What GPU cloud is cheapest for inference?

There isn’t one universal cheapest GPU cloud for inference — it depends a lot on:

• Which GPU you need (T4, L4, A10, A100, H100, etc.)
• Whether you need always-on or bursty usage
• Region
• Whether you care about managed serving vs raw VMs
• How much setup you’re okay with

That said, for cheap inference these are usually the best places to check first:

Often cheapest options

1. Runpod

   • Usually very competitive for on-demand GPUs and often cheaper than the big clouds.
   • Good for inference if you’re okay managing your own deployment.
   • Strong choice for A10/L4/T4-style inference.

2. Vast.ai

   • Frequently the lowest raw GPU prices.
   • Marketplace model, so quality/availability can vary.
   • Great if price matters most and you can tolerate some variability.

3. Lambda Cloud

   • Often cheaper and simpler than AWS/GCP/Azure.
   • Good balance of price, reliability, and ease of use.
   • Nice for inference workloads that need more stability.

4. Modal / Replicate

   • Not always the cheapest raw compute, but very easy for serving inference.
   • Good if you value dev speed and autoscaling more than absolute lowest cost.

5. CoreWeave

   • Strong for large-scale GPU workloads.
   • Can be cost-effective, but usually more “serious infra” than bargain hunting.

Big cloud providers

• AWS / GCP / Azure are usually not the cheapest for GPU inference if you’re paying on-demand.
• They can make sense if you need:
  • existing cloud integration
  • enterprise compliance
  • reserved capacity
  • managed ecosystem

Typical cheapest GPU types for inference

If your model fits, the cheapest GPUs to run are often:

• NVIDIA T4 — very cheap, older, lower performance
• NVIDIA L4 — often a sweet spot for modern inference
• NVIDIA A10 — still good and commonly available

Practical recommendation

• Lowest price: Vast.ai
• Best cheap + easier to use: Runpod
• Best cheap + reliable/simple: Lambda
• Easiest deployment: Modal/Replicate

If you want, I can give you a current price comparison by GPU type (e.g. T4/L4/A10/A100/H100) and help choose the cheapest option for your exact model and throughput needs.