What is the difference between IBM Cloud and Salad Cloud?

IBM Cloud and Salad Cloud are both cloud GPU providers offering different pricing models, features, and GPU availability. Use our comparison tool to see real-time pricing and feature differences.

Which is cheaper: IBM Cloud or Salad Cloud?

Pricing varies by GPU model and usage requirements. Check our real-time comparison table to find the best deals for your specific needs.

Can I switch between IBM Cloud and Salad Cloud?

Yes, both providers offer flexible cloud GPU services. However, consider factors like data transfer costs, setup time, and specific features when switching between providers.

How many GPU models are available for comparison?

We track pricing for 5 different GPU models across both IBM Cloud and Salad Cloud, with 0 models available from both providers.

IBM Cloud vs Salad Cloud

Compare GPU pricing, features, and specifications between IBM Cloud and Salad Cloud cloud providers. Find the best deals for AI training, inference, and ML workloads.

IBM Cloud

Provider 1

GPUs Available

Visit Website

Salad Cloud

Provider 2

GPUs Available

Visit Website

Comparison Overview

Total GPU Models

IBM Cloud GPUs

Salad Cloud GPUs

Direct Comparisons

GPU Pricing Comparison

Total GPUs: 5Both available: 0IBM Cloud: 0Salad Cloud: 5

Showing 5 of 5 GPUs

Last updated: 12/8/2025, 5:48:52 AM

GPU Model ↑	IBM Cloud Price	Salad Cloud Price	Price Diff ↕	Sources
A100 SXM 80GB VRAM • Salad Cloud	Not Available	$4.00/hr★ Best	—	Salad API (batch priority)
A100 SXM 80GB VRAM • Not Available Salad Cloud $4.00/hour Updated: 11/18/2025 ★Best Price Salad API (batch priority)
L40S 48GB VRAM • Salad Cloud	Not Available	$2.56/hr★ Best	—	Salad API (batch priority)
L40S 48GB VRAM • Not Available Salad Cloud $2.56/hour Updated: 11/18/2025 ★Best Price Salad API (batch priority)
RTX 3090 24GB VRAM • Salad Cloud	Not Available	$0.10/hr★ Best	—	Salad API (batch priority)
RTX 3090 24GB VRAM • Not Available Salad Cloud $0.10/hour Updated: 11/18/2025 ★Best Price Salad API (batch priority)
RTX 4090 24GB VRAM • Salad Cloud	Not Available	$0.16/hr★ Best	—	Salad API (batch priority)
RTX 4090 24GB VRAM • Not Available Salad Cloud $0.16/hour Updated: 11/18/2025 ★Best Price Salad API (batch priority)
RTX A5000 24GB VRAM • Salad Cloud	Not Available	$0.09/hr★ Best	—	Salad API (batch priority)
RTX A5000 24GB VRAM • Not Available Salad Cloud $0.09/hour Updated: 11/18/2025 ★Best Price Salad API (batch priority)

A100 SXM 80GB VRAM • Salad Cloud	Not Available	$4.00/hr★ Best	—	Salad API (batch priority)
A100 SXM 80GB VRAM • Not Available Salad Cloud $4.00/hour Updated: 11/18/2025 ★Best Price Salad API (batch priority)
L40S 48GB VRAM • Salad Cloud	Not Available	$2.56/hr★ Best	—	Salad API (batch priority)
L40S 48GB VRAM • Not Available Salad Cloud $2.56/hour Updated: 11/18/2025 ★Best Price Salad API (batch priority)
RTX 3090 24GB VRAM • Salad Cloud	Not Available	$0.10/hr★ Best	—	Salad API (batch priority)
RTX 3090 24GB VRAM • Not Available Salad Cloud $0.10/hour Updated: 11/18/2025 ★Best Price Salad API (batch priority)
RTX 4090 24GB VRAM • Salad Cloud	Not Available	$0.16/hr★ Best	—	Salad API (batch priority)
RTX 4090 24GB VRAM • Not Available Salad Cloud $0.16/hour Updated: 11/18/2025 ★Best Price Salad API (batch priority)
RTX A5000 24GB VRAM • Salad Cloud	Not Available	$0.09/hr★ Best	—	Salad API (batch priority)
RTX A5000 24GB VRAM • Not Available Salad Cloud $0.09/hour Updated: 11/18/2025 ★Best Price Salad API (batch priority)

