google_compute_target_https_proxy cost estimation

A google_compute_target_https_proxy terminates TLS for an HTTPS load balancer and connects the forwarding rule to a URL map. It references one or more SSL certificates and an optional SSL policy. The proxy is free, and importantly Google-managed SSL certificates are free too, including automatic issuance and renewal. Self-managed certificates you upload are also free to attach. There is no per-certificate or per-TLS-handshake charge.

As with the other routing pieces, the proxy is free config and the Cloud Load Balancing charge lands on the forwarding rule (hourly plus per-GB data processed) that points at it. The backends behind the URL map carry the compute and egress. So an HTTPS load balancer's bill is the forwarding rule plus data plus backends, with TLS termination and managed certificates adding nothing.

This is a genuine advantage worth calling out: on some clouds, managed TLS certificates or a certificate manager carry a charge. On GCP, Google-managed certificates on a target HTTPS proxy are free, so enabling HTTPS does not add a line item. c3x prices the forwarding rule and backends and treats the target HTTPS proxy, its managed certificates, the URL map, and health checks as the free config they are.

Terraform example

A minimal but realistic configuration that C3X can estimate.

resource "google_compute_target_https_proxy" "app" {
  name             = "app-https-proxy"
  url_map          = google_compute_url_map.app.id
  ssl_certificates = [google_compute_managed_ssl_certificate.app.id]
}

Pricing dimensions

What you actually pay for when you provision google_compute_target_https_proxy.

Dimension	Unit	What's being charged
Target HTTPS proxy and managed certs	free	The proxy, TLS termination, and Google-managed SSL certificates (issuance and renewal) have no charge. $0
Forwarding rule it connects	per hour + per GB	The load balancer charge lands on the forwarding rule pointing at the proxy, plus data processed. ~$0.025/hour per rule + data
Backends behind the URL map	per hour	The VMs or services the proxy's URL map routes to, carrying their own cost.

Optimization tips

Common ways to reduce google_compute_target_https_proxy cost without changing the workload.

Use free Google-managed certificates

No cost for managed TLS

Google-managed SSL certificates on the proxy are free to issue and auto-renew, avoiding any certificate-management product or manual renewal overhead.

Consolidate certificates on one proxy

A single HTTPS proxy can serve multiple domains via SNI with multiple certificates, letting one forwarding rule and load balancer front many hostnames.

Keep TLS at the load balancer

Terminating TLS on the free proxy avoids running TLS on backend VMs, simplifying backends and letting them stay smaller.

FAQ

Does a target HTTPS proxy cost money?

No. The proxy, TLS termination, and Google-managed SSL certificates are free. The Cloud Load Balancing charge lands on the forwarding rule plus data processed, and on the backends.

Are Google-managed SSL certificates free on GCP?

Yes. Google-managed certificates attached to a target HTTPS proxy are free to issue and auto-renew. Enabling HTTPS on the load balancer adds no certificate line item.

How do I estimate the cost of an HTTPS load balancer?

Price the forwarding rule (hourly plus data processed), the internet egress, and the backends. c3x does this and treats the HTTPS proxy, managed certificates, URL map, and health checks as free.