A detailed comparison of AirGPU and EVERESTGAMES to help you understand the differences between pay-per-use and subscription-based cloud gaming models.
Cloud gaming services have evolved to offer diverse pricing models and performance options, catering to different user needs and usage patterns. AirGPU and EVERESTGAMES represent two distinct approaches to cloud gaming infrastructure, with AirGPU focusing on pay-as-you-go billing and EVERESTGAMES offering hybrid subscription models with included gameplay hours. This comparison examines their pricing structures, hardware capabilities, global infrastructure, and target use cases to help you select the optimal service.
AirGPU operates as a pure pay-as-you-go cloud gaming service, requiring no monthly subscriptions or long-term commitments. Users purchase credits upfront, which are consumed based on hourly usage of virtual machines. The service operates from 22 data center locations worldwide, providing extensive global coverage across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. AirGPU supports gaming, rendering, video editing, VR applications, and other GPU-intensive workloads through various hardware configurations ranging from entry-level to premium performance tiers.
EVERESTGAMES combines subscription-based plans with flexible usage options, offering three main tiers that include monthly gameplay hour allocations. The service operates from seven strategic data center locations across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, focusing on providing low-latency access to users in these regions. EVERESTGAMES supports similar use cases to AirGPU, including gaming, rendering, video editing, and VR applications, with explicit prohibition of cryptocurrency mining activities.
The fundamental difference lies in billing philosophy. AirGPU charges only for active machine usage time, making it ideal for users with sporadic or unpredictable usage patterns. EVERESTGAMES provides included gameplay hours within subscriptions, with additional hours available at tier-specific rates, creating a hybrid model that combines subscription predictability with usage-based flexibility.
AirGPU's pricing structure centers on hourly rates that vary by GPU tier and configuration. The entry-level Tesla T4 configuration, equivalent to GTX 1080 performance, costs approximately $0.65 per hour with 4 virtual CPU cores and 16 GB of RAM. Mid-tier options include the L4 GPU at around $0.90 per hour, providing RTX 4060-equivalent performance with 8 vCPUs and 32 GB of RAM. High-end configurations feature the A10G GPU at approximately $1.05 per hour for RTX 3080-level performance, and the premium L40S GPU at about $1.20 per hour for RTX 4080-equivalent capabilities. Storage costs $3.50 per month for each 50 GB of SSD storage, and users may need to provide their own Windows licenses or pay additional licensing fees.
EVERESTGAMES offers three subscription tiers with included gameplay hours. The Bronze plan costs $16.99 per month and includes 10 hours of gameplay with GTX 1080 performance, 4 CPU cores, 16 GB of RAM, and 100 GB of storage. Additional hours beyond the included allocation cost $0.99 each. The Silver plan at $29.99 per month provides 15 hours of gameplay with RTX 4060 performance, 8 CPU cores, 32 GB of RAM, and 100 GB storage, with additional hours priced at $1.99. The Gold tier costs $66.99 per month and includes 20 hours of gameplay with RTX 3080 performance, 8 CPU cores, 32 GB of RAM, and 100 GB storage, with extra hours costing $2.99 each. Additional storage costs $4.80 per 50 GB increment per month.
For users who play exactly 20 hours per month, AirGPU's cheapest configuration would cost $13.00 for compute time plus $7.00 for 100 GB storage, totaling $20.00 excluding taxes. EVERESTGAMES's Bronze plan would cost $16.99 plus $9.90 for 10 additional hours, totaling $26.89. However, AirGPU's costs scale linearly with usage, meaning 40 hours would cost $26.00 plus storage, while EVERESTGAMES's Bronze plan would cost $16.99 plus $29.70 for 30 additional hours, totaling $46.69. This demonstrates that AirGPU becomes more cost-effective for very light usage, while EVERESTGAMES provides better value for users who stay within or slightly exceed their included hour allocations.
AirGPU offers extensive hardware configuration options across multiple GPU series. The Nvidia Datacenter Series includes Tesla T4, L4, A10G, and L40S GPUs, while the Nvidia RTX Series provides Quadro RTX 4000, RTX A4000, and RTX A5000 options in North America. Base configurations typically include 4 to 8 virtual CPU cores and 16 to 32 GB of RAM, with options to double CPU and RAM allocations for additional hourly fees. The service supports ray tracing on L4, A10G, and L40S configurations, with streaming quality up to 4K resolution depending on the selected GPU tier.
