Vast.ai vs Lambda
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Vast.ai starts at See pricing page and Lambda starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- GPU marketplace
- Docker templates
- Interruptible instances
- Serverless endpoints
- Per-second billing
- On-demand GPU instances
- Lambda Stack software
- 1-Click Clusters
- Private cloud
- Cloud API
| Feature | Vast.ai | Lambda |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Marketplace for renting low-cost GPUs from many hosts | GPU cloud for training and inference on NVIDIA H100, H200 and B200 |
| Category | Models & APIs | Models & APIs |
| Pricing model | Paid | Paid |
| Starting price | See pricing page | See pricing page |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Made by | Vast.ai | Lambda |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
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Pricing compared
Vast.ai starts at See pricing page and Lambda starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
2 plans
On-demand
Per-second GPU billing
- Supply and demand pricing
- 68+ GPU types
Reserved
Contact sales
- 1, 3 or 6 month terms
- Guaranteed capacity
- Volume discounts
3 plans
On-demand instances
From $0.69 / GPU-hour
- 1x to 8x GPU instances
- H100 SXM from $3.99/GPU-hr
- B200 from $6.69/GPU-hr
1-Click Clusters
From $5.54 / GPU-hour
- 16 to 2,000+ B200 or H100 GPUs
- 2 weeks to 1 year terms
Reserved
Contact sales
- 1 year+ capacity
- Lowest prices
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Vast.ai
- Very low GPU prices
- Wide hardware choice
- Pay by the second
- Host reliability varies
- Security depends on the host
- Less hand-holding than big clouds
Lambda
- Simple hourly GPU pricing
- Ready ML software stack
- Large cluster options
- On-demand capacity can run out
- No hosted model API anymore
- Fewer managed services than hyperscalers
Which one should you choose?
Choose Vast.ai if you want:
- Very low GPU prices
- Wide hardware choice
- Pay by the second
Watch out: host reliability varies.
Choose Lambda if you want:
- Simple hourly GPU pricing
- Ready ML software stack
- Large cluster options
Watch out: on-demand capacity can run out.
Vast.ai vs Lambda FAQ
What is the difference between Vast.ai and Lambda?
Vast.ai: Marketplace for renting low-cost GPUs from many hosts. Lambda: GPU cloud for training and inference on NVIDIA H100, H200 and B200. Both are models & apis tools.
Is Vast.ai or Lambda cheaper?
Vast.ai starts at See pricing page and Lambda starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Vast.ai and Lambda have free plans?
Vast.ai: No. Lambda: No.
Who makes Vast.ai?
Vast.ai is made by Vast.ai, based in United States.
Who makes Lambda?
Lambda is made by Lambda, based in United States.
Which should I choose, Vast.ai or Lambda?
Choose Vast.ai if you value very low gpu prices and wide hardware choice. Choose Lambda if you value simple hourly gpu pricing and ready ml software stack.