RunPod Free GPU Credits: $1 Trial, RTX 4090/A100 Pricing & Setup
On-demand GPU cloud from $0.20/hr, A100/H100 available
What is RunPod
RunPod is the most popular GPU cloud among developers. Two modes: GPU Pods (persistent VMs) and Serverless GPU (per-request inference).
3-5x cheaper than AWS/GCP with per-second billing. Community cloud starts at $0.20/hr for RTX 3090, A100 at ~$0.79/hr. New users get $1 free credits.
3-5x cheaper than AWS/GCP with per-second billing. Community cloud starts at $0.20/hr for RTX 3090, A100 at ~$0.79/hr. New users get $1 free credits.
Free Tier & Pricing
Free credits: $1 for new users (~5 hours of RTX 3090)
Popular GPU pricing (Community Cloud):
- RTX 3090: $0.20/hr
- RTX 4090: $0.39/hr
- A100 80GB: $0.79/hr
- H100 80GB: $2.49/hr
Serverless GPU: Per-request billing, no charge when idle, ideal for inference API deployment.
Popular GPU pricing (Community Cloud):
- RTX 3090: $0.20/hr
- RTX 4090: $0.39/hr
- A100 80GB: $0.79/hr
- H100 80GB: $2.49/hr
Serverless GPU: Per-request billing, no charge when idle, ideal for inference API deployment.
Editor's note
Editor's note: If you only need API inference, you may not need a GPU rental. Compare free quota, rate limits, and latency first.
China Access Guide
RunPod is accessible from China. Payment requires international credit card or PayPal.
For China-based GPU needs, domestic platforms (AutoDL, MatPool) are alternatives, but RunPod pricing is usually more competitive.
For China-based GPU needs, domestic platforms (AutoDL, MatPool) are alternatives, but RunPod pricing is usually more competitive.
FAQ
Q: Community vs Secure Cloud?
A: Dev/test → Community (cheaper, may be preempted). Production → Secure (pricier, stable).
Q: What can I run?
A: Any Docker container. Model training, inference, Stable Diffusion, ComfyUI, etc.
Q: How does it compare to Vast.ai?
A: RunPod has better UX and stability. Vast.ai may be cheaper but quality varies.
A: Dev/test → Community (cheaper, may be preempted). Production → Secure (pricier, stable).
Q: What can I run?
A: Any Docker container. Model training, inference, Stable Diffusion, ComfyUI, etc.
Q: How does it compare to Vast.ai?
A: RunPod has better UX and stability. Vast.ai may be cheaper but quality varies.