EVERESTGAMES provides three fixed hardware configurations aligned with subscription tiers. The Bronze tier features GTX 1080 graphics, 4 CPU cores, and 16 GB of RAM, optimized for 1080p gaming at 60 FPS. The Silver tier upgrades to RTX 4060 performance with 8 CPU cores and 32 GB of RAM, designed for 1440p gaming at 60 FPS with ray tracing support. The Gold tier delivers RTX 3080-level performance with 8 CPU cores and 32 GB of RAM, capable of 4K gaming at 60 FPS with full ray tracing capabilities. All tiers maintain consistent 100 GB base storage allocations.
AirGPU's flexible configuration options allow users to select precisely the performance level they need for each session, potentially saving costs by using lower-tier GPUs for less demanding games. EVERESTGAMES's fixed configurations simplify decision-making but offer less granular control over hardware specifications. Both services provide sufficient performance for modern gaming, with AirGPU offering more premium options through L40S configurations and EVERESTGAMES focusing on well-balanced mid-to-high-tier setups.
AirGPU maintains the most extensive global infrastructure among major cloud gaming providers, operating from 22 data center locations worldwide. North American coverage includes facilities in New York, Northern California, Ohio, and other strategic locations. European operations span Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Paris, and Stockholm. Asia-Pacific coverage encompasses Mumbai, Seoul, Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Sydney. The service also maintains data centers in Bahrain and UAE for Middle Eastern coverage, and Cape Town for African operations. This extensive network ensures low-latency access for users across most populated regions globally.
EVERESTGAMES operates from seven data center locations strategically positioned across three major regions. North American infrastructure includes Northern Virginia and Oregon facilities. European coverage spans Frankfurt and London, while Asia Pacific operations include Mumbai, Sydney, and Tokyo. This focused approach ensures optimal performance and low latency for users in these regions, though coverage remains more limited than AirGPU's global network.
For users in regions covered by both services, AirGPU's multiple data center options may provide slightly lower latency through geographic optimization. Users in areas only covered by AirGPU, such as parts of Asia, Middle East, or Africa, have no alternative through EVERESTGAMES. However, EVERESTGAMES's focused infrastructure may provide more consistent performance and reliability within its covered regions due to concentrated optimization efforts.
AirGPU requires users to set up their own streaming solutions, typically using Parsec or Moonlight for remote desktop access. This approach provides flexibility and allows users to customize streaming settings, bitrates, and quality parameters according to their preferences and network conditions. The service supports streaming up to 4K resolution on higher-tier GPU configurations, with quality and performance dependent on both the selected GPU tier and the user's streaming software configuration. AirGPU also offers a "spare capacity" mode that provides approximately 50 percent discounts but risks disconnection if capacity requirements change.
EVERESTGAMES provides integrated streaming solutions optimized for each subscription tier. The service offers tier-specific data transfer rates, with Bronze plans providing 15 Mbps, Silver plans delivering 25 Mbps, and Gold plans offering 45 Mbps. These allocations are optimized for the respective resolution and performance targets of each tier, ensuring users receive appropriate bandwidth without over-provisioning. EVERESTGAMES handles streaming infrastructure management, reducing setup complexity compared to AirGPU's self-service approach.
AirGPU's self-service streaming model appeals to users who want control over streaming parameters and are comfortable configuring Parsec or Moonlight. EVERESTGAMES's managed streaming approach suits users who prefer simplicity and want streaming optimized automatically for their subscription tier. Both approaches can deliver excellent results, with AirGPU offering more customization and EVERESTGAMES providing greater convenience.
AirGPU charges $3.50 per month for each 50 GB increment of SSD storage, allowing users to scale storage precisely to their needs. The service maintains persistent storage, ensuring games, applications, and files remain available between sessions. Users can add or remove storage allocations as needed, paying only for the storage they use. This model provides flexibility but requires active management to optimize costs, especially for users with varying storage requirements over time.
EVERESTGAMES includes 100 GB of base storage with all subscription tiers, with additional storage available at $4.80 per 50 GB increment per month. This pricing is slightly higher than AirGPU's storage rates, though the included 100 GB base allocation may offset this difference for users who need moderate storage amounts. Like AirGPU, EVERESTGAMES maintains persistent storage and allows users to scale storage allocations based on their needs.
For users requiring minimal storage, AirGPU's lower per-GB pricing provides cost advantages, especially if they can operate with less than 100 GB. Users who need exactly 100 GB benefit from EVERESTGAMES's included allocation, while those requiring significantly more storage may find AirGPU's lower rates more economical at scale. Both services support external storage solutions and cloud storage integration for additional file management flexibility.
