Rackspace OpenStack Flex review
A managed public OpenStack cloud with GPUs, flexible storage, APIs, and 24x7 support.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Rackspace OpenStack Flex is a managed, multi-tenant public OpenStack infrastructure service for organizations running virtual machines, containers, databases, and cloud-native applications. It combines compute, configurable private networking, routers, block storage, object storage, monitoring, and platform management. Access is available through a web control panel, APIs, and the OpenStack CLI, with support for web, Windows, macOS, Linux, and API workflows. It is aimed at teams that want OpenStack capabilities without managing the platform and its lifecycle operations themselves.
Pricing is consumption-based rather than presented as a monthly or annual package. The listed Capacity block storage rate is $0.0001 per GB per hour. A General Purpose VM with 1 vCPU and 2 GB RAM is listed at $0.0198 per instance per hour, while a Memory Optimized VM with 2 vCPU and 12 GB RAM is $0.0993 per instance per hour. The Accelerator Optimized VM includes 24 vCPU, 64 GB RAM, and an A30 GPU at $1.1777 per instance per hour. Flex Object Storage 3x Replica provides three-way replicated object storage, with usage-based pricing shown separately from the hourly VM examples.
The service has a broad infrastructure profile: block storage is available in Capacity, Performance, Standard, HA-Standard, and HA-Performance types, alongside object storage. Identity options include Keystone credentials, a username, and an API key, and the platform is documented across three regions. These capabilities make Rackspace OpenStack Flex a fit for teams seeking managed public cloud infrastructure, GPU access, and operational support. Organizations requiring a free plan, fixed package pricing, or dedicated infrastructure should consider a different hosting model.
Rackspace OpenStack Flex pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Managed OpenStack infrastructure with monitoring and lifecycle management
- GPU, memory-optimized, and general-purpose VM options
- Web, API, CLI, networking, storage, and 24x7 support access
- Where it doesn't
- No free plan for evaluating the service
- Usage-based pricing can require detailed resource planning
- Multi-tenant public cloud may not suit dedicated infrastructure needs
Rackspace OpenStack Flex fact sheet, pricing and score →
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