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GPU Rent vs Buy Calculator

Should you rent a cloud GPU or buy your own? Use our calculator to find out.

Quick Calculator

💡 When to Rent vs Buy

✅ Rent When:

  • Short-term projects (<3 months)
  • Experimenting with different GPU types
  • Need burst capacity (training runs)
  • Don't want hardware maintenance hassle
  • Need latest GPUs (H100, H200) not yet affordable to buy

🛒 Buy When:

  • Continuous/daily usage (>4 hrs/day)
  • Long-term projects (>6 months)
  • Running inference services 24/7
  • Privacy requirements (on-prem only)
  • Can handle power costs and cooling

Popular Comparisons

GPU Buy Price Rent (cheap) Breakeven @80hr/mo Verdict
RTX 4090 $1,600 $0.35/hr ~57 months Rent for short-term
RTX 3090 $800 (used) $0.12/hr ~83 months Rent unless 24/7
RTX A6000 $4,500 $0.55/hr ~102 months Rent almost always
A100 80GB $15,000 (used) $1.09/hr ~172 months Always rent
H100 $30,000+ $2.49/hr ~150 months Always rent

🎯 Rule of Thumb

If breakeven is >12 months → Rent
If breakeven is <6 months → Buy
If breakeven is 6-12 months → Depends on your situation

Browse GPUs to Buy RTX 4090 Rentals A100 Rentals FAQ

FAQ

When is it cheaper to buy a GPU instead of renting?
When your monthly usage is high enough that renting exceeds the purchase price over the GPU’s lifespan. Use the break‑even calculator for the exact month.
Does the calculator include electricity or maintenance?
It includes a basic ownership overhead estimate. For precise TCO, add your local power and maintenance costs.
Which GPUs should I compare first?
Start with RTX 4090 for prosumer workloads, A100 for training, and H100 for fastest time‑to‑result.
VRAM Hunter · Best GPUs for AI & Machine Learning · Rent vs Buy · FAQ