dstack
dstack: Broad GPU orchestration for teams spanning cloud, Kubernetes, Slurm, and on-premises systems. Ranked #4 of 21 in GPU Cluster Management Software by our editors (8.8/10); pricing: Free plan; best for teams managing GPUs across clouds and clusters.
At a glance
- Editor score8.8 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forTeams managing GPUs across clouds and clusters
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Deployment modelHybrid
- Facts checked22 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Supports interactive, batch, distributed, and inference workloads
- Connects AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Kubernetes, Slurm, and more
- Includes autoscaling, GPU metrics, isolation, and API access
Where it doesn't
- Quota controls are not included
- The open-source edition is self-hosted
- dstack Sky uses GPU marketplace usage pricing, not fixed software plans
Our verdict on dstack
dstack is an open-source orchestration control plane for teams provisioning and managing GPU infrastructure across GPU clouds, Kubernetes clusters, and on-premises systems. It supports interactive development environments, batch and distributed training jobs, inference services, fleets, volumes, and gateways. Workloads can be defined in YAML and applied through a CLI, HTTP API, or web interface. Support for NVIDIA, AMD, TPU, and Tenstorrent accelerators broadens its fit for teams managing more than one accelerator type. Teams that need one management layer across varied GPU environments are the clearest audience.
Its provider and backend coverage is a central strength. dstack connects AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Lambda Cloud, Nebius, Crusoe, OCI, Runpod, and Vast.ai, while also supporting Kubernetes, Slurm, and SSH backends. That combination suits organizations combining public clouds with existing clusters or on-premises systems. GPU utilization and DCGM metrics provide operational visibility, while auto-scaling, retry, and spot-instance policies address workload placement and interruption handling. Projects, users, roles, and resource isolation add organizational controls, and volumes, gateways, secrets, and API access extend the platform beyond basic job submission.
The published product model separates the open-source and hosted options. dstack OSS is self-hosted and free, while dstack Sky is a hosted service priced through GPU marketplace usage rather than fixed monthly software plans. The platform supports both interactive and batch scheduling and offers hybrid deployment, but quota controls are not included. That makes dstack a strong fit for teams that value broad integrations, flexible deployment, and control over GPU workloads across multiple environments. Teams that require built-in quota controls or prefer a fixed software subscription should consider whether its operating model matches their requirements.
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dstack pricing
dstack fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Deployment model | Hybrid |
| Workload scheduling | Both |
| Kubernetes support | Yes |
| Quota controls | No |
| GPU utilization metrics | Yes |
| Cloud GPU support | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Support | Community, Docs |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 11 integrations: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Lambda Cloud, Nebius, Crusoe … See all → |
| Pricing | Free plan (source) |
| Website | dstack.ai |
| Facts checked | 22 Sep 2026 |
dstack integrations
dstack lists 11 integrations on its own site.
- AWS
- Azure
- Google Cloud
- Lambda Cloud
- Nebius
- Crusoe
- OCI
- Kubernetes
- Slurm
- Runpod
- Vast.ai
Alternatives to dstack
- Backend.AIA broad GPU cluster platform for teams managing shared, multi-tenant AI infrastructure.9.4
- NVIDIA Mission ControlEnterprise GPU cluster management with orchestration, observability, and automated recovery.9.2
- NVIDIA Run:aiA broad Kubernetes-native GPU control plane for training, inference, and shared infrastructure.9.0
dstack vs the competition
- dstack vs Backend.AI
- dstack vs NVIDIA Mission Control
- dstack vs NVIDIA Run:ai
- dstack vs Volcano
- dstack vs Apache YuniKorn
- dstack vs KAI Scheduler
Compare dstack with any tool side by side →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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