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What Are Instances?

Instances are containerized environments where you rent dedicated GPUs from Vast.ai’s marketplace. Each instance:
  • Provides exclusive GPU access (never shared between users)
  • Runs your choice of Docker image
  • Includes proportional CPU, RAM, and storage
  • Connects via SSH, Jupyter, or custom entrypoint
  • Bills by the second for actual usage
New to Vast.ai? Start with the Quickstart Guide.

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Core Concepts

Pricing

Market-driven rates for GPU, storage, and bandwidth

Instance Types

On-demand, Reserved, and Interruptible options

Templates

Pre-configured environments or custom Docker images

Find & Rent

Find and rent GPUs by model, location, and price

Connect to Instances

SSH, Jupyter, and Entrypoint connection methods

Managing Instances

Start, stop, connect, and monitor your instances

Storage

Container storage and persistent volumes

Data Movement

Move data between instances, cloud, and local storage

Cloud Sync

Sync with Google Drive, S3, and other cloud providers

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Next Steps

New to Vast.ai? Start with the Quickstart Guide → for a complete walkthrough Ready to rent? Understand pricing → | Choose a template → | Find GPUs → Need help connecting? Connection methods → | SSH guide → | Jupyter setup →