Features Comparison

IBM Cloud

Salad Cloud

Community GPU Pool
Community-powered GPUs for stateless and high-volume workloads with pricing advertised from $0.02/hr per GPU.
Secure GPU Clusters
Data center-grade A100, L40S, and H100 NVL capacity with managed orchestration for compliant workloads.
Managed Container Engine
Deploy containers without managing nodes; scale replicas across thousands of GPUs via the Salad portal.
Published Hourly Rates
Pricing calculator lists L40S at $0.32/hr, A100 80 GB at $0.50/hr, A100 40 GB at $0.40/hr, and H100 NVL at $0.99/hr per GPU.
Developer Hub & Docs
Portal access, Developer Hub, and product documentation at docs.salad.com.

Pros & Cons

IBM Cloud

Advantages

Strong focus on AI and data workloads
Enterprise-grade support
Integration with IBM's AI tools

Considerations

Limited global presence compared to competitors
Higher cost for some services
Less community support

Salad Cloud

Advantages

Very low published GPU pricing, including sub-$1/hr H100 NVL and $0.02/hr community options
Mix of community GPUs and secure data center clusters with A100/L40S/H100 options
Managed container engine reduces infrastructure and orchestration overhead
Developer portal, calculator, and docs make costs and deployment steps clear

Considerations

Community GPU pool is best for stateless or fault-tolerant workloads where node variability is acceptable
Secure tier GPU lineup is limited to the published SKUs (H100 NVL, A100, L40S) and 8x cluster configurations

Compute Services

IBM Cloud

IBM Virtual Servers for VPC

GPU‑accelerated virtual servers on IBM Cloud VPC.

Salad Cloud

Salad Container Engine - Secure

Managed container orchestration on data center GPUs such as H100 NVL, A100, and L40S with pricing shown under $1/hr per GPU.

Salad Container Engine - Community

Community-powered GPU pool for flexible, stateless workloads with headline pricing from $0.02/hr per GPU.

Pricing Options

IBM Cloud

Salad Cloud

Community GPUs from $0.02/hr

Community tier advertises GPU pricing starting at $0.02/hr for stateless workloads.

Consumer GPU hourly rates

Pricing calculator lists RTX A5000 at $0.09/hr and RTX 5090 at $0.25/hr per GPU.

Secure tier hourly rates

Published secure pricing includes L40S at $0.32/hr, A100 40 GB at $0.40/hr, A100 80 GB at $0.50/hr, and H100 NVL at $0.99/hr per GPU (8x clusters).

On-demand, no contracts

Hourly billing via the Salad portal and calculator with no prepayments required.

Getting Started

IBM Cloud

Get Started

Salad Cloud

Get Started

1
Create a SaladCloud account
Sign up and log in at portal.salad.com to access the dashboard and calculator.
2
Choose a container engine tier
Pick Community for the lowest-cost consumer GPUs or Secure for data center-grade H100/A100/L40S clusters.
3
Select GPU type and replicas
Use the pricing calculator to pick a GPU SKU (e.g., L40S, A100, H100 NVL) and set the number of replicas.
4
Deploy your container
Provide your image, command, and environment settings, then launch via the portal or API.
5
Monitor and iterate
Track deployments and status in the portal; adjust replicas or GPU class as needed.

Support & Global Availability

IBM Cloud

Salad Cloud

Global Regions

Distributed global community GPU network with secure data center clusters (locations not explicitly listed on public pages).

Support

Documentation and Developer Hub at docs.salad.com, portal dashboards with a status page, community Discord, and sales contact for secure clusters.