IBM Cloud vs UpCloud
Compare GPU and LLM inference API pricing between IBM Cloud and UpCloud. Find the best rates for AI training, inference, and ML workloads.
IBM Cloud
Provider 1
UpCloud
Provider 2
Comparison Overview
GPU Pricing Comparison
| GPU Model ↑ | IBM Cloud Price | UpCloud Price | Price Diff ↕ | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
A100 SXM 80GB VRAM • IBM Cloud |  $1.45/hr★ Best | Not Available | — | |
A100 SXM 80GB VRAM • | ||||
L40S 48GB VRAM • UpCloud | Not Available |  $1.11/hr★ Best | — | |
L40S 48GB VRAM • | ||||
Features Comparison
IBM Cloud
UpCloud
- Dedicated GPUs
No shared hardware — each GPU is always dedicated to a single server with full performance isolation
- 100% Renewable Energy
Helsinki data center powered entirely by renewable energy with up to 90% waste heat recovery for district heating
- European Data Sovereignty
GDPR-compliant infrastructure in Finland with strong jurisdictional protections and no third-party dependencies
- Zero-Cost Data Transfer
No egress fees — outbound data transfer is included at no extra cost
- Usage-Based Billing
Pay only for active compute time with hourly billing, no rigid contracts or long-term commitments required
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
UpCloud
Advantages
- 100% renewable energy with waste heat recovery — strong sustainability credentials
- Zero-cost egress eliminates surprise data transfer bills
- GDPR-compliant EU data sovereignty in Finland
- Dedicated GPUs with no shared hardware
Considerations
- GPU servers only available in Helsinki — no multi-region GPU presence
- Limited to NVIDIA L40S for public cloud (H200 NVL only via private cloud)
- No NVLink or MIG support — inter-GPU communication limited to PCIe 4.0
Compute Services
IBM Cloud
IBM Virtual Servers for VPC
GPU‑accelerated virtual servers on IBM Cloud VPC.
UpCloud
GPU Servers
On-demand NVIDIA L40S GPU instances with dedicated hardware and AMD EPYC 9575F processors
Private Cloud GPUs
Dedicated private cloud infrastructure with NVIDIA L4, L40S, and H200 NVL GPUs
Pricing Options
IBM Cloud
UpCloud
On-Demand GPU Servers
Hourly billing for L40S GPU instances with no upfront commitment — pay only for active compute time
Private Cloud GPUs
Fixed monthly pricing for dedicated private cloud GPU infrastructure with L4, L40S, and H200 NVL
Getting Started
IBM Cloud
UpCloud
- 1
Create an UpCloud account
Sign up at upcloud.com and complete account verification
- 2
Select a GPU server plan
Choose from 1x, 2x, or 3x L40S configurations with varying vCPU and RAM options
- 3
Deploy with AI/ML template
Use pre-configured GPU Ubuntu templates to get started quickly with CUDA and ML frameworks
- 4
Attach storage
Add block storage devices (1 GB–4 TB each) from any storage tier for your operating system and data
Support & Global Availability
IBM Cloud
UpCloud
Global Regions
Helsinki, Finland (Telia Helsinki Data Center)
Support
Documentation, API reference, and support team available through the UpCloud control panel
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