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Head to head · Compute gpu · October 2026 research run

Thunder Compute vs Vast.ai

Vast.ai scores 62.6 (B) on agent readiness against Thunder Compute's 56.1 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Both do compute gpu.

Thunder ComputeThunder Compute · HTTP API C56.1/100#576 of 841 Vast.aiVast.ai Inc. · HTTP API B62.6/100#384 of 841

Which one, for what

Thunder Compute C

Good for Agents in coding tools that rent a single persistent GPU machine for development, fine-tuning or a model server, at low hourly prices and over MCP.

No category where it leads by five points or more, and no fact that sets it apart.

Watch for

No rate limits, 429 guidance or SLA were found in the reviewed documentation, and the terms disclaim availability

Vast.ai B

Good for Cost-sensitive training, batch work and self-managed inference where the agent can search listings, set a price cap and tolerate host variance or interruption.

Ahead on

  • Schema & documentation, 78 against 70
  • Agent ergonomics, 57 against 48
  • Security & auth, 72 against 51

Watch for

No SLA. The terms say availability is not guaranteed and the service can change without notice

Score by category

CategoryWeight this runThunder ComputeVast.aiEdge
Reliability16%206565even
Performance10%pendingpendingpendingnot scored in this run
Schema & documentation13%16.27078Vast.ai +8
Agent ergonomics13%16.24857Vast.ai +9
Security & auth14%17.55172Vast.ai +21
Payments & pricing10%12.52020even
Task success10%pendingpendingpendingnot scored in this run
Maintenance & community7%8.87981Vast.ai +2
Transparency & trust7%8.86462Thunder Compute +2
Negative events≤1500
Total56.1 · C62.6 · B

Facts side by side

FactThunder ComputeVast.ai
KindHTTP APIHTTP API
VendorThunder ComputeVast.ai Inc.
Hosted endpointhttps://api.thundercompute.com:8443/v1https://console.vast.ai/api/v0
TransportsHTTP, Streamable HTTPHTTP
AuthOAuth or keyAPI key
PricingPay per usePay per use
Price for compute gpu$0.219 per GB per monthnot published
x402nono
LicenceProprietary service under Thunder Compute's Terms and Conditions. The tnr CLI on GitHub is MITProprietary service under Vast.ai's Terms of Use Agreement. The vastai CLI and Python SDK on GitHub are MIT
Tools exposed28none
Read-only variant documentednono
llms.txtyesyes
MCP registryio.github.Thunder-Compute/thunder-computenot listed
Last release2026-09-162026-10-02
Terms last updated2026-09-282026-09-01
Privacy policy last updated2026-09-282025-06-18
Customer content may train modelsnot found in the textnot found in the text
Terms restrict automated accessnot found in the textyes
Terms restrict benchmarkingyesyes
Terms or service can change without noticeyesyes
Arbitration or class-action waiveryesyes
Popularity34 stars223 stars, 33k PyPI/wk

Verdicts

Thunder Compute

The hosted MCP server signs in with OAuth and separate read and write scopes, and the REST API has a public OpenAPI 3.1 document with keyless price and availability endpoints. No rate limits, SLA or API changelog were found, instance creation has no idempotency key, and instances cannot be stopped, only deleted.

Vast.ai

API keys can be limited by permission category and by resource ID, the REST API has a public OpenAPI 3.1 file, and the CLI ships weekly with a skill file for coding agents. Machines belong to independent hosts, prices move with the market, rate-limit thresholds are unpublished, and there is no SLA or free tier.

Before you call either

Thunder Compute

  1. Call GET /v2/status or the get_availability tool before creating an instance. Availability can change before launch, and creation fails when a type is sold out.
  2. List instances before retrying a failed create, because the call has no idempotency key.
  3. Pass public_key on create. If omitted, the response carries a generated private key that is returned once.
  4. To pause work, create a snapshot, delete the instance and later create a new instance from the snapshot. Snapshot storage keeps billing until deleted.
  5. For headless use set TNR_API_TOKEN to a token from the console. The MCP server needs a browser sign-in on first connection.

Vast.ai

  1. Create a scoped key with vastai create api-key --permissions for the agent. A default key has full account access, billing and key management included
  2. Pass --raw on every CLI command for JSON output, and -y on vastai destroy instance, which otherwise waits for a confirmation prompt
  3. Register an SSH key with vastai create ssh-key before creating an instance, or the host is unreachable
  4. Destroy instances when finished. A stopped instance still bills storage, and a zero balance without a saved card leads to deletion
  5. Back off on HTTP 429 yourself when calling REST directly. The CLI retries 429 three times from 0.15 seconds
  6. Filter searches with verified=true or the Secure Cloud option for sensitive data, and set a dph_total price cap

Questions

Which is better for AI agents, Thunder Compute or Vast.ai?

Vast.ai scores 62.6 (B) on agent readiness against Thunder Compute's 56.1 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories.

Do Thunder Compute and Vast.ai need an API key?

Thunder Compute takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in. Vast.ai needs an API key.

Can an agent call Thunder Compute and Vast.ai without installing anything?

Yes. Thunder Compute has a hosted endpoint at https://api.thundercompute.com:8443/v1 and Vast.ai at https://console.vast.ai/api/v0.

Other comparisons with Thunder Compute or Vast.ai

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