The Paperspace Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Paperspace in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Paperspace
The Insider’s Guide
Cloud desktops and GPU machines you rent by the hour or month
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among remote desktop apps, read from Paperspace’s own pages.
Made by Paperspace (DigitalOcean) · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Paperspace’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Paperspace’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
1.8
GPA, above 6 of the 85 other remote desktop apps we grade
Paperspace Core rents Windows desktops and Linux servers, including GPU machines, that you reach from a browser or a desktop app. Machines are billed either by the hour while running or at a flat monthly rate. Paperspace is now part of DigitalOcean, and the same site also sells the Gradient machine-learning platform.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Paperspace, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You pick a machine type, billing mode and storage before you start.
- 1
Best for cloud desktops and GPU machines by the hour or month
Paperspace rents cloud desktops by the month and GPU machines by the hour, and it is now part of DigitalOcean.
- 2
Paid plans start at $22 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $22 per month for the Air desktop; hourly machines from $0.0045 per hour.
- 3
It runs on 4 platforms
Web, Windows, macOS and Linux.
- 4
Browser and desktop-app access
The vendor says its streaming technology works directly in a web browser, and Core also has a desktop app for Windows, Mac and Linux.
- 5
Hourly or monthly billing
Hourly machines pay a flat monthly fee for storage and access plus a per-hour rate while running. Monthly machines are a flat rate.
- 6
GPU machines
Machine types range from a P4000 at $0.51 per hour to an H100 at $3.09 per hour, with dedicated monthly GPU options listed.
- 7
A 1.8 GPA, above 6 of 85
That is against the other remote desktop apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
To replace Paperspace you would be making a fast, secure link to another computer through any network. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Paperspace at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid, from $22 per month for the Air desktop; hourly machines from $0.0045 per hour
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux
- Made by
- Paperspace (DigitalOcean)
- Category
- Remote Desktop
- Our grade
- 1.8 GPA, weak
The report card
Best for cloud desktops and GPU machines by the hour or month
Paperspace rents cloud desktops by the month and GPU machines by the hour, and it is now part of DigitalOcean. The Air desktop is $22 a month, hourly machines add a storage fee, and refunds aren't offered as a rule.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | Air desktop is $22 a month, above the category's $18 dearer-quarter line, rising to $120 for Pro. Hourly machines start at $0.0045 an hour. |
| Free plan and trial | F | No free plan and no trial is listed for the desktops on the pricing page. |
| Features | B | Browser and desktop-app access, hourly or monthly billing, GPU machines, team management and an API are listed. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. You pick a machine type, billing mode and storage before you start. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, Windows, Mac and Linux are listed, with an API and Jupyter Notebooks. No phone apps are listed. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Paperspace is for
- Fits if you need a GPU machine for design, video or machine learning
- Works for people who prefer paying by the hour
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you want a monthly desktop: Air is $22 and Pro is $120
- Watch out: hourly machines add a monthly storage fee, and its amount isn't on the pricing page
- Watch out: the pricing page lists no refunds, and exceptions go through a support ticket
- Watch out: the Gradient plan shows both $8 and $12 for Pro on the same page
- Tight if you want the wider GPU range, as the site points to DigitalOcean for it
Good to know
Good for
- Running a Windows desktop with a GPU for CAD or rendering
- Developers who need Linux machines billed by the hour
- Teams that want shared drives and a private network
Worth knowing
- The pricing page lists no refunds and says exceptional cases go through a support ticket.
- Hourly machines add a monthly storage fee on top of the running time; the fee amount is not on the pricing page.
- The Gradient machine-learning platform has its own plans, and its Pro plan shows both $8 and $12 per month on the same page.
- Paperspace is now part of DigitalOcean, and the site points to DigitalOcean for its wider GPU range.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$22
A month to start
Paperspace is a paid product, starting at $22 per month for the Air desktop; hourly machines from $0.0045 per hour.
No free plan and no trial is listed for the desktops on the pricing page.
Air desktop
$22
per month, flat rate for unlimited access
2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 512 MB GPU and 50 GB SSD, with a Windows license included.
Standard desktop
$35
per month, flat rate for unlimited access
4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 512 MB GPU and 50 GB SSD, for office work and browsing. Windows license included.
Advanced desktop
$65
per month, flat rate for unlimited access
6 vCPU, 16 GB RAM, 2 GB GPU and 50 GB SSD, for mid-range apps and 2D CAD. Windows license included.
Pro desktop
$120
per month, flat rate for unlimited access
8 vCPU, 32 GB RAM, 4 GB GPU and 50 GB SSD, for 3D CAD and Photoshop. Windows license included.
Read from paperspace.com on Nov 13, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Education
Education discount for Core
The Core page lists an education discount among its affordability points; the terms were not stated on the page.
Stated on paperspace.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
4
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows and Linux
Cloud desktops and GPU machines you rent by the hour or month. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI agents, remote desktop.
