What you need to know
- Google introduced the Google Developer Program earlier this year at Google I/O 2024, offering a free tier for development and learning.
- Now, there's a Google Developer Program Premium tier available at a cost of $299 per year.
- Among other things, the premium membership gives developers up to $1,000 in Google Cloud credits and one-on-one consultations.
Google launched the Google Developer Program at its I/O 2024 developer conference this year, and it already has millions of free members. Now, the company is adding a paid Google Developer Program Premium tier to its offerings, it announced in a blog post Wednesday, Nov. 25. The new tier costs $299 per year and builds off of the free, standard tier that is still available.
The standard Google Developer Program membership is still a great starter option for developers. It offers Gemini developer documentation and tools, 35 Cloud Learning credits monthly, three additional IDX workspaces, progress tracking, and badge-unlocking. Meanwhile, the paid premium tier is an add-on for developers who find themselves using a lot of Google Cloud and AI tools, some of which are already pay-to-access.
Specifically, the $299 membership provides a $500 credit for use in Google Cloud, for services like Gemini Code Assist, Firebase, and Vertex AI. Paid members can earn an additional $500 in credits, for a total of $1,000 for year, by earning a Google Cloud certification. The membership itself includes a Google Cloud certification voucher, which Google says has a $200 retail value, that will let you earn the certification without paying more than your membership fee.
The tier includes access to all the training paths available through Google Cloud Skills Boost. Finally, paid members can book half or full-hour consultations with Google's specialists, which the company says may be a good option for when developers want help or expert feedback.
Google's Developer Program Premium tier may seem expensive, especially when compared with Apple's $99 membership fee for the Apple Developer Program. However, the two membership offerings couldn't be more different. The standard Google Developer Program membership, which is free, should provide everything developers need to learn and build their apps. The premium tier may be better viewed as a more affordable way to access Google Cloud services, certifications, and learning tools at a discounted rate.
