In June, Google announced the Google Developer Program, a free program to give devs access to resources designed to help them build applications using Google services. Now that “millions” of devs have signed up (according to Google), the company is introducing a second, paid tier to commercialize the program.

On Monday, Google launched the Google Developer Program premium membership, a $299-per-year upgrade from the standard Google Developer Program. It adds several benefits, including one-on-one consultations with Google Cloud experts and access to e-learning programs in Google’s on-demand training program, Google Cloud Skills Boost.

Beyond consultations and online courses, the Google Developer Program premium membership includes $500 in annual Google Cloud credits, a certification voucher, and “bonus” Google Cloud credits for devs who pass an annual Google Cloud certification. That’s in addition to all the resources in the standard, free Google Developer Program, including AI-powered documentation and coding tools, first dibs on new products, and workspaces in Google’s IDX app development platform.

The new offering stands out because neither of Google’s major cloud rivals, Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Azure, have an individual dev plan quite like it. Microsoft offers paid alternatives to its free Microsoft 365 Developer Program, the company’s rough equivalent to the Google Developer Program, but they’re geared mainly toward business users. AWS provides premium support programs, but they’re more focused on architectural guidance and technical assistance.

Curiously, for customers in the European Economic Region, the U.K., and Switzerland, the Google Developer Program premium membership is “restricted to business or professional use,” according to the fine print. That suggests that it’s not allowed for personal use in those countries; we’ve reached out to Google for clarification.

Assuming one takes advantage of all the benefits, the Google Developer Program premium membership could pay for itself rather quickly. But I have to imagine that some devs will be disheartened to see new features gated behind a paid tier, given that Google gave no indication it planned to charge for future enhancements to the original program.

“In the coming months, the Google Developer Program will unlock new tools and resources to help you on your development journey such as additional training resources and more ways to connect with the community,” Google wrote in a blog post in June. “To access these benefits, you’ll just need to sign up to the Google Developer Program.”

Google’s pitching the Google Developer Program premium membership as a revamping of its now-defunct Cloud Innovators Plus program, which offered comparable benefits at the same $299-per-year price. Notably, Cloud Innovators Plus didn’t bundle in Google Cloud Skills Boost, which Google estimates is a $299-per-year value on its own.

“[T]his new offering is the next evolution of our commitment to streamlining the developer experience,” Google wrote in a post on Monday, “and presents the continued investment in the Google Developer Program as the hub of benefits and resources across Google’s many developer products and services.”

Devs may grumble — but they’re also voting for Google with their wallets, it seems. In the company’s most recent fiscal quarter (Q3 2024), Google’s cloud business, which includes infrastructure as well as software subscriptions, grew 35% year-over-year to $11.35 billion. Its growth outpaced Amazon and Microsoft’s cloud divisions, both of which are significantly larger by market share.