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Anyscale vs Depot

Anyscale logo

Anyscale

Cloud

Platform for scaling AI and data workloads on Ray, built by Ray's creators

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Depot logo

Depot

Developer Tools

Cloud-based builds and CI runs 55x faster with less cost

From
Free
Free plan
Yes

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Anyscale pricing for high-end H100/B200-class GPUs is not published and requires contacting sales.; Depot developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development
  • They diverge on capability: Anyscale covers Distributed model training, Depot covers Depot CI.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Anyscale and Depot actually diverge.

Attributes where Anyscale and Depot differ
AttributeAnyscaleDepot
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
Platformsweb, apiCloud, GitHub, CLI
CategoryCloudDeveloper Tools
FoundedUnknown2022

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Anyscale

  • Distributed model training
  • Multimodal data curation
  • Batch embedding generation
  • Multi-cloud orchestration
  • Governance and security
  • Observability
  • Bring-your-own-cloud deployment
  • Elastic GPU allocation

Only in Depot

  • Depot CI
  • Container builds
  • GitHub Actions runners
  • Distributed caching
  • Build API
  • Depot Registry
  • Cross-platform builds
  • SSH debugging

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Anyscale

  • Training large models on distributed GPU clustersnot Depot
  • Running batch inference and embedding jobsnot Depot
  • Preparing multimodal datasets at scalenot Depot
  • Post-training LLMs with reinforcement learning frameworksnot Depot

Depot

  • Accelerating Docker builds for container-based developmentnot Anyscale
  • Replacing GitHub Actions runners with faster infrastructurenot Anyscale
  • Distributing cache across Monorepo buildsnot Anyscale
  • Debugging failed CI builds interactively with SSHnot Anyscale

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Anyscale

  • Pricing for high-end H100/B200-class GPUs is not published and requires contacting sales.
  • Built around Ray, so teams not already using Ray face a steeper adoption curve than single-purpose inference APIs.
  • No published fixed-fee subscription tier; all listed pricing is usage-based on-demand compute.

Depot

  • Developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development
  • Startup plan at $200/mo is expensive for smaller teams
  • Business plan requires custom pricing consultation
  • macOS M2 runners not available on Developer plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Anyscale

Free
  • Pay-as-you-go$undefined/mo
    • CPU only from $0.0135/hr
    • NVIDIA T4 $0.5682/hr
    • NVIDIA L4 $0.9542/hr
  • Committed contract$undefined/mo
    • Volume discounts
    • Use of existing GPU reservations

Depot

Free
  • Developer$20/month
    • 1 user
    • 500 Docker build minutes per month
    • 2,000 Depot CI minutes per month
  • Startup$200/month
    • Unlimited users
    • 5,000 Docker build minutes per month
    • 20,000 Depot CI minutes per month
  • Business$undefined/custom
    • Custom pricing
    • Unlimited users
    • Custom monthly compute

Which should you pick?

Choose Anyscale if

  • You need distributed model training.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want multimodal data curation.

Choose Depot if

  • You need depot ci.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, GitHub, CLI.
  • You also want container builds.

Questions people ask

Is Anyscale or Depot better?
Neither clearly leads. Anyscale starts at Free and Depot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Anyscale or Depot?
Anyscale starts at Free and Depot at Free.
Does Anyscale or Depot run on more platforms?
Anyscale runs on web, api. Depot runs on Cloud, GitHub, CLI.
Can I use Anyscale for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Anyscale best used for?
Anyscale is most often used for training large models on distributed gpu clusters, running batch inference and embedding jobs, preparing multimodal datasets at scale, post-training llms with reinforcement learning frameworks. Of those, training large models on distributed gpu clusters and running batch inference and embedding jobs are not what Depot is typically brought in for.
What can Anyscale do that Depot cannot?
Anyscale covers Distributed model training, Multimodal data curation, Batch embedding generation, Multi-cloud orchestration. Depot covers Depot CI, Container builds, GitHub Actions runners, Distributed caching.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Anyscale: How much does Anyscale cost?

Anyscale bills on a pay-as-you-go basis: CPU compute starts at $0.0135/hr, NVIDIA T4 at $0.5682/hr, and NVIDIA A100 at $4.9591/hr, with committed contracts offering volume discounts for larger workloads.

Source
Depot: How much faster are Depot runners compared to GitHub Actions?

Depot runners offer 30% faster CPUs and 10x faster networking than standard GitHub-hosted runners, enabling builds to complete significantly faster.

Source
Anyscale: Is there a free trial or credit?

New users receive $100 in Anyscale credits to explore the platform, which can be applied toward starter templates and on-demand compute usage.

Source
Depot: What is included in the Developer plan?

Developer plan ($20/month) includes 500 Docker build minutes, 2,000 Depot CI minutes, 2,000 GitHub Actions minutes, 25 GB storage, unlimited concurrency, and community support.

Source
Anyscale: How is usage billed?

Hosted usage is billed hourly per compute instance type and invoiced monthly by credit card; bring-your-own-cloud usage is invoiced through Anyscale or the customer's cloud marketplace account.

Source
Depot: Can I use Depot with my own AWS account?

Yes, Depot Managed allows deployment within customer AWS accounts. This is available to interested customers; contact sales for details.

Source
Anyscale: What support is included?

Hosted plans include business-hours support with up to 5 case submissions, while bring-your-own-cloud deployments get 24x7 enterprise SLAs and unlimited case submissions.

Source
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