Vast.ai referral link and GPU cloud review

What is Vast.ai?

Vast.ai describes itself as a cloud computing, matchmaking and aggregation service for compute-intensive workloads. Hosts install Vast's software, list their machines and set their own prices; clients search the listings, rent a machine and run commands or open an SSH session.

The pricing page lists 68+ GPU types, from the RTX 3060 to the B200. Vast says this can cut GPU costs by roughly 3x to 5x versus typical cloud pricing, mainly because consumer hardware is cheaper than enterprise equivalents.

• Linux Docker only. Unprivileged containers, mostly Ubuntu-based; no Windows or remote desktop.
• Access: SSH, Jupyter, command-only mode and a web Instance Portal; plus an API, CLI and Python SDK.
• Secure Cloud filter: only vetted datacenters with ISO 27001 and/or Tier 3/4 certification, recommended for sensitive or production work.

Vast.ai pricing at a glance

There is no fixed price list: each host sets its rate, which depends on GPU model, reliability, network and location. Median prices from Vast's public price feed on October 28, 2026:

Rental types:

• On-demand: the host's fixed rate, high priority, not interrupted. Billed per second with no minimum hours.
• Interruptible: you set a bid; a higher bid can stop your instance. Vast puts the saving at roughly 50-80% below on-demand. Processes are killed when you are outbid, so checkpoint your work.
• Reserved: prepay for 1, 3 or 6 months for a discount of up to 50%, with on-demand priority.

What else you pay for: storage is charged every second an instance exists, including when it is stopped, and bandwidth is charged per byte sent or received.

Payments, refunds and limits

• Prepaid credit by major credit card (via Stripe) or crypto (BitPay, Crypto.com). When credit hits zero, instances are stopped but not destroyed; auto top-up and balance alerts are available.
• Refunds. Spent credit is final; refunds of unspent credit are at Vast's discretion and depend on the payment method.
• Country restrictions. The terms forbid use in or for Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, the Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, other places under comprehensive U.S. embargo, and people on U.S. restricted-party lists.
• Prohibited uses. Crypto mining is banned if you paid by credit card, as are scraping and spam. Under-18s need a parent's permission; under-13s cannot register.
• Data privacy. Hosts can access data on their machines, so Vast advises encrypting data at rest and not storing credentials on instances.

Vast.ai referral program terms

Vast.ai runs a public referral program any user can join. A referrer earns 3% of everything a referred new account spends, for that account's lifetime, as referral credits. The documentation lists no bonus or discount for the person who signs up.

• Links. Settings, Referral Link; or a public template's referral link, which preloads the Docker image and launch settings for one-click start.
• Cash-out. Up to 75% of referral credits via Stripe Connect, PayPal or Wise; the rest can be spent on rentals.
• Dedicated account. Cash payouts need a separate referral account. If it has ever rented or hosted machines, you can't cash out until referral earnings exceed its lifetime spend.
• Rules. Self-referrals earn nothing. From September 15, 2026, brand-term ads, ads linking directly to vast.ai, Vast trademarks in ads and multiple referral accounts are banned; violations can mean withheld payouts and account termination.