Direct answer: cloud load balancer pricing in 2026 comes in two models: AWS ALB by “hourly fee + LCU” (0.0225/hour + 0.008/LCU-hour; LCU takes the highest of new connections, active connections, processed bytes and rule evaluations); Google Cloud external Application Load Balancer by “forwarding rules + data processing” (first 5 forwarding rules 0.025/hour, additional 0.01/rule/hour; data 0.008/GiB in+out). At three tiers, bandwidth dimension only: 1 LB/100GB: AWS 17.23, GCP 19.05; 5 LBs/1TB: AWS 90.32, GCP 26.44; 10 LBs/5TB: AWS 205.21, GCP 95.71. Bottom line: a single low-traffic LB is close; as LB count grows, GCP’s “first 5 forwarding rules bundled” is much cheaper; AWS LCU also counts connections/rules, so the real bill can exceed the bandwidth-only estimate.
This guide is for architecture and SRE teams running website/API entry points, gateways, Kubernetes Ingress and procurement. Data cut-off: 7 November 2026; prices come from AWS Elastic Load Balancing Pricing and Google Cloud Load Balancing Pricing, in USD, excluding tax; all TCOs are editorial calculations, not vendor quotes. “ALB/NLB, LCU/forwarding rule, data processing, rule evaluations” differ, so official facts, editorial assumptions and non-comparable items are kept separate.
AWS ALB: 0.0225/hour + 0.008/LCU-hour; LCU takes the highest of new connections 25/s, active connections 3,000, processed bytes 1GB/hour, rule evaluations 1,000/s. GCP external ALB: first 5 forwarding rules 0.025/hour (not each), then 0.01/rule/hour; data 0.008/GiB. One low-traffic LB: AWS 17.23, GCP 19.05; 5 LBs/1TB: 90.32 vs 26.44; 10 LBs/5TB: 205.21 vs 95.71.
Two meters: fixed fee + LCU vs forwarding rules + data processing
AWS ALB: 0.0225/hour fixed + 0.008/LCU-hour; LCU takes the highest of new connections 25/s, active connections 3,000, processed bytes 1GB/hour and rule evaluations 1,000/s; example: one low-traffic ALB about 0.03114/hour = 22.42/month (30 days), 100 requests/s about 88.78/month. AWS NLB: 0.0225/hour + 0.006/NLCU-hour; CLB: 0.025/hour + 0.008/GB. Google Cloud external ALB: first 5 forwarding rules 0.025/hour, additional 0.01/rule/hour; data 0.008/GiB in+out; internal ALB 0.025/proxy instance/hour (minimum 3) + data 0.008/GiB; Authz rules 1/rule/month, policies 5/policy/month; custom headers 0.75/million requests; self-managed TLS 0.45/million connections.
| Platform/tier | Fixed fee | Usage fee | Boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS ALB | 0.0225/hour | 0.008/LCU-hour | Highest of four LCU dimensions |
| AWS NLB | 0.0225/hour | 0.006/NLCU-hour | TCP/UDP |
| AWS CLB | 0.025/hour | 0.008/GB | Classic |
| GCP external ALB | First 5 rules 0.025/hour | Then 0.01/rule/hour + 0.008/GiB | Forwarding rules/data |
| GCP internal ALB | 0.025/proxy instance/hour (min 3) | 0.008/GiB | Proxy capacity |
Sources: AWS Elastic Load Balancing Pricing and Google Cloud Load Balancing Pricing (US/USD, accessed 7 November 2026). Excludes tax, commitments/discounts, cross-region/egress, health checks, WAF/Cloud Armor, certificates, logs and support; AWS LCU is also affected by new/active connections and rule evaluations, while this TCO estimates bandwidth only.
TCO: 1 LB, 100GB/month
One LB, 100GB/month: AWS ALB: 0.0225×730=16.43; 100GB/month≈0.137GB/hour→0.137 LCU×0.008×730=0.80; total 17.23/month. GCP external ALB: first 5 rules 0.025×730=18.25; data 100×0.008=0.80; total 19.05/month. At one low-traffic LB the two are close, AWS slightly lower; if LCU new connections/rules are higher, AWS moves toward the 22.42 official example.
| 1 LB/100GB | AWS ALB | GCP external ALB |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed fee | 16.43 (0.0225×730) | 18.25 (0.025×730) |
| Usage/data | 0.80 (0.137 LCU×0.008×730) | 0.80 (100×0.008) |
| Total | 17.23 | 19.05 |
Editorial calculation, not a quote. AWS estimates only the “processed bytes 1GB/hour=1 LCU” dimension, excluding potentially higher new/active-connection/rule-evaluation LCUs; GCP uses first 5 forwarding rules 0.025/hour and data 0.008/GiB. Excludes tax, cross-region/egress, WAF, logs, certificates and support.
