Softwr

AI · head to head

Replicate vs Scaleway

Replicate logo

Replicate

AI

Run AI models in the cloud

From
Free
Rated
-
Scaleway logo

Scaleway

Cloud

European cloud for developers

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Replicate private model deployments are billed for all the time instances are online, including setup and idle time, not only for processing; Scaleway no free tier or trial period mentioned on homepage
  • They diverge on capability: Replicate covers Model hosting, Scaleway covers Virtual Instances.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Replicate and Scaleway actually diverge.

Attributes where Replicate and Scaleway differ
AttributeReplicateScaleway
PlatformsApi, CloudWeb, Api, Cli
CategoryAICloud
Founded20191999

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), 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 Replicate

  • Model hosting
  • Simple API
  • Auto-scaling
  • Custom models
  • REST API
  • Python client
  • JavaScript client
  • Cloud support

Only in Scaleway

  • Virtual Instances
  • Bare Metal
  • Kubernetes Kapsule
  • Object Storage
  • Serverless Functions
  • Managed Databases
  • Container Registry
  • Load Balancer

Both cover

  • Api support

What people use each for

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

Replicate

  • Running open source machine learning models through a hosted API without managing GPUsnot Scaleway
  • Deploying and serving a custom or fine tuned model on rented GPU hardwarenot Scaleway
  • Per second billed batch image, video and language model inferencenot Scaleway

Scaleway

  • Web hostingnot Replicate
  • Container orchestrationnot Replicate
  • Development environmentsnot Replicate
  • Data storagenot Replicate

Where each one falls short

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

Replicate

  • Private model deployments are billed for all the time instances are online, including setup and idle time, not only for processing
  • Multi-GPU A100, H100, H200 and L40S capacity beyond the listed configurations is only available with a committed spend contract
  • The pricing page publishes no free tier allowance

Scaleway

  • No free tier or trial period mentioned on homepage
  • Specific pricing requires navigating to individual product category pages
  • Base pricing starts at 4.99 EUR per month but varies significantly by service type

Pricing, plan by plan

Replicate

Free
  • Pay-as-you-go$null/usage
    • Billed by execution time for public models
    • CPU Small: $0.000025/second ($0.09/hour)
    • 8x Nvidia A100 GPUs: $0.0112/second ($40.32/hour)
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Dedicated account manager
    • Priority support
    • Higher GPU limits

Scaleway

Free
  • DEV1-S$7.99/month
    • 2 vCPU
    • 2GB RAM
    • 20GB SSD

Which should you pick?

Choose Replicate if

  • You need model hosting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Api, Cloud.
  • You also want simple api.

Choose Scaleway if

  • You need virtual instances.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cli.
  • You also want bare metal.

Questions people ask

Is Replicate or Scaleway better?
Neither clearly leads. Replicate starts at Free and Scaleway at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Replicate or Scaleway?
Replicate starts at Free and Scaleway at Free.
Does Replicate or Scaleway run on more platforms?
Replicate runs on Api, Cloud. Scaleway runs on Web, Api, Cli.
Can I use Replicate for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Replicate best used for?
Replicate is most often used for running open source machine learning models through a hosted api without managing gpus, deploying and serving a custom or fine tuned model on rented gpu hardware, per second billed batch image, video and language model inference. Of those, running open source machine learning models through a hosted api without managing gpus and deploying and serving a custom or fine tuned model on rented gpu hardware are not what Scaleway is typically brought in for.
What can Replicate do that Scaleway cannot?
Replicate covers Model hosting, Simple API, Auto-scaling, Custom models. Scaleway covers Virtual Instances, Bare Metal, Kubernetes Kapsule, Object Storage. Both handle Api support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Replicate: How much does Replicate cost?

Replicate uses pay-as-you-go pricing based on model execution time and compute type. Costs range from $0.09/hour for CPU (Small) to $40.32/hour for 8x Nvidia A100 GPUs. Some models charge per input/output tokens instead of time.

Source
Scaleway: Does Scaleway have a free tier?

Scaleway does not mention a free tier or trial period on its pricing or homepage. Users must select specific services to see rates.

Source
Replicate: Does Replicate offer a free tier?

Yes, Replicate is free to start with pay-as-you-go pricing. There are no subscription tiers or minimum commitments; you pay only for what you use.

Source
Scaleway: What is Scaleway's pricing model?

Scaleway uses transparent, usage-based pricing that varies by service. Different categories (bare metal, compute, AI, storage, network) have separate pricing. Dedibox servers start at 4.99 EUR per month.

Source
Replicate: What is the difference between public and private models?

Public models are billed by execution time. Private models are billed for all instance uptime including setup, idle, and active processing time, except for fast-booting fine-tunes which are billed only during active processing.

Source
Scaleway: How does Scaleway billing work?

Scaleway emphasizes transparent, predictable billing where customers know exactly what they'll pay. Users must select products and view pricing within each category.

Source
Share

Related pages

Other head to heads