# What LocalCloud really offers

> Compare LocalCloud services with Google and community emulators. Explore feature tables and filter capabilities that add value to your local tests.
>
> Source: https://local.cloud/compare/emulators/

Go beyond basic CRUD operations. Choose a service to compare its features.

Cloud Storage 168 features · 68 only in LocalCloud:

## LocalCloud GCS

[Service guide](https://local.cloud/services/cloud-storage/)

**168** features in total · **68** only available in LocalCloud (not in fake-gcs-server)

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68 features only in LocalCloud in 8 categories. Select a category to see them.

Green counts what LocalCloud supports; red counts what fake-gcs-server lacks. Limits appear under Note.

| Feature | LocalCloud GCS | fake-gcs-server | Details |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Buckets and project ownership 21 features | 21 supported | 3 not supported |  |
| Objects, listing, metadata, and protection 47 features | 47 supported | 2 not supported |  |
| Uploads and conditional operations 23 features | 23 supported | 3 not supported |  |
| Same-bucket object moves 16 features | 16 supported | 16 not supported |  |
| Access control 5 features | 5 supported | 5 not supported |  |
| HMAC key management 12 features | 12 supported | 12 not supported |  |
| HMAC signing 21 features | 21 supported | 21 not supported |  |
| Pub/Sub notifications 23 features | 23 supported | 6 not supported |  |

### Agent data

[JSON comparison view](https://local.cloud/_astro/gcs.DozfbA_l.json)

**Comparison notes.** Test permissions, HMAC credentials, object moves and notification recovery. Compared with [fake-gcs-server](https://github.com/fsouza/fake-gcs-server/tree/3c29d20789f6475f65d2554ad6898c4afd7124bb). Permission checks require an HTTP authorization callback. HMAC verification covers supported XML routes; moves stay within one bucket. Features that neither LocalCloud GCS nor fake-gcs-server supports are not listed. Counts describe documented rows and can overlap.

Firestore 176 features · 37 only in LocalCloud:

## LocalCloud Firestore

[Service guide](https://local.cloud/services/firestore/)

**176** features in total · **37** only available in LocalCloud (not in Google Firestore emulator)

Matching profiles share one mark. Extended is opt-in; Compatibility follows Java emulator behavior.

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37 features only in LocalCloud in 4 categories. Select a category to see them.

Green counts what LocalCloud supports; red counts what Google Firestore emulator lacks. Limits appear under Note.

| Feature | LocalCloud Firestore | Google Firestore emulator | Details |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Queries, aggregation and listeners 39 features | 39 supported | 11 not supported |  |
| Index configuration, execution and Explain 32 features | 31 supported | 10 not supported |  |
| Transactions and validation 17 features | 17 supported | 4 not supported |  |
| Database administration and Rules 33 features | 32 supported | 12 not supported |  |

### Agent data

[JSON comparison view](https://local.cloud/_astro/firestore.DZlThqou.json)

**Comparison notes.** Test missing-index failures, query Explain and optimistic transaction conflicts. Compared with [Google Firestore emulator · Java 1.22.0](https://docs.cloud.google.com/firestore/native/docs/emulator). Extended-profile features need their documented configuration. Persistence and Admin APIs require a configured engine, not just a CLI profile switch. Features that neither LocalCloud Firestore nor Google Firestore emulator supports are not listed. Counts describe documented rows and can overlap.

Bigtable 376 features · 302 only in LocalCloud:

## LocalCloud Bigtable

[Service guide](https://local.cloud/services/bigtable/)

**376** features in total · **302** only available in LocalCloud (not in Google Cloud Bigtable emulator)

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302 features only in LocalCloud in 7 categories. Select a category to see them.

Green counts what LocalCloud supports; red counts what Google Cloud Bigtable emulator lacks. Limits appear under Note.

| Feature | LocalCloud Bigtable | Google Cloud Bigtable emulator | Details |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| RPC methods 74 features | 74 supported | 57 not supported |  |
| Request fields 41 features | 41 supported | 16 not supported |  |
| Row filters 20 features | 20 supported | 2 not supported |  |
| Garbage-collection rules 4 features | 4 supported | 1 not supported |  |
| Aggregate types 4 features | 4 supported | 3 not supported |  |
| Behaviors 29 features | 28 supported | 27 not supported |  |
| SQL functions and syntax 196 features | 196 supported | 196 not supported |  |

### Agent data

[JSON comparison view](https://local.cloud/_astro/bigtable.C3YwzVi7.json)

**Comparison notes.** Keep persistent data and test backups, restricted views, change streams and SQL. Compared with [Google Cloud Bigtable emulator · client library v1.58.0](https://docs.cloud.google.com/bigtable/docs/emulator). Change streams use one local partition. IAM policies manage configuration without enforcing identity. Google emulator results come from its open-source implementation, not from a Cloud SDK bundle. Features that neither LocalCloud Bigtable nor Google Cloud Bigtable emulator supports are not listed. Counts describe documented rows and can overlap.

Spanner 703 features · 178 only in LocalCloud:

## LocalCloud Spanner

[Service guide](https://local.cloud/services/spanner/)

**703** features in total · **178** only available in LocalCloud (not in Google Spanner emulator)

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178 features only in LocalCloud in 15 categories. Select a category to see them.