TCO: 5 LBs, 1TB/month
5 LBs, 1TB/month: AWS ALB: 5×16.43=82.13; 1,024GB/730=1.40GB/hour→1.40 LCU×0.008×730=8.19; total 90.32/month. GCP: the first 5 forwarding rules still cost only 0.025/hour=18.25 (not 5×0.025); data 1,024×0.008=8.19; total 26.44/month. GCP is about 64/month cheaper because the first 5 rules are bundled; AWS charges a fixed fee per ALB.
| 5 LBs/1TB | AWS ALB | GCP external ALB |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed fee | 82.13 (5×16.43) | 18.25 (first 5 rules bundled) |
| Usage/data | 8.19 (1.40 LCU×0.008×730) | 8.19 (1,024×0.008) |
| Total | 90.32 | 26.44 |
Editorial calculation, not a quote. AWS uses 5 ALBs at 0.0225/hour each and processed-bytes LCU; GCP uses the first 5 forwarding rules at 0.025/hour (not each) and data 0.008/GiB. Excludes tax, cross-region/egress, WAF, logs, certificates and support; AWS LCU can be higher with connections/rules.
TCO: 10 LBs, 5TB/month
10 LBs, 5TB/month: AWS ALB: 10×16.43=164.25; 5,120GB/730=7.01GB/hour→7.01 LCU×0.008×730=40.96; total 205.21/month. GCP: first 5 18.25 + next 5 5×0.01×730=36.50 = 54.75; data 5,120×0.008=40.96; total 95.71/month. GCP is about 109/month cheaper; the more LBs, the bigger the fixed-fee gap, while data processing is similar.
| 10 LBs/5TB | AWS ALB | GCP external ALB |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed fee | 164.25 (10×16.43) | 54.75 (first 5 18.25 + next 5 36.50) |
| Usage/data | 40.96 (7.01 LCU×0.008×730) | 40.96 (5,120×0.008) |
| Total | 205.21 | 95.71 |
Editorial calculation, not a quote. AWS uses 10 ALBs at 0.0225/hour each and processed-bytes LCU; GCP uses first 5 at 0.025/hour + next 5 at 0.01/rule/hour and data 0.008/GiB. Excludes tax, cross-region/egress, WAF, logs, certificates and support; AWS LCU can be higher with connections/rules.
Which option fits which scenario?
One/few LBs, already on AWS, want ALB L7/rules/integrations: AWS ALB (0.0225/hour+LCU); many LBs/multi-tenant/multi-domain, budget-first: GCP external ALB (first 5 rules bundled, then 0.01/rule); TCP/UDP, ultra-low latency: AWS NLB (0.006/NLCU) or GCP network LB (forwarding rules); already on GCP, want global external ALB/Cloud Armor: GCP; enterprise/cross-cloud/fixed contracts: both negotiate. AWS LCU counts new/active connections and rule evaluations, so many rules/connections can exceed the bandwidth-only estimate; GCP data processing is per GiB in+out and becomes the main cost at high traffic.
| Scenario | First choice | Monthly (example) | Check first |
|---|---|---|---|
| One LB/low traffic | AWS ALB | 17.23 (1 LB/100GB) | LCU connections/rules |
| 5 LBs/1TB | GCP external ALB | 26.44 | Forwarding rules/data |
| 10 LBs/5TB | GCP external ALB | 95.71 | Rules/data/cross-region |
| TCP/UDP | AWS NLB | 22.57 (1 LB/1TB) | NLCU/static IP |
| Global L7/WAF | GCP external ALB/Cloud Armor | Rules+data | Armor/certs/logs |
| Enterprise/cross-cloud contract | Both contracts | Custom | Commitment/support/SLA |
Sources: the two official pricing pages (accessed 7 November 2026). This is an editorial decision matrix, not vendor advice; throughput, latency, health checks, WAF, logs, SLA and migration cost were not tested.
What should procurement and acceptance specify?
At least ten things: LB count/type (L4/L7), forwarding rules/domains, request/connection peaks, processed bytes, cross-region/egress, WAF/certificates, logs/metrics, SLA/support, compliance, contract. Run a 2–4 week POC on real traffic and record LCU/rules/data, connections, latency and the bill; do not compare only the hourly fee.
- LB: count, L4/L7, internal/external, regional/global.
- Rules: forwarding rules/domains/paths, rule evaluations.
- Traffic: request/connection peaks, processed bytes, in/out.
- LCU/NLCU: four dimensions, highest value, connection/rule impact.
- Network: cross-region/egress, static IP, PrivateLink.
- Security: WAF/Cloud Armor, certificates, mTLS.
- Logs: access logs/metrics, retention, export.
