Tool · Run a model

Self-host vs API — at what volume does renting a GPU win?

Open-weight models can run on rented GPUs (~$1–$4/hr for an A100 / H100) or via per-token APIs. Plug in your numbers; we'll show the breakeven curve.

Monthly input tokens

30,000,000

@ 1,000,000/day

Monthly output tokens

15,000,000

@ 500,000/day

Self-host GPU

Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti

needs 11 GB VRAM

Self-host monthly

$25

24/7 on cheapest provider

Self-host on Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti

Cheapest fitting GPU for Qwen3.5 4B Lora at FP16. Live at Clore.ai at $0.036/hr → $25/month at 24/7 utilisation.