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Cloud · head to head

IBM Cloud vs Koyeb

IBM Cloud logo

IBM Cloud

Cloud

Enterprise cloud solutions from a trusted partner

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Koyeb logo

Koyeb

Cloud

High-performance serverless infrastructure for APIs, inference, and databases

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only IBM Cloud has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: IBM Cloud the USD 200 starter cloud credit is valid for 30 days only; Koyeb pricing starts at $29/month with additional compute costs
  • They diverge on capability: IBM Cloud covers Virtual Servers, Koyeb covers Serverless containers.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which IBM Cloud and Koyeb actually diverge.

Attributes where IBM Cloud and Koyeb differ
AttributeIBM CloudKoyeb
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Api, CliWeb, CLI, API
Founded2013Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud).

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 IBM Cloud

  • Virtual Servers
  • Bare Metal
  • Cloud Foundry
  • Kubernetes
  • Watson AI
  • Blockchain
  • Databases
  • API Gateway

Only in Koyeb

  • Serverless containers
  • GPU support
  • Global distribution
  • Multi-protocol support
  • Serverless Postgres
  • Zero-downtime deployments

What people use each for

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

IBM Cloud

  • Running containerized and VM workloads on IBM's public cloudnot Koyeb
  • Building on Watson APIs and IBM middleware as managed servicesnot Koyeb

Koyeb

  • Deploying AI inference models globally with GPU accelerationnot IBM Cloud
  • Building SaaS platforms with automatic scalingnot IBM Cloud
  • Running distributed AI agents and background workersnot IBM Cloud

Where each one falls short

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

IBM Cloud

  • The USD 200 starter cloud credit is valid for 30 days only
  • The larger promotional credits are time boxed: USD 1,000 for Bare Metal Servers for VPC over 120 days, USD 2,500 for Power Virtual Server over 90 days, and USD 5,000 for Backup and Recovery over 90 days
  • The USD 5,000 Backup and Recovery promotion is valid for new clients only and requires a checkout promo code
  • The listed promotions carry an expiry date of 31 December 2026
  • Beyond the free tier the account is pay as you go, so cost tracks usage with no published cap

Koyeb

  • Pricing starts at $29/month with additional compute costs
  • GPU compute is expensive at $0.75-$2.50 per hour
  • Limited customization for infrastructure configuration

Pricing, plan by plan

IBM Cloud

Free
  • Lite PlanFree
    • Free services
    • Limited resources
    • 30-day trial
  • Standard PlanFree
    • Pay-as-you-go
    • Enterprise support
    • Advanced services

Koyeb

$29/month
  • Pro$29/month
    • $10 included compute
    • 10 users
    • 100 services
  • Scale$299/month
    • $100 included compute
    • 50 users
    • 1,000 services
  • Enterprise$1000/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Custom resources
    • SSO/RBAC

Which should you pick?

Choose IBM Cloud if

  • You need virtual servers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
  • You also want bare metal.
IBM Cloud review

Choose Koyeb if

  • You need serverless containers.
  • You work on Web, CLI, API.
  • You also want gpu support.
Koyeb review

Questions people ask

Is IBM Cloud or Koyeb better?
Neither clearly leads. IBM Cloud starts at Free and Koyeb at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, IBM Cloud or Koyeb?
IBM Cloud has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for IBM Cloud and $29/month for Koyeb.
Does IBM Cloud or Koyeb run on more platforms?
IBM Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli. Koyeb runs on Web, CLI, API.
Can I use IBM Cloud for free?
Yes. IBM Cloud has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Koyeb starts at $29/month.
What is IBM Cloud best used for?
IBM Cloud is most often used for running containerized and vm workloads on ibm's public cloud, building on watson apis and ibm middleware as managed services. Of those, running containerized and vm workloads on ibm's public cloud and building on watson apis and ibm middleware as managed services are not what Koyeb is typically brought in for.
What can IBM Cloud do that Koyeb cannot?
IBM Cloud covers Virtual Servers, Bare Metal, Cloud Foundry, Kubernetes. Koyeb covers Serverless containers, GPU support, Global distribution, Multi-protocol support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Koyeb: What are Koyeb's subscription plans?

Pro plan is $29/month with $10 included compute, Scale plan is $299/month with $100 included compute and 99.9% SLA, and Enterprise starts at $1,000/month with unlimited users and 99.99% SLA.

Source
Koyeb: How much does GPU compute cost?

GPU pricing is per-second: RTX-A6000 costs $0.75/hour, A100 costs $1.60/hour, H100 costs $2.50/hour, and 8x H100 costs $20.00/hour.

Source
Koyeb: What database options are available?

Koyeb offers serverless Postgres starting at free (0.25 vCPU, 1GB RAM) up to 3XL at $1.28/hour with 8 vCPU and 32GB RAM. Storage costs $0.50/month per GB.

Source
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