysis of Google BigQuery

Overall verdict

  • Google BigQuery is a powerful and flexible data warehouse solution that suits a wide range of data analytics needs. Its ability to handle large volumes of data quickly makes it a preferred choice for organizations looking to leverage their data effectively.

Why this product is good

  • Google BigQuery is a fully-managed data warehouse that simplifies the analysis of large datasets. It is known for its scalability, speed, and integration with other Google Cloud services. It supports standard SQL, has built-in machine learning capabilities, and allows for seamless data integration from various sources. The serverless architecture means that users don't need to worry about infrastructure management, and its pay-as-you-go model provides cost efficiency.

Recommended for

  • Businesses requiring fast processing of large datasets
  • Organizations that already utilize Google Cloud services
  • Companies looking for a cost-effective, scalable analytics solution
  • Teams interested in using SQL for data analysis
  • Data scientists integrating machine learning with their data workflows

Analysis of Google Cloud Functions

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Google Cloud Functions is a good choice for developers who need a reliable and scalable serverless platform. Its integration with the Google Cloud ecosystem and support for multiple trigger types make it a versatile tool for building applications quickly and efficiently.

Why this product is good

  • Google Cloud Functions is a serverless execution environment that allows you to run your code in response to events without the complexity of managing servers. It is known for its ease of use, scalability, and seamless integration with other Google Cloud services. The pay-as-you-go pricing model makes it cost-effective for applications with variable workloads. Additionally, it supports multiple programming languages, enabling developers to use their preferred technology stack.

Recommended for

  • Developers looking for a serverless compute solution.
  • Teams building microservices and event-driven architectures.
  • Organizations that prefer a pay-per-use pricing model to optimize cost.
  • Projects requiring automatic scaling to handle varying loads.
  • Developers wanting to integrate easily with other Google Cloud services.

Google BigQuery videos

Cloud Dataprep Tutorial - Getting Started 101

More videos:

  • Review - Advanced Data Cleanup Techniques using Cloud Dataprep (Cloud Next '19)
  • Demo - Google Cloud Dataprep Premium product demo

Google Cloud Functions videos

Google Cloud Functions: introduction to event-driven serverless compute on GCP

More videos:

  • Review - Building Serverless Applications with Google Cloud Functions (Next '17 Rewind)

Category Popularity

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Data Dashboard
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Cloud Computing
0 0%
100% 100
Big Data
100 100%
0% 0
Cloud Hosting
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User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Google BigQuery and Google Cloud Functions

Google BigQuery Reviews

Data Warehouse Tools
Google BigQuery: Similar to Snowflake, BigQuery offers a pay-per-use model with separate charges for storage and queries. Storage costs start around $0.01 per GB per month, while on-demand queries are billed at $5 per TB processed.
Source: peliqan.io
Top 6 Cloud Data Warehouses in 2023
You can also use BigQuery’s columnar and ANSI SQL databases to analyze petabytes of data at a fast speed. Its capabilities extend enough to accommodate spatial analysis using SQL and BigQuery GIS. Also, you can quickly create and run machine learning (ML) models on semi or large-scale structured data using simple SQL and BigQuery ML. Also, enjoy a real-time interactive...
Source: geekflare.com
Top 5 Cloud Data Warehouses in 2023
Google BigQuery is an incredible platform for enterprises that want to run complex analytical queries or “heavy” queries that operate using a large set of data. This means it’s not ideal for running queries that are doing simple filtering or aggregation. So if your cloud data warehousing needs lightning-fast performance on a big set of data, Google BigQuery might be a great...
Top 5 BigQuery Alternatives: A Challenge of Complexity
BigQuery's emergence as an attractive analytics and data warehouse platform was a significant win, helping to drive a 45% increase in Google Cloud revenue in the last quarter. The company plans to maintain this momentum by focusing on a multi-cloud future where BigQuery advances the cause of democratized analytics.
Source: blog.panoply.io
16 Top Big Data Analytics Tools You Should Know About
Google BigQuery is a fully-managed, serverless data warehouse that enables scalable analysis over petabytes of data. It is a Platform as a Service that supports querying using ANSI SQL. It also has built-in machine learning capabilities.

