Hands-on experience with Google Cloud
Learners value working through real cloud tasks in the labs alongside the learning paths.
Google Skills
Summary
Google Skills is Google’s learning platform for cloud and AI courses, hands-on labs and skill badges. It includes the former Google Cloud Skills Boost catalog.
Good fit
- Candidates who want hands-on practice in a real Google Cloud environment
- Learners starting from zero who want a free, official first pass through a certification's core topics
Less suited to
- Anyone planning many labs a month on the free tier without upgrading
- Candidates who want practice exams, which are not the focus of the platform
Learner Reviews
What learners praise
What learners complain about
Lab instructions can fall behind
Learners report outdated or non-working lab steps that make exercises difficult to finish. The available feedback includes the earlier Cloud Skills Boost platform.
Plans & pricing
- Plans and pricing
- Free Starter tier with monthly credits, or a paid Pro subscription
Pro is $29/month, with a 7-day trial for new subscribers
- Free options
- Starter is free and includes 35 credits a month for limited hands-on labs, plus skill badges
- Access
- Starter access continues with monthly credits; Pro access lasts while the subscription is active
- Refunds
- No refund policy is published for subscriptions. Pro auto-renews monthly or annually until you cancel.
Courses & practice tests
Google Skills resources included in our certification guides.
Alternatives
Udemy
An open marketplace for cert-prep video courses and practice tests, sold individually or through the Personal Plan subscription.
Coursera
Certificate programs from vendors and universities (Google, IBM, AWS, university partners), often delivered as multi-course Specializations.
Tutorials Dojo
AWS practice exams and video courses, with some Azure and Google Cloud practice exams
Pluralsight
Subscription tech-skills library with skill assessments and hands-on cloud labs, often paid for by employers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Skills the same thing as Google Cloud Skills Boost?
Yes. Google renamed Google Cloud Skills Boost to Google Skills in October 2025 and moved it from cloudskillsboost.google to skills.google. It is the same platform with a new name and domain.
Is Google Skills free?
There is a free Starter tier with 35 credits a month for limited labs, plus skill badges. Pro is $29/month for unlimited labs, with a 7-day trial for new subscribers.
Are the hands-on labs real or simulated?
They are real. Each lab starts a temporary Google Cloud environment for you to work in.
Is the free tier enough to pass a Google Cloud certification?
It is a good start. For associate and professional exams, plan for more lab time with Pro, or add a paid course and practice questions.
Last updated October 2026