RunPod vs Vertex AI: Pricing Comparison 2026
Side-by-side pricing comparison of RunPod and Vertex AI. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.
Bottom line: RunPod starts at $0.27/mo, making it $2/mo cheaper than Vertex AI ($2/mo). Neither offers a free plan.
Last updated: July 6, 2026
RunPod - RunPod starts at $1.73/mo lower ($0.27/mo vs $2/mo), offers 13 tiers vs 12.
RunPod vs Vertex AI: Quick Pricing Facts
| Feature | RunPod | Vertex AI |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0.27/mo | $2/mo |
| Number of Plans | 13 | 12 |
| Free Tier | No | No |
| Pricing Model | usage-based | usage-based |
| Annual Discount | N/A | N/A |
RunPod is the more affordable option, starting at $0.27/mo compared to Vertex AI's $2/mo. Both are AI & ML tools with 25 combined pricing plans and 21 features compared.
Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your AI & ML needs.
| Pricing Plans |  RunPod Try free |  Vertex AI Try free |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | cached Custom pricing | |
| Tier 2 | $14 per 1,000 search queries $14/month | |
| Tier 3 | $14 per 1,000 queries $14/month | |
| Tier 4 | Gemini 2.0 Flash $2/month | |
| Tier 5 | $45 per 1,000 grounded prompts $45/month | |
| Tier 6 | $25 per 1,000 grounded prompts $25/month | |
| Tier 7 | Gemini Flash Custom pricing | |
| Tier 8 | H100 SXM Custom pricing | $35 per 1,000 grounded prompts $35/monthCheapest |
| Tier 9 | B200 Custom pricing | Model Custom pricing |
| Tier 10 | H200 SXM $4/monthCheapest $0 / year | Open Source Model Custom pricing |
| Tier 11 | A100 SXM $2/monthCheapest $0 / year | Duration Custom pricing |
| Tier 12 | H100 NVL Custom pricing | $10 per 1000 searches $10/monthCheapest |
| Tier 13 | L40S Custom pricing | - |
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Frequently Asked Questions: RunPod vs Vertex AI
Which is cheaper, RunPod or Vertex AI?
How many pricing plans does RunPod have vs Vertex AI?
Can I save money by paying annually for RunPod or Vertex AI?
Does RunPod or Vertex AI offer custom enterprise pricing?
How do RunPod and Vertex AI compare for AI & ML?
Sources
- RunPod Official Pricing- Vendor pricing page
- Vertex AI Official Pricing- Vendor pricing page
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