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Paperspace Gradient
What it is
Paperspace Gradient is a machine learning platform for building, tracking, and collaborating on models. Its browser-based IDE launches GPU-enabled Jupyter notebooks, with project sharing and invitations for collaborators. Notebook work runs in portable Docker containers, and GitHub can be connected to manage code and compute resources. For deploying models, Gradient provides API endpoints with runtime, instance-type, and autoscaling options. On-demand GPU and IPU instances are available; paid instance utilization can cost extra, and the product page describes per-second instance pricing. The platform says it supports major machine learning frameworks and libraries. Plans range from free options to paid plans, including Pro at $8.00 per month; storage, notebook, and instance limits vary by plan. Private projects are available on some plans. Gradient supports API, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows. A native desktop app is listed for Windows 10+, OS X 10.13+, and Linux beta.
For and against
For
- Browser IDE launches GPU-enabled Jupyter notebooks.
- Model deployments provide API endpoints and autoscaling options.
- GitHub connection supports work and compute management.
- Plans include private projects and collaboration features.
- Centralized permissions and activity logs are described.
Against
- Paid instance utilization costs extra.
- Free plans have storage and notebook or instance limits.
- Linux desktop app is listed as beta.
- Private projects are not included in every plan.
The verdict
Gradient combines notebook development, collaboration, compute, and model serving in one platform. Compare plan limits and paid instance utilization costs with the resources your projects require.
Who it suits
Gradient may suit individual ML/AI engineers, data scientists, researchers, teams, research groups, and startups building or serving machine learning models. Its collaboration features and range of compute options also suit groups managing shared projects.
Plans and prices
Free (Individual)
5GB storage
Read 22 Sep 2026 · paperspace.com
Pro (Individual)
15GB storage
Read 22 Sep 2026 · paperspace.com
Growth (Individual)
50GB storage
Read 22 Sep 2026 · paperspace.com
Free (Team)
5GB storage
Read 22 Sep 2026 · paperspace.com
Pro (Team)
15GB storage
Read 22 Sep 2026 · paperspace.com
Growth (Team)
50GB storage
Read 22 Sep 2026 · paperspace.com
T0
10 notebooks · 1 running notebook · 10GB persistent storage included · Low instance types
Read 4 Oct 2026 · paperspace.com
T1
100 notebooks · 10 running notebooks · 500GB persistent storage included · Low–mid instance types
Read 4 Oct 2026 · paperspace.com
Free
Public projects · 5GB storage · Basic instances · Paid instances billed hourly
Read 14 Oct 2026 · paperspace.com
On the record
- Acquisition news
- Y Combinator records DigitalOcean’s acquisition of Paperspace for $111 million in cash on July 6, 2023.ycombinator.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- API
- Paperspace provides a documented REST API with a unified endpoint schema and improved scalability; legacy Gradient and Core endpoints were deprecated.docs.digitalocean.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Auto-shutdown
- Notebook auto-shutdown can be set from one hour to one week, while free-tier machines have a six-hour maximum.docs.digitalocean.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Availability claim
- The security page advertises a 99.99% uptime SLA covering network, power, virtual-server, and storage availability.paperspace.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Chrome extension rating
- The Paperspace Chrome extension is rated 0 out of 5 from 0 ratings.chromewebstore.google.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- CLI licence
- The Gradient CLI is published as open source Python software under the OSI-approved ISC License.pypi.org · read 14 Oct 2026
- Company founding
- G2 lists Paperspace as serving customers since 2014.g2.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Company headquarters and size
- Crunchbase lists Paperspace in New York, New York, with 11–50 employees.crunchbase.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Company legal name
- Crunchbase lists the legal name as Paperspace, Co.crunchbase.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Company ownership
- Paperspace is listed as acquired by DigitalOcean, and the company website now identifies Paperspace as doing business as DigitalOcean.crunchbase.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Compliance
- The security page says its datacenters meet SOC 1, SOC 2, PCI-DSS, and ISO 27001 standards.paperspace.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Compute
- The platform offers on-demand GPU and IPU instances, with per-second instance pricing described on its product page.paperspace.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Container integrations
- Gradient can use public or private images from Docker Hub, DigitalOcean Container Registry, and NVIDIA NGC.docs.digitalocean.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Containerized notebooks
- Notebooks run in lightweight, portable Docker containers, according to the product page.paperspace.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Deployment options
- full_stackpaperspace.com · read 22 Sep 2026
- Deployments
- Deployments run container images as hosted machine-learning model endpoints through a REST API.docs.digitalocean.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Desktop app
- The native Paperspace application supports Windows 10 or newer, macOS 10.13 or newer, and Linux in beta, with hotkeys, drag-and-drop uploads, and multi-monitor support.paperspace.com · read 14 Oct 2026
- Documentation depth
- The documentation includes getting-started guides, how-to articles, concepts, reference material, limits, known issues, support pages, CLI references, and SDK/API examples.docs.digitalocean.com · read 14 Oct 2026
The review
Paperspace Gradient brings browser-based Jupyter notebooks, collaborative machine-learning projects, GPU and IPU compute, and model serving into one workspace. It is best suited to ML engineers, data scientists, researchers, and teams that need a route from experiments to API endpoints. The main buying decision is whether its storage and notebook quotas, plus metered instance use, fit your workload.
Overview
Gradient is a machine-learning development platform built around shareable projects and hosted notebooks. Its deployment layer turns models into API endpoints and offers runtime, instance-type, and autoscaling controls. That combination favors projects that progress beyond exploration; a local-first workflow or a notebook-only user may not need the additional platform surface.
