Side by side
Backend.AI vs dstack
Both stand on gpu cluster management software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted+1
Backend.AI brings GPU sharing, scheduling, and cluster management together across several deployment settings. Organizations should assess its quote-based enterprise options and production network-isolation guidance.
Visit Backend.AI
Free plan APILinuxMac+3
dstack offers a broad orchestration surface for AI workloads, from job scheduling to inference endpoints. Its plaintext-by-default storage and single-host TPU limit are important operational considerations.
Visit dstackThe facts
| Backend.AI | dstack | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Self-hosted, Web | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 4 | 2 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | backend.ai | dstack.ai |
| On gpu cluster management software | #1 of 21 | #4 of 21 |
Backend.AI: what it does well
- Fractional GPU allocation lets users share physical GPUs.
- Scheduler supports multi-node, multi-tenant workloads.
- Supports more than 12 accelerator types.
- Can be deployed on-premises, in cloud, or hybrid.
- Air-gapped installation and updates are supported.
What to know first
- Enterprise plan prices require a quote.
- Free Open-source plan is for home users on own hardware.
- Production guidance calls for network-isolated compute nodes.
dstack: what it does well
- Open-source self-hosted plan is free
- Supports NVIDIA, AMD, TPU, and Tenstorrent accelerators
- CLI and HTTP API for resource management
- Inference gateways support HTTPS and rate limits
What to know first
- Server data and secrets are plaintext by default
- TPU support is limited to single-host instances of up to eight cores
- Slurm backend is experimental
Alternatives to Backend.AI Alternatives to dstack The whole list