GPU clouds / Shadeform GPU Marketplace alternative

A Shadeform alternative for the agent around GPU instances

Shadeform offers one console, API, CLI and MCP interface for GPU instances across cloud providers. It supplies persistent volumes independent of instance deletion and can use linked customer cloud accounts. Storage, instance shape and lifecycle guarantees still depend on the selected provider and region.

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Reviewed 2026-10-19 · Published by the Sandbox0 team

When Shadeform GPU Marketplace fits

Shadeform fits teams procuring GPUs across clouds, comparing availability and prices, launching VMs or containers and managing provider billing. Retain the required accelerator marketplace and provider services.

When to consider Sandbox0

Consider Sandbox0 for compatible Linux agents around GPU work that need a whole durable writable RootFS, automatic online growth and supported paused RootFS files. GPU execution and cloud procurement remain separate requirements.

Capabilities

Shadeform GPU Marketplace and Sandbox0: what persists?

Feature comparison with documentation and verification status
Environment and runtime lifetimeShadeform GPU MarketplaceNot established in this reviewSandbox0ttl and hard_ttl default to 0 (disabled). Configure idle pause and deletion policies for the same persistent sandbox identity; an idle running sandbox still accrues compute charges.Read documentation →
Persistent filesShadeform GPU MarketplaceIndependent persistent block volumes retain data after instances are deleted or replaced, scoped to the same provider and region.View evidence ↗Sandbox0The writable RootFS survives successful checkpoints, including software, system configuration, dependencies, and user data.Read documentation →
Whole RootFSShadeform GPU MarketplaceVM boot-disk continuity depends on the selected provider/type; attached persistent data volumes do not establish a universal whole-root retention contract.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Persistence extends beyond /workspace to paths such as /usr/local, /etc, and /home. Runtime tmpfs and virtual filesystems are excluded.Read documentation →
Release compute, keep stateShadeform GPU MarketplaceThe common lifecycle documents instance creation/deletion; a provider-independent durable agent pause/resume contract is not established.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Pause compute between tasks; resume on available capacity. Default resume starts fresh processes from the saved filesystem.Read documentation →
Memory and process stateShadeform GPU MarketplaceTemplates and provider VM launch do not establish marketplace-wide RAM/GPU-state checkpoints.View evidence ↗Sandbox0Experimental memory checkpoints can preserve compatible process state. Use memory: true on both pause and resume on a compatible deployment. A filesystem checkpoint alone does not preserve running processes.Read documentation →

Online RootFS growth

On growth-enabled images, Sandbox0 automatically expands the writable RootFS as free space runs low, within a configured sparse logical ceiling up to 64 TiB. Agent processes keep running. Growth is enabled in the qualified Cloud region; confirm activation for other regions. Existing images and snapshots retain their captured storage geometry. The ceiling is logical capacity, not preallocated host disk.

Provider-specific disks and attached volume capacity are separate from a universal automatic RootFS growth service. Confirm resize support for the chosen volume and VM; Sandbox0 can grow an enabled durable writable RootFS online as space runs low.

Files while compute is paused

Sandbox0's Files API reads persistent files without resuming compute. Filesystem-only pauses also permit edits; retained-memory pauses are read-only and reject mutations with 409. SSH, SFTP, file watching, and runtime-only mounts require running compute.

See paused file operations →

Persistent volumes survive instance replacement within a location

Shadeform volumes retain data independently of instance deletion and can be reused. The current guide restricts attachment to the same cloud provider and region, with one attached volume per instance; multi-cloud volumes are described as upcoming. Keep required data on the retained volume and verify the selected VM boot-disk lifecycle separately.

Source 1 ↗

A marketplace catalog is not one universal VM contract

Shadeform normalizes GPU instance names across provider-specific shapes, and also identifies its own Flex VMs on partner hardware. Availability and machine SLAs follow the underlying provider. Startup templates and Docker launch commands do not by themselves snapshot every runtime OS change or saved RAM.

Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗

Deletion ends instance billing; retained storage is separate

The delete API says billing ends when the instance enters deleting status. The current lifecycle is based on creating and deleting instances, with discounted interruptible Spot options on selected types. Confirm provider disk preservation and export data before teardown; deleting capacity is not a documented universal saved-memory pause.

Source 1 ↗Source 2 ↗Source 3 ↗

Pricing

Compare billing models, then price your workload

CPU allocation, memory, billing minimums, disk, plan fees, and supported workload differ. These meters are not equal-performance machine quotes. Confirm region, resource units, and included allowances before estimating a total.

Shadeform GPU Marketplace

Pricing reviewed 2026-10-19

H100 PCIe advertised starting rate
From $1.66/hour
Marketplace starting reference; confirm provider, region, full shape and availability.
Rate source ↗
H200 SXM5 advertised starting rate
From $2.25/hour
Rate source ↗
L40S PCIe advertised starting rate
From $0.69/hour
Rate source ↗
Shadeform platform markup
No additional launch or cloud-management fee
Underlying compute and retained resources remain payable.
Rate source ↗

Starting GPU prices are not guaranteed inventory or universal complete-VM quotes. Storage, provider shape, region and rental type affect total cost. The current reservation form specifies a minimum 12-month term; on-demand instances have a separate lifecycle. Illustrative volume API response prices are not a live tariff.

Check current Shadeform GPU Marketplace pricing ↗

Sandbox0

$0.015/GiB-hour compute (billed by the second at approximately $0.000004167/GiB-second), plus $0.02/GiB-month of retained incremental RootFS and memory checkpoint data. Shared base images and platform recovery retention are excluded; paused sandboxes accrue storage charges only.

Compute / GiB-hour
$0.015
Retained data / GiB-month
$0.02
Paused compute
$0.00

A 4 GiB agent, 100 running hours

$6.00 compute

4 GiB × 100 hours, billed by the second. Keeping 20 GiB of billable incremental data for a full billing month adds $0.40. CPU is derived from memory by the platform; choose a tier that fits your workload.

Understand storage billing →

Before migrating from Shadeform GPU Marketplace

  1. Record provider/type, region, rental type, boot disk, attached volume, launch scripts and linked-account billing.
  2. Export indispensable instance-local state before deletion and retain required GPU capacity and provider integrations.
  3. Move compatible Linux agent execution and validate whole-system retention, growth, paused files and the complete resource bill.

Common questions

Is Sandbox0 a drop-in Shadeform GPU Marketplace replacement?

Evaluate API compatibility and product scope. These products serve different core workflows, so a change may require a different architecture.

Does keeping files also keep a running agent?

Filesystem state and volatile process state are separate. Sandbox0 requires explicit compatible memory checkpoints to preserve running processes; its default filesystem resume starts fresh processes.

Sources and review scope

The Boat team's Battleships directory is the discovery source. References below describe the product and plan discussed on this page. Check current availability, regional terms and billing units before migrating. Where the cited material does not establish a capability or price, the comparison identifies that uncertainty.

Battleships research record ↗docs.shadeform.ai/guides/attachvolume.md ↗docs.shadeform.ai/getting-started/concepts.md ↗docs.shadeform.ai/getting-started/faq.md ↗docs.shadeform.ai/api-reference/instances/instances-delete.md ↗docs.shadeform.ai/guides/spotinstances.md ↗shadeform.com/prices ↗Sandbox0 RootFS capacity →

Related comparisons

Azure GPU VMs (NC_A100_v4 reference) vs Sandbox0 →Cerebrium Serverless Compute vs Sandbox0 →Crusoe vs Sandbox0 →DigitalOcean GPU Droplets vs Sandbox0 →Fluidstack vs Sandbox0 →Google Compute Engine GPU VMs vs Sandbox0 →