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 Googles 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. Thats in addition to all the resources in the standard, free Google Developer Program, including AI-powered documentation and coding tools, early access to new products, and workspaces in Googles IDX app development platform.The new offering stands out because neither of Googles major cloud rivals, Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Azure, have a developer plan quite like it. Microsoft offers paid alternatives to its free Microsoft 365 Developer Program, the companys rough equivalent to the Google Developer Program, but theyre geared mainly toward business users. AWS provides premium support programs, but theyre 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 itsnotallowed for personal use in those countries; weve 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, youll just need to sign up to the Google Developer Program. Devs may grumble but theyre also voting for Google with their wallets, it seems. In the companys most recent fiscal quarter (Q3 2024), Googles cloud business, which includes infrastructure as well as software subscriptions, grew 35% year-over-year to $11.35 billion. Its growth outpaced Amazon and Microsofts cloud divisions, both of which are significantly larger by market share.