Softwr

AI · head to head

CoreWeave vs Northflank

CoreWeave logo

CoreWeave

AI

Specialized cloud for GPU compute

From
$0.35/per-hour
Rated
-
Northflank logo

Northflank

Cloud

The runtime platform for AI-native companies

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Northflank has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CoreWeave gPU nodes are sold as full 8 GPU instances rather than single cards, so the entry cost for an H100 node is $49.24 an hour on demand; Northflank pricing complexity with multiple rate dimensions
  • They diverge on capability: CoreWeave covers NVIDIA H100/A100, Northflank covers Application deployments.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CoreWeave and Northflank actually diverge.

Attributes where CoreWeave and Northflank differ
AttributeCoreWeaveNorthflank
Starting price$0.35/per-hourFree
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloudAWS, GCP, Azure, On-premises
CategoryAICloud
Founded2017Unknown

Identical on both: 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 CoreWeave

  • NVIDIA H100/A100
  • Kubernetes native
  • High bandwidth
  • Object storage
  • Kubernetes
  • Terraform
  • Cloud APIs
  • Cloud support

Only in Northflank

  • Application deployments
  • GPU support
  • Preview environments
  • Database management
  • Multi-cloud support
  • GitOps integration

What people use each for

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

CoreWeave

  • Renting GPU compute for model training and inferencenot Northflank
  • Running large scale AI workloads without buying hardwarenot Northflank

Northflank

  • Deploying AI inference models with GPU accelerationnot CoreWeave
  • Running training workloads on distributed GPUsnot CoreWeave
  • Building microservices with multi-cloud reliabilitynot CoreWeave

Where each one falls short

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

CoreWeave

  • GPU nodes are sold as full 8 GPU instances rather than single cards, so the entry cost for an H100 node is $49.24 an hour on demand
  • Spot pricing is roughly 40% of on demand, at $19.71 an hour for the same H100 node, so predictable capacity carries a large premium
  • The newest hardware carries no published price and requires contacting sales
  • Discounts of up to 60% require committed usage agreements negotiated with sales
  • Only the GH200 is offered as a single GPU instance

Northflank

  • Pricing complexity with multiple rate dimensions
  • GPU costs can be expensive for large-scale deployments
  • Learning curve for Kubernetes concepts

Pricing, plan by plan

CoreWeave

$0.35/per-hour
  • Standard$0.35/per-hour
    • Various GPU types
    • Kubernetes
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Dedicated clusters
    • Custom solutions

Northflank

Free
  • Sandbox (Free)Free
    • Always-on compute with no sleeping
    • 2 free services
    • 1 free database
  • Pay-as-you-go$undefined/usage
    • CPU: $0.01667 per vCPU per hour
    • Memory: $0.00833 per GB per hour
    • Network egress: $0.06 per GB
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Custom pricing with volume discounts
    • Invoice-based billing
    • Annual commitments

Which should you pick?

Choose CoreWeave if

  • You need nvidia h100/a100.
  • You work on Cloud.
  • You also want kubernetes native.

Choose Northflank if

  • You need application deployments.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on AWS, GCP, Azure, On-premises.
  • You also want gpu support.

Questions people ask

Is CoreWeave or Northflank better?
Neither clearly leads. CoreWeave starts at $0.35/per-hour and Northflank at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CoreWeave or Northflank?
Northflank has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $0.35/per-hour for CoreWeave and Free for Northflank.
Does CoreWeave or Northflank run on more platforms?
CoreWeave runs on Cloud. Northflank runs on AWS, GCP, Azure, On-premises.
Can I use Northflank for free?
Yes. Northflank has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CoreWeave starts at $0.35/per-hour.
What is CoreWeave best used for?
CoreWeave is most often used for renting gpu compute for model training and inference, running large scale ai workloads without buying hardware. Of those, renting gpu compute for model training and inference and running large scale ai workloads without buying hardware are not what Northflank is typically brought in for.
What can CoreWeave do that Northflank cannot?
CoreWeave covers NVIDIA H100/A100, Kubernetes native, High bandwidth, Object storage. Northflank covers Application deployments, GPU support, Preview environments, Database management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CoreWeave: How much does CoreWeave cost?

CoreWeave does not publish pricing on its website. The company uses a quote-based pricing model and directs customers to contact their sales team directly to discuss pricing options and customized solutions.

Source
Northflank: What is included in the free Sandbox tier?

The Sandbox includes always-on compute, 2 free services, 1 free database, 2 free cron jobs, and is perfect for testing applications.

Source
CoreWeave: How can I get a quote from CoreWeave?

To obtain CoreWeave pricing, you must contact their sales team directly through the Contact Us option on their website. They will provide a customized quote based on your specific compute and infrastructure requirements.

Source
Northflank: How much does CPU cost on Northflank?

CPU costs $0.01667 per vCPU per hour on pay-as-you-go pricing.

Source
Northflank: What GPUs are available?

GPU options include NVIDIA L4 at $0.80/hr through H100 at $2.74/hr.

Source
Share

Related pages

Other head to heads