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Lambda Labs vs Vultr

Lambda Labs logo

Lambda Labs

AI

GPU cloud for deep learning

From
$1.1/per-hour
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vultr logo

Vultr

Cloud

High performance cloud compute

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Vultr 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; Vultr vultr Cloud Compute pricing as captured 31 December 2022 started at $5/month (1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 25GB storage, 1TB transfer), scaling to $10/month and $20/month with more vCPU/RAM/storage; bandwidth overage billed at $0.01 to $0.05 per GB depending on plan
  • They diverge on capability: Lambda Labs covers NVIDIA GPUs, Vultr covers Cloud servers.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lambda Labs and Vultr actually diverge.

Attributes where Lambda Labs and Vultr differ
AttributeLambda LabsVultr
Starting price$1.1/per-hourFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloudWeb, Api, Cli
CategoryAICloud
Founded20122014

Identical on both: pricing model (usage-based), 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 Lambda Labs

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

Only in Vultr

  • Cloud servers
  • Bare metal servers
  • Block storage
  • Object storage
  • Load balancers
  • Kubernetes
  • Firewalls
  • Private networks

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 Vultr
  • Short term access to high memory accelerators without buying hardwarenot Vultr

Vultr

  • High performance computingnot Lambda Labs
  • Game serversnot Lambda Labs
  • Streamingnot Lambda Labs
  • Database hostingnot Lambda Labs
  • Application serversnot 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

Vultr

  • Vultr Cloud Compute pricing as captured 31 December 2022 started at $5/month (1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 25GB storage, 1TB transfer), scaling to $10/month and $20/month with more vCPU/RAM/storage; bandwidth overage billed at $0.01 to $0.05 per GB depending on plan

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

Vultr

Free
  • Cloud Compute$2.5/month
    • 512MB RAM
    • 10GB SSD
    • 500GB bandwidth
  • Bare Metal$32/month
    • Dedicated hardware
    • High performance
    • Full root access

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 Vultr if

  • You need cloud servers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cli.
  • You also want bare metal servers.
Vultr review

Questions people ask

Is Lambda Labs or Vultr better?
Neither clearly leads. Lambda Labs starts at $1.1/per-hour and Vultr at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lambda Labs or Vultr?
Vultr has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1.1/per-hour for Lambda Labs and Free for Vultr.
Does Lambda Labs or Vultr run on more platforms?
Lambda Labs runs on Cloud. Vultr runs on Web, Api, Cli.
Can I use Vultr for free?
Yes. Vultr 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 Vultr is typically brought in for.
What can Lambda Labs do that Vultr cannot?
Lambda Labs covers NVIDIA GPUs, Pre-installed frameworks, Persistent storage, SSH access. Vultr covers Cloud servers, Bare metal servers, Block storage, Object storage.

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
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
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
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
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