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Nscale vs Vast.ai: Pricing, Specs, Strengths & Weaknesses

Side-by-side comparison of GPU compute pricing, regions, billing models, and strengths for Nscale and Vast.ai. Rates sourced from public APIs — verify current availability and billing terms before purchasing.

Overview

Attribute
Provider type
Specialist
Marketplace
Founded
2022
2017
Headquarters
London, UK
San Francisco, CA
Billing model
Enterprise contracts (contact sales)
Per-second on-demand, Interruptible, Reserved
Min commitment
Enterprise minimum
None
Support tier
Standard → Enterprise
Community → Enterprise
Regions
4 regions
4 regions

Strengths & Best For

Nscale

Nscale filed for IPO in September 2026 and is building full-stack AI infrastructure powering the world's most powerful AI systems. Data centers: Glomfjord Norway, Narvik Norway, Loughton UK, Texas US, plus partner-run sites in Sines Portugal, Keflavik Iceland, Stavanger Norway, Oslo Norway, Blönduós Iceland, Hayes UK, North Carolina US, and West Virginia US. Products: Nscale Cloud (managed platform with inference endpoints, fine-tuning, Kubernetes, Slurm, IAM), Nscale Infrastructure (dedicated GPU/CPU, fast networking, storage), Nscale Data Centers (modular, liquid-cooled, low PUE), and Nscale Energy (behind-the-meter power, microgrid islands). Partnerships: Figure (physical AI), Aker ASA, G Squared. UK AI Minister endorsement. Fidji Simo joined board September 2026.

Strengths
  • IPO filing Sept 2026 — rapidly scaling AI infrastructure company
  • Data centers in Norway, UK, Texas, Iceland, Portugal — renewable energy focus
  • Full-stack: inference, fine-tuning, Kubernetes, Slurm, IAM in one platform
  • Figure partnership for physical AI infrastructure
  • Modular, liquid-cooled data centers with low PUE
  • UK AI Minister endorsement — sovereign AI credentials
Weaknesses
  • No public self-serve pricing — contact sales required
  • Newer provider — ecosystem still maturing
  • IPO process may create uncertainty
Best For
Enterprise AI teams needing dedicated GPU infrastructureUK/EU organizations with data sovereignty requirementsPhysical AI and robotics workloadsTeams wanting full-stack AI cloud with managed services
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Vast.ai

Vast.ai is a GPU marketplace where prices are set by supply and demand across 40+ data centers. 68+ GPU types spanning Blackwell, Hopper, Ada Lovelace, Ampere, Turing, Volta, Pascal — from B300 and H200 down to RTX 3090. Three pricing tiers: On-Demand (higher availability), Interruptible (lower cost, interruptible), Reserved (committed pricing). Per-second billing, no lock-in. SOC 2 certified. Check the live table for current rates.

Strengths
  • B300, H200, H100 — competitive frontier pricing on marketplace rates
  • RTX 5090, RTX 4090 — consumer GPU inference at marketplace rates
  • 68+ GPU types from RTX 3060 to B300 — wide selection
  • Per-second billing, no minimum hours, no lock-in
  • Interruptible tier: lower cost than on-demand
  • SOC 2 certified
Weaknesses
  • Marketplace model — hardware quality and reliability varies by host
  • No enterprise SLAs or uptime guarantees
  • Interruptible instances can be reclaimed at any time
Best For
Budget AI training and fine-tuningBatch inference on consumer GPUsTeams needing maximum GPU varietyResearchers avoiding waitlists and quotas
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Live GPU Pricing

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Region Coverage

Nscale — 4 regions
EU-North (Norway)EU-West (UK)US-South (Texas)EU-North (Iceland)
Vast.ai — 4 regions
USEUAPACVarious (40+ data centers)

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Key differences

Nscale

IPO filing Sept 2026 — full-stack AI cloud with data centers in Norway, UK, Texas, and Iceland

Vast.ai

B300, H200, RTX 5090 — 68+ GPU types, per-second billing

AttributeNscaleVast.ai
Provider typespecialistmarketplace
Billing modelEnterprise contracts (contact sales)Per-second on-demand, Interruptible, Reserved
Min commitmentEnterprise minimumNone
Regions4 (EU-North (Norway), EU-West (UK), US-South (Texas), +1)4 (US, EU, APAC, +1)
Support tierStandard → EnterpriseCommunity → Enterprise
Best forEnterprise AI teams needing dedicated GPU infrastructure, UK/EU organizations with data sovereignty requirementsBudget AI training and fine-tuning, Batch inference on consumer GPUs
Founded / HQ2022 · London, UK2017 · San Francisco, CA