8 Best Lambda Labs Alternatives That Have GPUs in Stock (2025 Guide)

Amidst a widespread GPU shortage affecting machine learning engineers, the author shares insights from testing various alternatives to Lambda Labs for GPU cloud computing. Runpod emerged as the most reliable option due to its marketplace model that aggregates capacity from multiple providers, ensuring GPU availability even during peak demand, while offering competitive prices and features like serverless autoscaling and instant deployment. Other platforms, such as Thunder Compute and TensorDock, offer budget-friendly and highly customizable solutions, respectively, but come with trade-offs like less polished interfaces or marketplace chaos. Vast.ai provides a peer-to-peer model with potential cost savings but variable reliability, whereas Paperspace, now part of DigitalOcean, excels in user experience and ease of use. CoreWeave offers premium performance with cutting-edge hardware and enterprise features, albeit at higher costs, and Nebius stands out for EU compliance and managed AI workflows. Ultimately, the author advocates for Runpod as the best overall choice, combining availability, cost-effectiveness, and developer-centric features, providing a reliable alternative to traditional GPU providers.