Google Cloud Functions Reviews

Top 7 Firebase Alternatives for App Development in 2024
Google Cloud Functions is a natural choice for those looking to migrate from Firebase while staying within the Google Cloud ecosystem.
Source: signoz.io

Social recommendations and mentions

Google Cloud Functions might be a bit more popular than Google BigQuery. We know about 48 links to it since March 2021 and only 42 links to Google BigQuery. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Google BigQuery mentions (42)

  • Every Database Will Support Iceberg — Here's Why
    This isn’t hypothetical. It’s already happening. Snowflake supports reading and writing Iceberg. Databricks added Iceberg interoperability via Unity Catalog. Redshift and BigQuery are working toward it. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • RisingWave Turns Four: Our Journey Beyond Democratizing Stream Processing
    Many of these companies first tried achieving real-time results with batch systems like Snowflake or BigQuery. But they quickly found that even five-minute batch intervals weren't fast enough for today's event-driven needs. They turn to RisingWave for its simplicity, low operational burden, and easy integration with their existing PostgreSQL-based infrastructure. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • How to Pitch Your Boss to Adopt Apache Iceberg?
    If your team is managing large volumes of historical data using platforms like Snowflake, Amazon Redshift, or Google BigQuery, you’ve probably noticed a shift happening in the data engineering world. A new generation of data infrastructure is forming — one that prioritizes openness, interoperability, and cost-efficiency. At the center of that shift is Apache Iceberg. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Study Notes 2.2.7: Managing Schedules and Backfills with BigQuery in Kestra
    BigQuery Documentation: Google Cloud BigQuery. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Docker vs. Kubernetes: Which Is Right for Your DevOps Pipeline?
    Pro Tip: Use Kubernetes operators to extend its functionality for specific cloud services like AWS RDS or GCP BigQuery. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
View more

Google Cloud Functions mentions (48)

  • Top 10 Programming Trends and Languages to Watch in 2025
    Serverless architectures are revolutionizing software development by removing the need for server management. Cloud services like AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions, and Azure Functions allow developers to concentrate on writing code, as these platforms handle scaling automatically. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Exploring Serverless APIs: A Guide for Developers
    Google Cloud Functions bases pricing on Invocations, runtime, and memory with competitive free tier options. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Get Started with Serverless Architectures: Top Tools You Need to Know
    Google Cloud Functions Google Cloud Functions is a scalable serverless execution environment for building and connecting cloud services. It provides triggers automatically, with out-of-the-box support for HTTP and event-driven triggers from GCP services. There are two types of Google Cloud Functions: API cloud functions and event-driven cloud functions. The API cloud functions are invoked from standard HTTP... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Stay Compliant, Mitigate Risks: Understanding AML/KYC as a technologist
    Ensure that the processing and throughput requirements of your AML/KYC solutions can handle appropriately sized volumes of data and transactions for your organization’s needs efficiently. A microservices architecture using tools like Docker or Kubernetes for proprietary systems can help to ensure scalability, allowing you to scale individual components as needed. Exploit load balancing and caching mechanisms to... - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • Next.js Deployment: Vercel's Charm vs. GCP's Muscle
    Data-Driven Projects: Seamless integration with Google's data and AI/ML services (like Cloud Functions and Cloud SQL) streamlines development workflows for data-driven applications. - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Google BigQuery and Google Cloud Functions, you can also consider the following products

Databricks - Databricks provides a Unified Analytics Platform that accelerates innovation by unifying data science, engineering and business.‎What is Apache Spark?

Google App Engine - A powerful platform to build web and mobile apps that scale automatically.

Looker - Looker makes it easy for analysts to create and curate custom data experiences—so everyone in the business can explore the data that matters to them, in the context that makes it truly meaningful.

Salesforce Platform - Salesforce Platform is a comprehensive PaaS solution that paves the way for the developers to test, build, and mitigate the issues in the cloud application before the final deployment.

Jupyter - Project Jupyter exists to develop open-source software, open-standards, and services for interactive computing across dozens of programming languages. Ready to get started? Try it in your browser Install the Notebook.

AWS Lambda - Automatic, event-driven compute service