Green counts what LocalCloud supports; red counts what Google Spanner emulator lacks. Limits appear under Note.

| Feature | LocalCloud Spanner | Google Spanner emulator | Details |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Data API and sessions 20 features | 20 supported | 3 not supported |  |
| Instance administration 19 features | 19 supported | 8 not supported |  |
| Database administration, operations, and backups 31 features | 31 supported | 23 not supported |  |
| Schema and DDL 53 features | 53 supported | 12 not supported |  |
| Types and values 58 features | 58 supported | 1 not supported |  |
| GoogleSQL query language and functions 205 features | 205 supported | 15 not supported |  |
| PostgreSQL dialect 46 features | 46 supported | 4 not supported |  |
| Transactions, timestamps, and concurrency 21 features | 21 supported | 5 not supported |  |
| Change streams 27 features | 27 supported | 4 not supported |  |
| Full-text search 29 features | 29 supported | 7 not supported |  |
| Vector search 18 features | 18 supported | 4 not supported |  |
| Spanner Graph and GQL 38 features | 38 supported | 17 not supported |  |
| Metadata, information schema, and SPANNER\_SYS 50 features | 50 supported | 42 not supported |  |
| Security and governance 18 features | 18 supported | 18 not supported |  |
| Emulator-specific capabilities 15 features | 15 supported | 15 not supported |  |

### Agent data

[JSON comparison view](https://local.cloud/_astro/spanner.CEirYwFQ.json)

**Comparison notes.** Persist databases, test backup recovery and database roles, and execute graph algorithms. Compared with [Google Spanner emulator v1.5.58](https://github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/cloud-spanner-emulator/tree/a081a7e71aba5f4d05fc8c6b21ef1a269dcbac28). This comparison uses v1.5.58. Persistence and backups require --data\_dir. Database roles enforce privileges; IAM policies do not. Features that neither LocalCloud Spanner nor Google Spanner emulator supports are not listed. Counts describe documented rows and can overlap.

BigQuery 1,112 features · 55 only in LocalCloud:

## LocalCloud BigQuery

[Service guide](https://local.cloud/services/bigquery/)

**1,112** features in total · **55** only available in LocalCloud (not in goccy BigQuery emulator)

### Explore the feature comparison

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55 features only in LocalCloud in 10 categories. Select a category to see them.

Green counts what LocalCloud supports; red counts what goccy BigQuery emulator lacks. Limits appear under Note.

| Feature | LocalCloud BigQuery | goccy BigQuery emulator | Details |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Metadata / Advanced 22 features | 22 supported | 9 not supported |  |
| Metadata / Enterprise 25 features | 20 supported | 16 not supported |  |
| Metadata / INFORMATION\_SCHEMA 32 features | 29 supported | 4 not supported |  |
| REST API / Row access policies 3 features | 3 supported | 3 not supported |  |
| REST API / Tables 3 features | 3 supported | 3 not supported |  |
| SQL / DDL 262 features | 230 supported | 8 not supported |  |
| SQL / External 11 features | 8 supported | 8 not supported |  |
| SQL / Functions 406 features | 396 supported | 2 not supported |  |
| SQL / SELECT 122 features | 121 supported | 1 not supported |  |
| Storage Read API 3 features | 3 supported | 1 not supported |  |

### Agent data

[JSON comparison view](https://local.cloud/_astro/bigquery.D18JU5v4.json)

**Comparison notes.** Run ML, external tables, federation, policies, snapshots and clones alongside SQL. Compared with [goccy BigQuery emulator](https://github.com/goccy/bigquery-emulator/tree/cb8555bee739c794343337e8c3242b59d5d7470a). Generative ML requires a configured provider. Competitor results come from its documentation, source or backend declarations, not new test runs, and unassessed behavior never counts as a missing feature. Features that neither LocalCloud BigQuery nor goccy BigQuery emulator supports are not listed. Counts describe documented rows and can overlap.

## More comparisons

Comparison

### [LocalCloud vs Google emulators for agents](https://local.cloud/compare/google-emulators/)

Compare LocalCloud with Google's official emulators for agent workflows on local Google Cloud, with sources and the cases where Google's emulators fit better.

- Google gcloud emulators include service-specific emulator groups.
- LocalCloud runs 25 local services in one Docker image; Firestore is opt-in, and each service documents its local boundaries.

Comparison

### [LocalCloud vs hosted agent sandboxes](https://local.cloud/compare/e2b-vercel-sandboxes/)

Compare LocalCloud with hosted code sandboxes such as E2B for agent workflows: where each one fits, and why many agent setups use both.

- E2B and Vercel focus on isolated code execution environments.
- LocalCloud focuses on local Google Cloud APIs and SDK endpoints.

Comparison

### [BigQuery emulator alternatives for agents](https://local.cloud/compare/bigquery-emulator-alternatives/)

Compare LocalCloud BigQuery with standalone BigQuery emulators and real BigQuery for agent-written pipelines, including when each option fits better.

- LocalCloud BigQuery runs beside Pub/Sub, Storage, Spanner, and other available services.
- Single-service community emulators focus on BigQuery alone; their coverage and fidelity vary by project.

Comparison

### [LocalStack for Google Cloud](https://local.cloud/localstack-for-google-cloud/)

LocalStack emulates AWS; LocalCloud emulates Google Cloud. When each one fits, how SDK routing differs, and why multi-cloud teams run both.

- LocalStack had no Google Cloud services as of October 5, 2026.
- AWS SDK calls do not reach LocalCloud, and Google Cloud SDK calls do not reach LocalStack.