Virtual machines & images · AWS vs Google Cloud
Amazon EC2 Mac instances: Google Cloud equivalent
Google Cloud has no macOS instances like EC2 Mac.
Use a third-party Mac cloud provider for macOS and iOS builds.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Google Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Amazon EC2 Mac instances | No first-party equivalent |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | — |
| What it is | Bare-metal Apple Mac mini and Mac Studio hardware (Intel, M1, M1 Ultra, M2, M2 Pro, M4, M4 Pro) for macOS and iOS builds. Runs only on Dedicated Hosts with a 24-hour minimum allocation. | — |
| Pricing model | Billed per Dedicated Host per second, with a 24-hour minimum. Savings Plans apply. | Not applicable. |
| Docs | Amazon EC2 Mac instances docs | — |
| Pricing page | Amazon EC2 Mac instances pricing | — |
Key differences
- Apple's licensing requires Apple hardware for macOS VMs, and Compute Engine offers none.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- Billed per Dedicated Host per second, with a 24-hour minimum. Savings Plans apply. Amazon EC2 Mac instances pricing →
- GCP
- Not applicable.
And on Azure?
No equivalent Azure has no first-party equivalent. AWS vs Azure comparison →
FAQ
Does Google Cloud have an equivalent to Amazon EC2 Mac instances?
Google Cloud has no macOS instances like EC2 Mac. Use a third-party Mac cloud provider for macOS and iOS builds.
How does pricing compare between Amazon EC2 Mac instances and Google Cloud?
AWS: Billed per Dedicated Host per second, with a 24-hour minimum. Savings Plans apply. Google Cloud: Not applicable. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
What is the Azure equivalent?
Azure has no first-party equivalent. Azure has no first-party macOS VM offering comparable to EC2 Mac instances.