AirGPU typically requires users to provide their own Windows licenses or pay additional fees for Windows licensing. The service supports installation of any software, games, or applications compatible with the virtual machine environment. Users must manage operating system updates, security configurations, and software installations independently. This approach provides maximum flexibility but requires more technical knowledge and ongoing maintenance from users.
EVERESTGAMES operates on Linux with Proton compatibility, enabling support for the vast majority of Windows games through Steam's Proton compatibility layer. The service handles operating system management, updates, and maintenance, reducing user burden compared to AirGPU's self-managed approach. EVERESTGAMES supports games from Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, and other platforms that work with Linux or Proton, though some Windows-only games with specific anti-cheat systems may have compatibility limitations.
AirGPU's Windows-based approach provides broader software compatibility, especially for applications that require Windows-specific features or cannot run through compatibility layers. EVERESTGAMES's Linux-based system offers lower overhead, potentially better performance for supported games, and reduced licensing costs, though with some compatibility trade-offs. Users requiring specific Windows applications or games incompatible with Proton may prefer AirGPU, while users primarily focused on gaming may appreciate EVERESTGAMES's optimized Linux environment.
AirGPU excels for users with highly variable or unpredictable usage patterns. The pay-as-you-go model eliminates monthly subscription commitments, making it ideal for users who may not use cloud gaming services for extended periods. The service suits users who need premium GPU performance for specific projects or occasional high-intensity workloads, as they can spin up powerful configurations only when needed. AirGPU's extensive global infrastructure also appeals to users who travel frequently or require access from multiple regions worldwide.
EVERESTGAMES targets users who want predictable monthly costs combined with usage flexibility. The subscription model with included gameplay hours works well for casual to moderate gamers who typically stay within or slightly exceed their monthly allocations. The service appeals to users who prefer managed infrastructure and integrated streaming solutions, reducing setup complexity and technical requirements. EVERESTGAMES's focused regional coverage suits users primarily operating within North America, Europe, or Asia Pacific.
Both services work well for users avoiding hardware investments, accessing powerful computing resources from multiple devices, or requiring GPU capabilities for gaming and creative workloads. AirGPU provides better economics for very light users or those with sporadic usage, while EVERESTGAMES offers superior value for users who consistently use 15 to 25 hours monthly within their subscription tier allocations.
AirGPU's spare capacity mode offers significant cost savings, approximately 50 percent off standard rates, but introduces the risk of disconnection if capacity requirements change. This option suits users who can tolerate potential interruptions and want to minimize costs. The service also allows users to create multiple virtual machines in different data centers, useful for travelers or users requiring region-specific access.
EVERESTGAMES provides tier-specific data transfer rates optimized for each performance level, ensuring users receive appropriate bandwidth without paying for unnecessary capacity. The service's integrated approach reduces setup time and technical complexity, making it more accessible to users less comfortable with self-service configuration. EVERESTGAMES's explicit prohibition of cryptocurrency mining helps maintain service availability and performance for intended use cases.
Both services require stable internet connections for optimal performance, with AirGPU recommending minimum 10 Mbps download and 2 Mbps upload speeds, and EVERESTGAMES providing tier-specific bandwidth allocations. Users with slower connections may experience better results with EVERESTGAMES's lower-tier plans, which require less bandwidth, while users with high-speed connections can take full advantage of either service's capabilities.
AirGPU and EVERESTGAMES represent complementary approaches to cloud gaming, each optimized for different usage patterns and user preferences. AirGPU's pay-as-you-go model provides maximum flexibility and cost-effectiveness for users with sporadic or unpredictable usage. The service's extensive global infrastructure ensures low-latency access from 22 data center locations worldwide, making it ideal for users who travel frequently or require access from multiple regions. AirGPU's self-service approach appeals to technically-oriented users who want control over streaming configurations and hardware selections.
EVERESTGAMES offers a balanced hybrid model combining subscription predictability with usage-based flexibility. The service provides well-optimized hardware configurations across three tiers, with included gameplay hours that create cost advantages for users who stay within their allocations. EVERESTGAMES's managed infrastructure and integrated streaming solutions reduce setup complexity, making the service more accessible to users who prefer simplicity over customization. The focused regional coverage ensures excellent performance for users in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
The optimal choice depends on individual usage patterns, technical comfort level, geographic location, and specific performance requirements. AirGPU suits users who play infrequently, need premium performance occasionally, or require global access from multiple regions. EVERESTGAMES works better for users who play regularly, prefer managed infrastructure, or want predictable monthly costs with included gameplay hours. Both services deliver quality cloud gaming experiences, and the decision ultimately comes down to aligning service characteristics with personal preferences and usage patterns.