Browser and desktop-app access, hourly or monthly billing, GPU machines, team management and an API are listed.
- Browser and desktop-app access
- The vendor says its streaming technology works directly in a web browser, and Core also has a desktop app for Windows, Mac and Linux.
- Hourly or monthly billing
- Hourly machines pay a flat monthly fee for storage and access plus a per-hour rate while running. Monthly machines are a flat rate.
- GPU machines
- Machine types range from a P4000 at $0.51 per hour to an H100 at $3.09 per hour, with dedicated monthly GPU options listed.
- Team management
- Core for teams has user management, shared drives, private networking and IPsec VPN, with SAML SSO and consolidated billing listed for business.
- API
- A full API gives programmatic access to machines for scripted or larger workloads.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
What it works with
- Jupyter Notebooks
Paperspace is made by Paperspace (DigitalOcean).
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
6/85
Other remote desktop apps it is graded above
Paperspace's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 6 of the 85 other remote desktop apps we grade, and level with 6.
It stands best on features (B, above 55 of 85) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $22 a month, against a middle price of $8.33 for the category: 36 of the 44 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 5 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 86 remote desktop apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Paperspace’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 85
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 85
- BFeaturesAbove 55 of 85
- CEase of useAbove 10 of 85
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 28 of 85
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 59 remote desktop apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Paperspace is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Paperspace you would be making a fast, secure link to another computer through any network. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 73 of the 85 other remote desktop apps grade higher. It costs $264 a year.
What you could not
- A fast, secure link to another computer through any network.
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, Jupyter Notebooks among them, and has an API.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: single sign-on.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Paperspace’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Shadow PC, Vagon, Shells, Parsec and Cameyo
The 5 tools Paperspace is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 1.8GPA
Shadow PC
From $29.99/mo
A full Windows PC in the cloud for gaming and creative work.
- Only Shadow PC lists iOS and Android apps.
- 2.2GPA
Vagon
Free trial · from $7.99/mo
Cloud workstations with GPUs, billed by the minute.
- Only Paperspace lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Vagon also covers file sharing.
- 2.0GPA
Shells
From $14.95/mo
A personal cloud computer you open from any device.
- Only Paperspace lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Only Shells lists iOS and Android apps.
- Paperspace also covers AI agents.
- 2.6GPA
Parsec
Free plan · from $8.33/mo
Low-latency remote desktop for games and creative work.
- Parsec has a free plan. Paperspace does not.
- Only Parsec lists an Android app.
- Paperspace also covers AI agents.
- 1.6GPA
Cameyo
Paid
Virtual app delivery that serves Windows apps as web apps.
- Only Paperspace lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Paperspace also covers AI agents.
- Cameyo also covers file sharing.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Paperspace free?
No. Paperspace is a paid product, starting at $22 per month for the Air desktop; hourly machines from $0.0045 per hour.
How much does Paperspace cost?
Paperspace lists 4 plans. Air desktop: $22 per month, flat rate for unlimited access.
What platforms does Paperspace work on?
Paperspace is available on Web, Windows, macOS and Linux.
Does Paperspace offer any discounts?
Paperspace publicly lists the following: Education discount for Core.
Does Paperspace have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Paperspace is listed for Web, Windows, macOS and Linux.
Does Paperspace have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Paperspace is listed for Web, Windows, macOS and Linux.
Is Paperspace open source?
Paperspace is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Does Paperspace have an API?
Yes. Paperspace offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Paperspace integrate with?
Paperspace's listing names Jupyter Notebooks. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Paperspace have a student discount?
Education discount for Core. The Core page lists an education discount among its affordability points; the terms were not stated on the page.
Who makes Paperspace?
Paperspace is made by Paperspace (DigitalOcean).
What are the alternatives to Paperspace?
The closest alternatives to Paperspace in our directory are Shadow PC, Vagon, Shells, Parsec and Cameyo.
How does Paperspace compare with other remote desktop apps?
Paperspace's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 6 of the 85 other remote desktop apps we grade, and level with 6.
Is Paperspace good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Paperspace D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $22 a month, against a middle price of $8.33 for the category: 36 of the 44 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Paperspace?
To replace Paperspace you would be making a fast, secure link to another computer through any network.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Paperspace’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Paperspace's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Paperspace (DigitalOcean). Prices change, so check paperspace.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Paperspace, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/paperspace
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Paperspace: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/paperspace
Know someone choosing between remote desktop apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/paperspace/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded remote desktop apps after Paperspace, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Remote Desktop Insider's GuideEvery one of the 86 remote desktop apps we grade, compared
- Chrome Remote Desktop Insider's GuideGoogle's free remote access to your own computers from a browser3.2 GPA
- DWService Insider's GuideFree browser-based remote access to computers via an agent3.2 GPA
- HopToDesk Insider's GuideFree open-source remote desktop with a paid device dashboard3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Paperspace’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Paperspace is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Paperspace (DigitalOcean). Prices and plans change: check paperspace.com before you buy.