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Oracle vs GCP: picking one of the two always-free VMs
Short answer: picking between the two always-free VMs: Oracle has far bigger specs and traffic, but has idle reclaim and capacity problems and is Arm-based; GCP is low-hassle but small, with only 1 GB outbound per month. Both require a card.
Comparison table
| Item | Oracle Always Free | Google Cloud Free Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Free shape / architecture | Ampere A1 (Arm) + E2.1.Micro (AMD x86) | e2-micro (x86); vCPU count not stated in the official table |
| Compute specs | A1: 1,500 OCPU hours + 9,000 GB hours/month (equivalent to 2 OCPU / 12 GB); up to 2 E2 Micro instances | 1 e2-micro per month; limits calculated by time |
| Disk | 200 GB total block storage; minimum boot volume 47 GB | 30 GB-months standard persistent disk |
| Outbound traffic | 10 TB per month | 1 GB per month (from North America, excl. China/Australia) |
| Regions | Home region only; A1 not available in South Korea North (Chuncheon) | Only us-west1, us-central1, us-east1 — three US regions |
| Card | Yes: credit/debit card identity verification; PIN debit cards, virtual cards, and prepaid cards not accepted | Yes: credit card or other payment method; $0–$1 temporary hold |
| Reclaim rules | Yes: 7-day idle rule + 30-day account abandonment rule | No idle reclaim rule in the official Free Tier table; trial ending without upgrade leads to deletion after the grace period |
| Trial credit (separate) | US$300, 30 days | $300, 90 days |
| Capacity problems | Out of host capacity is common; the official FAQ says adding capacity may take several days | The official page does not mention e2-micro capacity problems |
| Support / SLA | No SLA; customers using only Always Free resources cannot get Oracle support | Cloud Billing support is included in all billing accounts |
How to choose
- Specs and traffic: pick Oracle. 2 OCPU / 12 GB and 10 TB outbound traffic are far beyond what GCP’s e2-micro free allowance offers — but accept the Arm architecture (check software compatibility), idle reclaim, and capacity hunting.
- Low-hassle stability: pick GCP. No official idle reclaim rule, and the region and traffic limits are clearly written — but e2-micro is small, and 1 GB outbound per month does not suit traffic-heavy uses.
- Both: many users hold both free accounts and split the work (e.g., Oracle runs services, GCP is the backup). Follow each vendor’s terms; Oracle allows one free account per person.
FAQ
Which free VPS is better, Oracle or GCP?
It depends on use: Oracle has far bigger specs and outbound traffic (2 OCPU / 12 GB, 10 TB/month) but has idle reclaim and capacity problems and is Arm-based; GCP e2-micro is small with 1 GB outbound per month, but has no official idle reclaim rule. Both require a card. Verified 2026-11-12.
What is the difference between the Arm and x86 free machines?
Oracle A1 is Arm-based; GCP e2-micro is x86. Some software (especially closed-source and Windows-ecosystem software) differs in Arm support — confirm the software you want to run has an Arm build or runs correctly before deploying; Oracle also offers 2 AMD-based E2 Micro instances. Verified 2026-11-12.
Disclaimer: this page’s information comes from the vendor official page (verified 2026-11-12); allowances can change or end at any time — check the official page before claiming.