- SLA: uptime, support response, credits.
- Contract: usage/commitment, discounts, renewal, exit.
- POC: 2–4 weeks of real traffic; LCU/rules/data, connections, latency and bill.
FAQ
Is AWS or GCP cheaper?
One LB/100GB: AWS 17.23 vs GCP 19.05, AWS slightly lower; 5 LBs/1TB: 90.32 vs 26.44; 10 LBs/5TB: 205.21 vs 95.71, GCP clearly lower. The more LBs, the more GCP’s first-5-rule bundle helps.
What is an LCU?
AWS ALB’s capacity unit, taking the highest of new connections 25/s, active connections 3,000, processed bytes 1GB/hour and rule evaluations 1,000/s; 0.008/LCU-hour. Many rules/connections can make the actual LCU higher than the bandwidth-only estimate.
How do GCP’s first 5 forwarding rules work?
The first 5 forwarding rules cost 0.025/hour combined (not 0.025 each); from the 6th, 0.01/rule/hour. One LB usually has one forwarding rule, so 5 LBs still cost 0.025/hour in fixed fees.
How is data processing priced?
GCP external ALB 0.008/GiB in+out; AWS ALB’s “processed bytes” is folded into LCU (1GB/hour=1 LCU). At high traffic GCP’s data fee is the main item; AWS LCU is also affected by connections/rules.
How does NLB compare?
AWS NLB 0.0225/hour + 0.006/NLCU-hour; one LB/1TB is about 22.57/month (bandwidth dimension only). GCP network LB still prices by forwarding rules/data, so recalculate L4 scenarios under each model.
Why is the 5-LB gap so large?
AWS charges 0.0225/hour per ALB, so 5 ALBs = 82.13/month; GCP bundles the first 5 forwarding rules at 0.025/hour, only 18.25/month. Data fees are similar; the fixed fee is the gap.
What hidden costs should we expect?
Cross-region/egress, WAF/Cloud Armor, certificates, access logs/metrics, health checks, PrivateLink, support and tax. AWS LCU rule evaluations and GCP Authz rules/policies (1/rule, 5/policy) also count.
How do we choose and accept?
One/few LBs: AWS ALB; many LBs/multi-tenant: GCP; TCP/UDP: NLB; global L7/WAF: GCP+Armor. A 2–4 week POC on real traffic records LCU/rules/data, connections, latency and the bill before signing.
Research method and limitations
This article separates “official facts” from “editorial modelling”: AWS ALB 0.0225/hour+0.008/LCU, NLB 0.0225/hour+0.006/NLCU, CLB 0.025/hour+0.008/GB, the four LCU dimensions and examples come from AWS Elastic Load Balancing Pricing; GCP’s first 5 forwarding rules 0.025/hour, additional 0.01/rule/hour, data 0.008/GiB, internal ALB 0.025/proxy instance/hour (min 3), Authz 1/rule/5/policy, custom headers 0.75/million and TLS 0.45/million come from Google Cloud Load Balancing Pricing. The TCOs are arithmetic at 1/5/10 LBs, 100GB/1TB/5TB and bandwidth-only, not vendor quotes.
Eight limitations: (1) only US public list prices are used, excluding tax, commitments/discounts, cross-region/egress and regional differences; (2) only the “processed bytes” dimension is counted for LCU/data, excluding potentially higher new/active-connection/rule-evaluation LCUs; (3) only AWS ALB and GCP external ALB are compared; NLB/CLB/internal ALB are notes; (4) Azure LB, Alibaba SLB and Tencent CLB are excluded; (5) throughput, latency, health checks, WAF, logs, SLA and migration were not tested; (6) LB count/traffic is an assumption; (7) certificates/domains/logs/support are excluded; (8) prices and terms can change by contract, region and exchange rate. Treat this as a pricing-conversion template and replace assumptions with a 2–4 week real-traffic POC.
Sources and basis
- AWS, Elastic Load Balancing Pricing: aws.amazon.com/elasticloadbalancing/pricing. ALB 0.0225/hour + 0.008/LCU-hour; NLB 0.0225/hour + 0.006/NLCU; CLB 0.025/hour + 0.008/GB; LCU takes the highest of four dimensions. Accessed 7 November 2026.
- Google Cloud, Load Balancing Pricing: cloud.google.com/load-balancing/pricing. First 5 forwarding rules 0.025/hour, additional 0.01/rule/hour; data 0.008/GiB; internal ALB 0.025/proxy instance/hour (min 3); Authz rules 1/rule/month, policies 5/policy/month; custom headers 0.75/million requests; self-managed TLS 0.45/million connections. Accessed 7 November 2026.
Data cut-off 7 November 2026; prices are public list prices excluding tax; all models are editorial calculations. This is not procurement advice.