GCP emulator

Run Google Cloud locally in one Docker container

LocalCloud runs 25 services locally. The CLI starts a runtime that listens only on localhost and exports the SDK endpoint settings your code needs.

Start with the CLI Browse the service catalog →

Local services

Databases, messaging, storage, analytics, security, and compute in one container.

Persistent runtime

One CLI lifecycle with persistent data on localhost-only ports.

Free

During public preview

Non-production use for individuals and organizations, Pro-tier services included; see the license for terms.

GCP local development is fragmented

Individual emulator processes have separate startup, port, and environment contracts. LocalCloud provides one managed lifecycle for every local service, and each service page lists its workflows and limits.

Per-service

Compatibility

Every published workflow includes a support level and explicit local-emulation limits.

One CLI

Managed lifecycle

The CLI selects durable storage and localhost ports, starts or reuses a compatible runtime, and exports its endpoint map.

The Solution

One runtime, one console, one handoff

LocalCloud wraps official, custom, and third-party emulators behind a managed local runtime. The host CLI selects its Docker data volume, exports the environment values your code needs, and opens the built-in console.

Before relying on a local workflow, review the documented compatibility and limitations for the services your application uses.

Service catalog

Browse 27 service guides: 25 cover services that run locally, and 2 explain why a service is unsupported. Each guide lists connection details, whether the service starts by default, workflows, and known limitations.

Standard SDK workflows

Export local endpoint values with localcloud env. Client and operation support varies by service; validate the production path against real Google Cloud.

Built-in web console

The CLI returns the console URL, including any port it picked because the default was in use. Use the console to inspect service health and local data.

What you can run locally

Each service links to its guide with setup steps and documented local workflows. Services LocalCloud does not run are marked Unsupported. See compatibility for operation-level detail.

Databases

Databases services

Transactional, document, wide-column, relational, and cache workflows.

Firestore — Document CRUD, query, and collection workflows; opt-in to save memory.
Bigtable — Row mutation, read, table administration, and PostgreSQL-backed data workflows. Pro tier, free during preview.
Spanner — Spanner data and administration workflows over gRPC and REST. Pro tier, free during preview.
AlloyDB — AlloyDB cluster and instance control-plane workflows.
Memorystore (Redis/Valkey) — Valkey-backed RESP data workflows.
Cloud SQL — Instance, database, and user workflows with PostgreSQL and on-demand MySQL.

Messaging & Workflow

Messaging & Workflow services

Events, jobs, scheduling, and orchestration.

Pub/Sub — Topic, subscription, publish, pull, and acknowledgement workflows.
Cloud Tasks — Queue and task lifecycle workflows.
Cloud Scheduler — Schedule and job lifecycle workflows.
Cloud Workflows — Workflow deployment and execution workflows.

Compute & Runtime

Compute & Runtime services

Function, container, cluster, VM, and AI control-plane workflows.

Cloud Functions (2nd Gen) — Second-generation function control-plane workflows.
GKE — Cluster workflows with opt-in k3d runtime integration. Pro tier, free during preview.
Compute Engine Unsupported — Compute Engine doesn't run in LocalCloud; use Google Cloud for VM workloads.
Cloud Run — Service and revision workflows with host-runtime integration. Pro tier, free during preview.
Vertex AI Unsupported — Vertex AI doesn't run in LocalCloud; use Google Cloud for inference and training.

Security

Security services

Secret, identity, and cryptographic API workflows.

Secret Manager — Secret and version lifecycle workflows for local development.
Cloud IAM — IAM policy API workflows for local development.
Cloud KMS — Key-management and cryptographic workflows. Pro tier, free during preview.

Operations

Operations services

Projects, service usage, billing metadata, logs, and metrics.

Cloud Resource Manager — Project lifecycle workflows for local development.
Service Usage — Service enablement and metadata workflows.
Cloud Billing — Billing-account, budget, and cost metadata workflows.
Cloud Logging — Log ingestion, listing, metrics, and sink workflows.
Cloud Monitoring — Metric writes, filtered time-series reads, and alert-policy configuration.

Storage

Storage services

Buckets, objects, and local file workflows.

Cloud Storage — Bucket and object lifecycle workflows for local SDK and API development.

Analytics

Analytics services

Local data processing, warehouse, and query workflows.

BigQuery — Dataset, table, query, scripting, and API workflows.
Dataproc — Dataproc cluster and job workflows in serverless and cluster modes with Docker execution.

Auxiliary Integration APIs

Auxiliary integration APIs

Data lookup and fixture seeding APIs for other cloud services (e.g. BigQuery external tables); not offered as an individual Google Cloud service.

Google Sheets — Auxiliary read-only values lookup API for BigQuery external tables and fixture seeding, selected by exact A1 range.

Built for how GCP teams actually work

Local development

Run local workflows on localhost endpoints. Runtime telemetry and other outbound features exist; review privacy controls before relying on offline operation.

Internal automation

The Public Preview License permits individuals and organizations, including for-profit companies, to use LocalCloud in ongoing internal automation and team CI.

BigQuery pipeline testing

Exercise documented DuckDB-backed BigQuery workflows locally, including datasets, tables, queries, scripting, and API profiles.

Repeatable team setup

The CLI can standardize local startup for individual and organization projects within the Public Preview License's non-production boundary.

Terraform validation

Use the documented endpoint-only or transparent-network workflow for the documented resources, then validate against real Google Cloud before production.

Offline use

After the image is downloaded, core local workflows can run offline. Telemetry, update checks, licensing, IAM, and configured scheduler targets can still make outbound requests.

The setup difference

Google's individual emulators

# Pub/Sub
gcloud components install pubsub-emulator
gcloud beta emulators pubsub start --host-port=localhost:5383

# Firestore
gcloud beta emulators firestore start --host-port=localhost:5384

# Spanner
gcloud components install spanner-emulator
gcloud emulators spanner start --host-port=localhost:5386

# These are separate emulator processes.
# This comparison does not claim an exhaustive vendor count.

LocalCloud

curl -fsSL https://local.cloud/install.sh | sh
localcloud doctor
localcloud start --local-only
curl -fsS http://localhost:5380/readiness
eval "$(localcloud env)"
localcloud console

# Use the URLs and endpoint values returned by the CLI.

Compare in depth: LocalCloud vs Google emulators LocalStack for Google Cloud?

Frequently asked questions

What is a GCP emulator?

A GCP emulator is a local program that answers calls to selected Google Cloud APIs, so your code can run against them on your machine. It isn't production Google Cloud: check each service's limits and validate against real Google Cloud before you deploy.

Can I use Google Cloud SDKs?

Use the client libraries listed for each documented service workflow after exporting the actual local endpoints with localcloud env. Compatibility varies by service and client profile.

Which services are included?

LocalCloud runs 25 services locally. Its catalog lists 27: 26 Google Cloud services and 1 auxiliary API (Google Sheets). Compute Engine and Vertex AI are unsupported. Firestore is opt-in. Google Sheets is a read-only values API for BigQuery external tables and fixture seeding.

Is LocalCloud free?

Yes. Individuals and organizations, including for-profit companies, can use LocalCloud free of charge for non-production development, testing, CI, evaluation, and internal pilots under the proprietary Public Preview License.

Can I use LocalCloud in CI?

Yes. The Public Preview License permits non-production internal CI for individuals and organizations, including for-profit companies. Exact runner networking and service-container behavior must still be tested.

Start developing against GCP locally

Use the CLI to start local workflows, then check each service's limits and the proprietary license.

Explore services Read the docs