Vast.ai

Vast.ai is a cloud computing, matchmaking, and aggregation service that focuses on lowering the price of compute-intensive workloads. Their software allows anyone to quickly become hosts by renting out their hardware.

Vast.ai provides a simple interface to rent powerful machines at the best possible prices, reducing GPU cloud computing costs by ~3x to 5x. In particular, Consumer computers and GPUs are considerably more cost-effective than equivalent enterprise hardware. They are helping the millions of underutilized consumer GPUs worldwide enter the cloud computing market for the first time.

They offer two rental types: On-Demand (High Priority) and Interruptible (Low Priority). On-Demand instances have a fixed price set by the host and run for as long as the client wants. Interruptible instances use a bidding system: clients set a bid price for their instance; the current highest bid is the instance that runs, while others are paused.

Vast.ai verifies and highlights hosting partners maintaining server-grade equipment in a professionally managed data center environment. Their customers love the security and typically pay a premium for peace of mind. Vast.ai offers enough customization over GPU, CPU, storage, and bandwidth billing combinations to suit your needs. As a Host, you can use recommended defaults or define your pricing structure. They provide the tools you need to become your cloud provider.

Vast.ai is also known for its DLPerf (Deep Learning Performance) scoring function. It is an approximate estimate of performance for typical deep-learning tasks. DLPerf predicts performance well regarding iters/second for a few everyday tasks such as training resnet50 CNNs.

There are many providers on Vast.ai, ranging from tier 4 data centers with extensive physical and operational security down to individual hobbyists renting out a few machines in their homes. Their vetted data center partners can provide data security like large cloud providers.

In conclusion, Vast.ai is an innovative platform that offers cost-effective solutions for compute-intensive workloads by allowing anyone to quickly become a host by renting out their hardware. They offer flexible pricing options and customizable GPU, CPU, storage, and bandwidth billing combinations to suit your needs. With their DLPerf scoring function and vetted data center partners, Vast.ai provides reliable and secure solutions for your computing needs.