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How to rent cloud-based AI services at low cost

Low-cost rental of cloud-based AI services is achievable through strategic vendor and pricing model selections. Businesses can access advanced AI capabilities without major upfront investments via pay-as-you-go cloud platforms.

Focus on providers offering free tiers or trials specifically for AI services. Utilize spot instances or preemptible VMs for significant discounts on interruptible workloads; serverless options often provide cost efficiency for variable usage. Explore tiered pricing and compare per-second billing across providers. Rigorously optimize resource allocation and employ auto-scaling to match actual demand.

Start by defining your specific AI workload requirements and projected usage patterns. Thoroughly compare pricing models (compute units, API calls, duration) across major cloud providers and specialized AI vendors. Sign up for free tiers to test services. For sustained workloads, use spot/preemptible instances and implement strict usage monitoring with cost alerts. Consider reserved instances or savings plans for predictable, long-term usage to lock in lower rates. Regularly right-size resources to eliminate waste.

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