Google Cloud Functions (now “Cloud Run functions”)
by Google Cloud
Google Cloud’s event-driven functions service. The current generation is branded Cloud Run functions and is deployed as a Cloud Run service; the original product is “Cloud Run functions (1st gen)”, formerly Cloud Functions (1st gen).
Naming (as of 2026-10-05)
- Google docs call the latest version simply “Cloud Run functions”; the first generation is “Cloud Run functions (1st gen), formerly Cloud Functions (1st gen)“. The docs describe 1st gen as limited in triggers, runtimes and configurability and recommend upgrading to Cloud Run functions.
- Search strings in videos still use “Cloud Functions” and “GCF” - hence the aliases.
Differences, per Google’s version comparison
| 1st gen | Cloud Run functions | |
|---|---|---|
| Max timeout | up to 9 min | up to 60 min for HTTP functions, 9 min for event-driven |
| Concurrency | 1 request per instance | up to 1000 requests per instance |
| Event sources | 7 sources | any Eventarc event type, 90+ sources via Cloud Audit Logs |
Features
- Run code in response to HTTP requests or cloud events (Pub/Sub, Cloud Storage, Firestore, Audit Logs and other Eventarc sources) without managing servers.
- Scale to zero and autoscale; runs on Cloud Run, so Cloud Run features (revisions, min/max instances, VPC connectivity) apply.
- Multiple language runtimes (the supported list and versions change; see the runtimes page).
- Integrates with Firebase, Sub, BigQuery and other GCP services.
Billing model
Usage-based billing; a free allowance and the relation to Cloud Run pricing are not re-verified. See the pricing page, no amounts are recorded here.
Typical uses
- Glue between GCP services, webhook receivers, lightweight APIs, small ETL steps (file lands in Cloud Storage, transform, load to BigQuery), Firebase backends.
- Opinion: choose plain Cloud Run instead when you need a custom container, multiple endpoints or more control.
Sources
- Cloud Run functions version comparison: https://docs.cloud.google.com/functions/docs/concepts/version-comparison (fetched 2026-10-05)
- Pricing: https://cloud.google.com/functions/pricing
Open items
- Current runtime list and free-tier allowance not re-checked.