Best GPU Cluster Management Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Backend.AI is ranked #1 of 20 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of dstack and GPUStack. The best-ranked option with a free plan is dstack. The lowest first paid tier on this page is ClearML at $15/mo.
Managing shared GPU capacity means weighing both infrastructure fit and how workloads are assigned. Compare cloud GPU support, Kubernetes support and deployment model, then look at scheduling, quota controls and utilization metrics to see which capabilities match your needs. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing offer additional points to consider. Backend.AI, dstack and GPUStack are among the software covered, alongside NVIDIA Mission Control, HAMi, Kueue, NVIDIA Run:ai and Volcano. Use the listed criteria to think through where your clusters run, how access should be managed and what visibility you need into GPU use.
20 GPU cluster management software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Recognised 40% · Phone app 26% · Documented 20% · Free plan 14% of the score
- 1 Backend.AI No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 8.2Free Deployment model: hybridWorkload scheduling: bothKubernetes support: Yes
- 2 dstack No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.9Free Deployment model: hybridWorkload scheduling: bothKubernetes support: Yes
- 3 GPUStack No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.3Free Deployment model: hybridWorkload scheduling: interactiveKubernetes support: Yes
- 4 NVIDIA Mission Control No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.2 Deployment model: self_hostedWorkload scheduling: bothKubernetes support: Yes
- 5 HAMi No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.2Free Deployment model: self_hostedWorkload scheduling: bothKubernetes support: Yes
- 6 Kueue No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 7.0Free Deployment model: self_hostedWorkload scheduling: batchKubernetes support: Yes
- 7 NVIDIA Run:ai No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.8 Deployment model: hybridWorkload scheduling: bothKubernetes support: Yes
- 8 Volcano No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.7 Deployment model: self_hostedWorkload scheduling: bothKubernetes support: Yes
- 9 Apache YuniKorn No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.6 Deployment model: self_hostedWorkload scheduling: batchKubernetes support: Yes
- 10 SkyPilot No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.6 Deployment model: hybridWorkload scheduling: bothKubernetes support: Yes
- 11 Slurm Workload Manager No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.6Free
- 12 KAI Scheduler No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.5 Deployment model: self_hostedWorkload scheduling: bothKubernetes support: Yes
- 13 Koordinator No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.5 Deployment model: self_hostedWorkload scheduling: bothKubernetes support: Yes
- 14 HTCondor No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.3 Deployment model: self_hostedWorkload scheduling: bothKubernetes support: Yes
- 15 OpenPBS No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 6.1Free
- 16 ClearML No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.9$15/mo
- 17 NVIDIA Base Command Manager No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.8
- 18 Moab HPC Suite No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.5 Deployment model: self_hostedWorkload scheduling: both
- 19 Voda Scheduler No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.4 Deployment model: self_hostedWorkload scheduling: batchKubernetes support: Yes
- 20 TORQUE Resource Manager No phone app RecognisedPhone appDocumentedFree plan 5.3 Deployment model: self_hostedWorkload scheduling: both
Compare all 20 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Deployment model | Workload scheduling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Backend.AI | 8.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | hybrid | both |
| 2 | dstack | 7.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | hybrid | both |
| 3 | GPUStack | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | hybrid | interactive |
| 4 | NVIDIA Mission Control | 7.2 | No | — | No | — | self_hosted | both |
| 5 | HAMi | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | self_hosted | both |
| 6 | Kueue | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | self_hosted | batch |
| 7 | NVIDIA Run:ai | 6.8 | No | — | No | — | hybrid | both |
| 8 | Volcano | 6.7 | No | — | Yes | — | self_hosted | both |
| 9 | Apache YuniKorn | 6.6 | No | — | — | — | self_hosted | batch |
| 10 | SkyPilot | 6.6 | No | — | — | — | hybrid | both |
| 11 | Slurm Workload Manager | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 12 | KAI Scheduler | 6.5 | No | — | — | — | self_hosted | both |
| 13 | Koordinator | 6.5 | No | — | Yes | — | self_hosted | both |
| 14 | HTCondor | 6.3 | No | — | Yes | — | self_hosted | both |
| 15 | OpenPBS | 6.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 16 | ClearML | 5.9 | Free plan | $15/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 17 | NVIDIA Base Command Manager | 5.8 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
| 18 | Moab HPC Suite | 5.5 | No | — | — | — | self_hosted | both |
| 19 | Voda Scheduler | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | self_hosted | batch |
| 20 | TORQUE Resource Manager | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | self_hosted | both |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which GPU cluster management software is ranked first on Samsung Mobile US Press?
Backend.AI is ranked #1 of 20 with a score of 8.2. dstack is second and GPUStack third.
How many of these have a free plan?
8 of the 20 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, ClearML has the lowest first paid tier we found: $15/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.