Crusoe Cloud is a GPU cloud with a focus on sustainable infrastructure and long-term capacity commitments. Thunder Compute prioritizes affordable, on-demand single-node GPU access for developers and small teams.
Key takeaways:
- Thunder Compute A100 80GB: $1.09/hr. Crusoe A100 PCIe on-demand: $2.00/hr.
- Thunder Compute H100 PCIe: $2.19/hr. Crusoe H100 on-demand: $3.90/hr.
- Thunder Compute bills per minute with no commitments. Crusoe offers reserved pricing and spot instances.
- Thunder Compute includes 100GB per GPU and does not charge egress fees.
- Crusoe offers spot pricing for checkpoint-friendly workloads and multi-month reserved discounts.
What Crusoe Cloud Does
Crusoe is a GPU cloud provider focused on AI and ML workloads with an emphasis on sustainable energy. The company's infrastructure was originally built around capturing and converting stranded natural gas, and has since expanded into grid-connected facilities with a broader energy mix including renewables.
Crusoe on-demand GPU pricing as of July 2026:
- L40S: $1.50/hr
- A100 80GB PCIe: $2.00/hr
- H100 80GB: $3.90/hr
Crusoe also offers spot instances for checkpoint-friendly workloads at lower rates, and reserved pricing for multi-month commitments with meaningful discounts. The platform includes per-minute billing on on-demand instances.
What Thunder Compute Does
Thunder Compute provides on-demand GPU instances for AI and ML workloads. A100 80GB starts at $1.09/hr and H100 PCIe at $2.19/hr, both billed per minute with no egress fees and no commitments.
Every instance includes 100GB per GPU at no extra charge. Your home directory and installed packages survive restarts automatically. Snapshots cost $0.05/GB/month and let you save your full environment before changing GPU configurations. The VS Code, Cursor, and Windsurf extensions connect directly to running instances.
Thunder Compute does not offer reserved pricing or spot instances. All access is on-demand.
Pricing Comparison
| Feature | Thunder Compute | Crusoe Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| L40S1 | $0.79/hr | $1.50/hr |
| A100 80GB (on-demand) | $1.09/hr | $2.00/hr (PCIe) |
| H100 80GB (on-demand) | $2.19/hr (PCIe) | $3.90/hr |
| Billing | Per minute | Per minute |
| Reserved pricing | Not available | Multi-month commitments |
| Spot pricing | Not available | Yes, for interruptible workloads |
| Storage included | 100GB per GPU | Not included; billed separately |
| IDE integration | VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf | SSH, standard interfaces |
| 1Thunder Compute offers only NVIDIA L40 GPUs. Last update: July 14, 2026. | ||
For a 100-hour A100 training run: Thunder Compute costs $109. Crusoe costs $165 on PCIe on-demand or $195 on SXM on-demand. Crusoe's reserved pricing can close some of this gap for teams with predictable long-term workloads.
Storage and Data Transfer
Thunder Compute includes 100GB per GPU at no extra charge. Additional running storage costs $0.03/100GB/hr. Snapshots cost $0.05/GB/month. There are no egress fees.
Crusoe bills block storage separately from GPU costs. Check Crusoe's current pricing page for data transfer terms before planning data-heavy workloads.
Developer Experience
Crusoe provides SSH access, standard cloud interfaces, and a web console. Its infrastructure suits teams with established cloud workflows that can plan capacity in advance through reserved pricing.
Thunder Compute minimizes setup time. The VS Code, Cursor, and Windsurf extensions let you connect to a running instance and start coding in under a minute. Persistent storage means no manual volume attachment or environment reconstruction between sessions.
When to Choose Each Provider
Choose Crusoe for:
- You plan sustained GPU workloads over months.
- Spot pricing for checkpoint-friendly training jobs.
- Crusoe's energy sourcing is important for your organization.
Choose Thunder Compute for the lowest on-demand A100 or H100 rate with no commitment, per-minute billing with persistent storage included, or IDE-first development that requires minimal infrastructure management.
Last Thoughts on Crusoe vs Thunder Compute
Both are managed alternatives to hyperscaler pricing that serve different usage patterns. Crusoe's reserved and spot tiers suit teams with predictable, sustained workloads and longer planning horizons. Thunder Compute's fixed on-demand rates and included persistent storage suit teams that iterate frequently and value simplicity.
FAQ
How much does Crusoe Cloud charge for A100 GPUs?
Crusoe A100 PCIe on-demand starts at $2.00/hr, with A100 SXM at $1.95/hr. Spot pricing is available at lower rates. Thunder Compute A100 80GB is $1.09/hr on-demand with per-minute billing.
Is Thunder Compute cheaper than Crusoe Cloud?
Yes for on-demand A100 access. Thunder Compute A100 80GB is $1.09/hr versus Crusoe PCIe at $2.00/hr. For H100, Thunder Compute is $2.19/hr versus Crusoe at $3.90/hr. Crusoe reserved pricing can narrow this gap for long-term workloads.
Does Crusoe Cloud have a sustainability angle?
Yes. Crusoe's infrastructure was originally built around stranded natural gas capture and has since expanded into grid-connected facilities with a broader energy mix including renewables.
Does Crusoe Cloud charge egress fees?
No. Crusoe Cloud doesn't charge egress fees.
What are Crusoe Cloud's reserved pricing options?
Crusoe offers multi-month reserved commitments with discounts compared to on-demand rates. Thunder Compute does not offer reserved instances; all access is on-demand with per-minute billing.
What are the main differences in flexibility between Crusoe and Thunder Compute?
Thunder Compute allows you to resize CPU, RAM, and disk without waitlists. Crusoe Cloud has more restrictions: PCIe A100s are often limited to one per VM, and SXM A100s require full-node allocations. Thunder Compute offers more flexibility for developers who need to adjust resources.
Which provider is better for developers who need instant access?
Thunder Compute. No wait-list, per-minute billing, and one-click VS Code, Cursor, and Windsurf integration mean you can start coding in under a minute. Crusoe may require a short wait-list during peak demand.
How do storage costs compare between Crusoe and Thunder Compute?
Thunder Compute includes 100GB per GPU at no extra charge; snapshots cost $0.05/GB/month. Crusoe bills block storage separately from GPU costs.
Does Crusoe offer spot instances?
Yes. Crusoe offers spot instances at lower rates than on-demand, suited to checkpoint-friendly training jobs that can tolerate interruption. Thunder Compute does not offer spot pricing.