llmcost.xyzTensorDock vs Vast.ai: GPU Marketplace Pricing Compared

TensorDock vs Vast.ai: GPU Marketplace Pricing Compared

Two GPU marketplaces compared on pricing, GPU availability, and billing — see which fits your workload and budget.

📅 Data verified: 2026-06-13

TensorDock and Vast.ai are both GPU marketplaces, but they package supply differently: TensorDock combines marketplace capacity with partner data centers, while Vast.ai is a decentralized bid-based marketplace. Pricing is aggressive on both sides, with H100s starting around $2.25/hr on TensorDock and about $1.87/hr on Vast.ai, while RTX 4090 listings start near $0.35/hr and $0.20/hr respectively.

FeatureTensorDockVast.ai
Pricing ModelMarketplace + partner data centers (incl. Voltage Park)Decentralized GPU marketplace (bid-based)
BillingPer-hour (per-minute on some hosts)Per-minute
H100 Pricingfrom $2.25/hr (on-demand ~$2.50, spot ~$1.60)from ~$1.87/hr (PCIe)
A100 80GB Pricingfrom ~$1.30/hrfrom ~$0.67/hr
RTX 4090 Pricingfrom ~$0.35/hrfrom ~$0.20/hr
Founded20202018

💡 Pricing reflects publicly listed on-demand rates as of 2026-06-13 and may vary by region, GPU availability, or change over time. Always confirm current pricing on the provider's site before committing.

Why Choose Each Provider

TensorDock

  • Competitive H100/A100 pricing close to marketplace lows
  • Spot pricing for further discounts on interruptible jobs
  • Simple self-service deployment, pay-as-you-go
  • Smaller company than hyperscalers — less brand track record
  • Availability and exact pricing vary by region/host

Vast.ai

  • Often the cheapest marketplace prices for any given GPU
  • Huge GPU variety from thousands of independent hosts
  • Interruptible/spot instances for extra savings
  • Reliability and network speed vary by host
  • No enterprise SLA or guaranteed uptime
  • Prices fluctuate live with marketplace supply/demand

Verdict

For self-service on-demand workloads where you want straightforward deployment and still-competitive pricing, TensorDock is the better pick because its H100 pricing starts around $2.25/hr, with on-demand closer to $2.50/hr and spot around $1.60/hr, and it also offers strong A100 80GB pricing from about $1.30/hr. For bargain-hunting solo researchers or teams running flexible, interruptible experiments, Vast.ai is the better pick because its marketplace often posts lower starting prices — about $1.87/hr for H100 PCIe, $0.67/hr for A100 80GB, and $0.20/hr for RTX 4090 — though you trade that for host-to-host variability and no enterprise SLA.

FAQ

Is TensorDock cheaper than Vast.ai for H100 rentals?

Usually no at the absolute floor price: Vast.ai H100 PCIe listings start around $1.87/hr, while TensorDock H100 starts around $2.25/hr. That said, TensorDock spot can drop to about $1.60/hr on interruptible capacity, so the cheaper option can depend on whether you are comparing on-demand versus spot and what hosts are available in your region.

Which is better for short training jobs: TensorDock or Vast.ai?

Both can work well for short jobs because billing is granular: Vast.ai bills per-minute, and TensorDock is per-hour with per-minute billing on some hosts. If your priority is the lowest possible entry price, Vast.ai is attractive with A100 80GB from about $0.67/hr and RTX 4090 from about $0.20/hr; if you want simpler self-service deployment with competitive pricing, TensorDock starts around $1.30/hr for A100 80GB and $0.35/hr for RTX 4090.

Does Vast.ai support interruptible or spot-style GPU instances like TensorDock?

Yes. Vast.ai offers interruptible/spot-style marketplace instances for extra savings, similar in spirit to TensorDock’s spot options. TensorDock explicitly lists H100 spot pricing around $1.60/hr versus roughly $2.50/hr on-demand, while Vast.ai’s live marketplace pricing fluctuates with supply and demand and can be very low, but reliability and uptime vary by host.