GCP Cloud Run vs GKE
When do you choose Google Cloud Run vs GKE for a containerized HTTP API?
Answers use simple, clear English.
Quick interview answer
Cloud Run: request-driven, scale to zero, minimal ops — great for HTTP APIs/webhooks. GKE: when you need full Kubernetes (DaemonSets, complex networking/service mesh, multi-workload platform). Autopilot reduces node management.
Detailed answer
Cloud Run: request-driven, scale to zero, minimal ops — great for HTTP APIs/webhooks. GKE: when you need full Kubernetes (DaemonSets, complex networking/service mesh, multi-workload platform). Autopilot reduces node management. Don’t start GKE for a single simple service.
Real example & use case
Stripe webhooks → Cloud Run; internal multi-team platform → GKE Autopilot.
Pros & cons
Pros: pick ops burden intentionally. Cons: Cloud Run constraints for long background work.