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Lambda Labs vs Together AI

Lambda Labs logo

Lambda Labs

AI

GPU cloud for deep learning

From
$1.1/per-hour
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Together AI logo

Together AI

AI

Open-source AI at scale

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Together AI has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Lambda Labs on demand capacity is first come access rather than guaranteed, so an instance type can be unavailable when needed; Together AI free tier limits not clearly specified in pricing documentation
  • They diverge on capability: Lambda Labs covers NVIDIA GPUs, Together AI covers Open-source models.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lambda Labs and Together AI actually diverge.

Attributes where Lambda Labs and Together AI differ
AttributeLambda LabsTogether AI
Starting price$1.1/per-hourFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloudApi, Cloud
Founded20122022

Identical on both: pricing model (usage-based), user rating (Not yet rated), category (AI).

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 Lambda Labs

  • NVIDIA GPUs
  • Pre-installed frameworks
  • Persistent storage
  • SSH access
  • JupyterLab
  • VSCode
  • SSH

Only in Together AI

  • Open-source models
  • Fine-tuning
  • Fast inference
  • Embeddings
  • REST API
  • Python SDK
  • OpenAI compatible
  • Api support

Both cover

  • Cloud support

What people use each for

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

Lambda Labs

  • Renting GPU instances for model training and inferencenot Together AI
  • Short term access to high memory accelerators without buying hardwarenot Together AI

Together AI

  • LLM inference for production AI applicationsnot Lambda Labs
  • Content generation at scalenot Lambda Labs
  • Code execution and embeddingsnot Lambda Labs
  • Model fine-tuning and trainingnot Lambda Labs
  • Startup and enterprise AI deploymentnot Lambda Labs

Where each one falls short

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

Lambda Labs

  • On demand capacity is first come access rather than guaranteed, so an instance type can be unavailable when needed
  • H100 pricing varies within a band, at $3.99 to $4.29 an hour per GPU, so the rate is not fixed
  • Reserved capacity is arranged by contacting the team rather than self serve
  • Prices are quoted before applicable tax

Together AI

  • Free tier limits not clearly specified in pricing documentation
  • Pricing varies significantly by model and use case
  • Requires account setup for production access
  • Batch API discounts apply only to non-urgent workloads

Pricing, plan by plan

Lambda Labs

$1.1/per-hour
  • On-Demand$1.1/per-hour
    • A10 GPU
    • Instant availability
  • ReservedFree
    • Volume discounts
    • Guaranteed capacity

Together AI

Free
  • Serverless Inference$0.03/1M input tokens
    • Chat and Vision models
    • Image generation
    • Video generation
  • Provisioned Throughput$21600/month
    • Up to 83% savings vs commercial alternatives
    • Reserved capacity
    • Guaranteed throughput
  • Dedicated Inference$5.49/hour
    • H100 GPU instance
    • Single-tenant deployment
    • No resource sharing
  • GPU Clusters$3.99/GPU-hour
    • On-demand capacity
    • Volume discounts available
    • Reserved options with up to 35% savings

Which should you pick?

Choose Lambda Labs if

  • You need nvidia gpus.
  • You work on Cloud.
  • You also want pre-installed frameworks.
Lambda Labs review

Choose Together AI if

  • You need open-source models.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Api, Cloud.
  • You also want fine-tuning.
Together AI review

Questions people ask

Is Lambda Labs or Together AI better?
Neither clearly leads. Lambda Labs starts at $1.1/per-hour and Together AI at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lambda Labs or Together AI?
Together AI has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1.1/per-hour for Lambda Labs and Free for Together AI.
Does Lambda Labs or Together AI run on more platforms?
Lambda Labs runs on Cloud. Together AI runs on Api, Cloud.
Can I use Together AI for free?
Yes. Together AI has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Lambda Labs starts at $1.1/per-hour.
What is Lambda Labs best used for?
Lambda Labs is most often used for renting gpu instances for model training and inference, short term access to high memory accelerators without buying hardware. Of those, renting gpu instances for model training and inference and short term access to high memory accelerators without buying hardware are not what Together AI is typically brought in for.
What can Lambda Labs do that Together AI cannot?
Lambda Labs covers NVIDIA GPUs, Pre-installed frameworks, Persistent storage, SSH access. Together AI covers Open-source models, Fine-tuning, Fast inference, Embeddings. Both handle Cloud support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lambda Labs: What does Lambda Labs GPU pricing depend on?

Lambda Labs pricing depends on the GPU model (H100, B200, A100, V100, etc.), cluster size, and contract length. For example, a 16-GPU H100 cluster costs $6.16/GPU/hour for 2 weeks to 1 year, while A100 GPUs are $1.99-$2.79/GPU/hour.

Source
Together AI: Does Together AI offer a free tier?

Yes, Together AI advertises 'Start for free, scale on demand,' but specific free tier usage limits are not detailed on the pricing page.

Source
Lambda Labs: Are there volume discounts for larger GPU clusters?

Yes. Pricing decreases with larger cluster orders. For example, NVIDIA H100 clusters cost $6.16/GPU/hour for 16 GPUs, $5.85/GPU/hour for 64 GPUs, and $5.54/GPU/hour for 256 GPUs (all for 2 weeks to 1 year terms).

Source
Together AI: What are Together AI's highest model prices?

Serverless inference pricing ranges from free for base models up to $4.40 per 1M input tokens for premium models. Video generation costs $0.14 to $3.20 per video depending on resolution.

Source
Lambda Labs: Can I get custom pricing for a long-term GPU contract?

Yes. For cluster orders of 16+ GPUs with 1-year or longer contracts, Lambda Labs offers custom pricing. Contact their sales team to request a quote.

Source
Together AI: How much can I save with Provisioned Throughput?

Together AI offers up to 83% savings compared to commercial alternatives when using their Provisioned Throughput option with reserved capacity.

Source
Lambda Labs: What additional costs should I expect beyond the hourly GPU rate?

All listed prices are plus applicable sales tax, VAT, or GST depending on your location.

Source
Together AI: What is Together AI's fine-tuning pricing?

Standard fine-tuning costs $0.48 to $2.90 per 1M tokens depending on model size, with a minimum charge of $4.00 per job.

Source
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