Key features
Notebook development and compute
The browser IDE launches GPU-enabled Jupyter notebooks inside lightweight, portable Docker containers. GitHub integration lets users manage code and compute resources with git, while support for major machine-learning frameworks and libraries keeps common stacks in scope. On-demand GPU and IPU instances are billed by the second. This can align spend with actual runs, but a subscription alone does not cover the cost of sustained paid-instance use.
Collaboration and serving
Projects can be shared and collaborators invited. Private projects are included with Pro and Growth individual plans and with the paid project tiers, making those plans more suitable for proprietary work than the Free project tier. Deployments expose models through API endpoints and allow runtime, instance, and autoscaling choices, giving teams a practical serving path rather than stopping at notebook output.
Security, desktop access, and support
Centralized permissions and activity logs provide administrative visibility, and Paperspace says its security team monitors threats around the clock. Its datacenters meet SOC 1, SOC 2, PCI-DSS, and ISO 27001 standards. A native app supports Windows 10+, OS X 10.13+, and Linux beta, with hotkeys, drag-and-drop uploads, and multi-monitor support. Free ticket support runs seven days a week; enterprise contracts add infrastructure assistance and customer success managers.
Pricing
Individual and project plans
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free (Individual) | free | 5GB storage; paid-instance utilization costs extra |
| Pro (Individual) | $8 a month | 15GB storage; paid-instance utilization costs extra |
| Growth (Individual) | $39 a month | 50GB storage; paid-instance utilization costs extra |
| Free (Team) | free | 5GB storage |
| Pro (Team) | $12 a month, billed monthly | 15GB storage |
| Growth (Team) | $39 a month, billed monthly | 50GB storage |
Individual Free is a sensible starting point for learning or light projects, but 5GB is restrictive for datasets and checkpoints. Pro is the entry point for private projects at 15GB; Growth quadruples storage to 50GB and targets heavier work, while both still require utilization charges on paid instances. Team Pro raises the monthly price to $12, and Team Growth costs $39; the published plan summaries do not add a seat allowance, so organizations should confirm how their roster is handled before committing.
Notebook tiers
| Plan | Price | Limits and compute |
|---|---|---|
| T0 | free | 10 notebooks, 1 running notebook, 10GB persistent storage, low instance types; paid utilization extra |
| T1 | $12 per user/month | 100 notebooks, 10 running notebooks, 500GB persistent storage, low–mid instance types; paid utilization extra |
| T2 | Custom pricing | Low-to-high instance types, private notebooks, scalable storage, unlimited notebooks and running notebooks |
T0 covers a single active notebook and low-end instances, adequate for an individual trial but not parallel team work. T1 is a substantial capacity step for users who need 10 concurrent notebooks and 500GB, though instance usage remains an additional charge. T2 is the enterprise-oriented option when private notebooks, unrestricted notebook counts, and scalable storage matter; its custom price requires a direct budget conversation.
Free, Pro, and Growth project tiers
The separate Free tier provides public projects, 5GB storage, and basic instances. Pro costs $8 a month for private projects, 15GB, and mid-range instances, with utilization extra. Growth costs $39 a month, adds high-end instances and expert support, and retains the same extra-utilization model. Choose Pro for confidentiality and moderate workloads; choose Growth when support and higher-end instances justify the larger fixed fee.
Platforms
Gradient supports API, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows access. The web notebook is the central experience, while the native Paperspace app extends desktop workflows to Windows 10+, OS X 10.13+, and Linux beta.
Who it's for
Beginners and individual ML/AI engineers can start on Free or T0, while data scientists and researchers gain room from Pro or T1. Teams, research groups, and startups benefit most when shared projects, private work, concurrent notebooks, and model APIs are part of the same lifecycle. Users who need only occasional basic notebooks may find the metered compute model and tier choices unnecessary.
Pros and cons
- Pros: GPU-enabled Jupyter notebooks in portable containers; API deployment with autoscaling; GitHub integration; private projects on paid tiers; broad platform access; documented enterprise security standards.
- Cons: Paid GPU and IPU utilization is extra on applicable plans; Free tiers have small storage and, in T0, only one running notebook; T2 pricing is custom; high-end compute requires higher tiers or additional usage spend.
Alternatives
- Anaconda Notebooks is a simpler web-only notebook choice, with a free 5GB tier and a $15 monthly Starter plan.
- Datalore suits users who prefer a cloud notebook plan with stated CPU-hour, storage, parallel-notebook, and workspace limits.
- Deepnote is an alternative collaborative notebook service whose Free plan allows up to three editors and five projects.
- Google Colab fits lightweight browser notebooks when limited GPU access and no guaranteed compute units are acceptable.
- Hex is another freemium notebook and data-workspace option, with a free Community plan and small compute.
- H2O.ai is worth considering when Apache-licensed H2O-3 OSS for Python and R is the priority.
- NETVIBES offers a paid platform with a free plan and an Enterprise Data Science plan.
- Siemens Building X is a different freemium platform focused on yearly application or API subscriptions.
- Browse Data Science Platforms, Deep Learning Software, and Coding Playgrounds for wider category comparisons.
Verdict
Choose Paperspace Gradient if your work needs hosted GPU notebooks, collaboration, and deployable model APIs in one environment. Its strongest advantage is the continuous path from containerized experimentation to autoscaled serving. Look elsewhere if your projects are small, storage-light, or sensitive to unpredictable per-second compute charges, or if you want a notebook service with fewer tiers and simpler limits.