In June, Google announced the Google Developer Program, a free program to give devs access to resources designed to help them build apps using Google services. Now that “millions” of devs have signed up (according to Google), the company is launching a second, paid tier to create a commercial plan.
On Monday, Google introduced a premium Google Developer Program membership, a $299-a-year upgrade from the regular Google Developer Program. It adds several benefits, including one-on-one consultations with Google Cloud experts and access to e-learning programs in Google’s most in-demand training program, Google Cloud Skills Boost.
In addition to consulting and online courses, Google Developer Program premium membership includes $500 in annual Google Cloud credits, a certificate voucher, and “bonus” Google Cloud credits for devs who pass the annual Google Cloud certification. That’s on top of all the resources in the standard, free Google developer plan, including AI-powered documentation and coding tools, first dibs on new products, and workspaces on Google’s IDX app development platform.
The new offering stands out because none of Google’s major cloud rivals, Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Azure, have a similar dev program. Microsoft offers paid alternatives to its free Microsoft 365 Developer Program, which is the firm’s equivalent of Google’s Developer Program, but is aimed primarily at business users. AWS offers paid support plans, but they focus more on architecture guidance and technical assistance.
Interestingly, for customers in the European Economic Region, the UK, and Switzerland, the premium Google Developer Program membership is “limited to business or professional use,” according to the fine print. That suggests that not permitted for personal use in those countries; we reached out to Google for clarification.
Assuming one takes advantage of all the benefits, a premium Google Developer Program membership can quickly pay for itself. But I have to think that some devs will be disappointed to see new features included behind the paid section, since Google has not given any indication that it plans to charge for future upgrades of the original program.
“In the coming months, the Google Developer Program will unlock new tools and resources to help you on your development journey such as additional training resources and more ways to connect with the community,” Google wrote in a blog post in June. “To access these benefits, you’ll just need to sign up for the Google Developer Program.”
Google is introducing a premium Google Developer Program membership as an update to its now-defunct Cloud Innovators Plus program, which offered the same benefits at the same price of $299 per year. Notably, Cloud Innovators Plus did not stack with Google Cloud Skills Boost, which Google estimates is worth $299 per year on its own.
“[T]his new offering is the next step in our commitment to improving the developer experience,” Google wrote in a post Monday, “and represents a continued investment in the Google Developer Program as a place for benefits and resources across multiple Google developer products and services. .”
Devs may complain – but they’re also voting for Google with their wallets, it seems. In the company’s latest fiscal quarter (Q3 2024), Google’s cloud business, which includes infrastructure and software subscriptions, grew 35% year-over-year to $11.35 billion. Its growth has outpaced Amazon and Microsoft’s cloud divisions, both of which are much larger by market share.
