Here’s the mistake most first-time GPU hosts make: they see an RTX 4090 listed at $0.51/hr on a marketplace and assume that money lands in their pocket.
It doesn’t.
Every decentralized GPU marketplace takes a cut. The only question is how, and how much. This guide shows you exactly how Vast.ai and Clore.ai charge you, so you can price your hardware and model your GPU hosting ROI with real numbers instead of sticker prices.
💡 Quick Answer: On Vast.ai, divide list price by 1.25 to get your net. On Clore.ai, subtract 5–20% at settlement. Then subtract idle power. What’s left is your real income.
1. Vast.ai: The Renter Pays 25% More Than You Earn
Vast.ai host fees don’t work like a traditional commission. Instead:
- You set your base price as a host.
- The platform adds its own surcharge before showing the listing to renters.
- The result: The renter almost always pays about 25% more than you earn.
The math is one line: Your rate ≈ renter price ÷ 1.25
Example: If the median renter price for an RTX 4090 is $0.51/hr (Vast.ai, collected 2026-10-13), your estimated take-home is $0.41/hr.
⚠️ Note: The 1.25 figure is a platform-stated average, not a fixed rule. That’s why our Hosting Calculator lets you change it.
Payout Note
Vast.ai pays hosts in fiat USD, but the exact payout provider options on their host page are partially truncated. We list this as pending verification rather than confirmed.
👉 Review official host guidelines directly on the Vast.ai Hosting Documentation.
2. Clore.ai: You Set the Price, Fees Come Off at Settlement
Clore.ai host fees work the other way around:
- The price shown on the marketplace is your base price — nothing hidden.
- Fees are deducted when the contract settles.
- Rules are outlined in the official Clore.ai Host Fee Schedule.
Fee Structure:
| Fee Type | Rate |
|---|---|
| Platform commission (On-Demand) | 5% |
| Platform commission (Spot) | 1.25% |
| Surcharge for BTC/USDT/USDC payments | +15% |
Two Quick Examples (Using $0.57/hr Clore Median):
| Payment Method | Calculation | You Keep |
|---|---|---|
| Renter pays in CLORE | $0.57 × 0.95 | $0.54/hr |
| Renter pays in USDT | $0.57 × 0.80 | $0.46/hr |
🚨 One more thing most hosts miss: Earnings settle in CLORE tokens, not dollars. If CLORE drops 10% between payout and cash-out, that’s another silent fee. Factor it in.
3. Take Rates Side by Side
| Platform | How the Cut Works | You Keep | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vast.ai | Renter price includes ~25% surcharge | ~80% of list price | Fiat USD (providers pending verification) |
| Clore.ai | Commission deducted at settlement | 80–95% of list price (depends on currency) | CLORE (crypto price risk) |
👉 Run your own hardware through both models in our Hosting Calculator — the fee structure alone can flip which platform wins for your setup. For a full comparison of Vast.ai and Clore.ai fee structures, read our platform comparison guide.
4. What This Looks Like Per GPU
Using median On-Demand renter prices collected 2026-10-12/13:
| GPU | Vast.ai List Price | Vast.ai Host Net (÷1.25) | Clore.ai Host Net (worst case) |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 4090 | $0.51/hr | $0.41/hr | $0.46/hr |
| RTX 3090 | $0.20/hr | $0.16/hr | $0.20/hr |
| H100 SXM | $3.59/hr | $2.87/hr | No current offers |
Two Things Worth Noticing:
- The same card can net more on Clore.ai than Vast.ai even after the heavier fee — but only if demand exists for it there. Clore currently shows no H100 offers.
- “List price” and “net rate” track each other proportionally — a card that looks 2x better on paper is usually ~2x better in your pocket too.
👉 See live figures in our Market Rates Table. To see how this affects an RTX 4090 specifically, read our RTX 4090 Profitability Guide.
5. The Fee Nobody Quotes: Idle Power
Every calculation above assumes the card is rented. When it isn’t, it still sits there drawing power.
In our standard model:
- Idle draw = 15% of full TDP
- At 60% utilization over a month, idle draw adds roughly 10–15% on top of your electricity bill
Hosts who ignore this systematically overestimate their payback period. Read our Idle Power Factor Guide for the full breakdown.
👉 The full formula, including the idle term, is on our Methodology Page.
6. Frequently Asked Questions
Is the marketplace list price the same as host income?
No. On Vast.ai, the list price includes a ~25% surcharge (divide by 1.25 to estimate your rate). On Clore.ai, 5–20% comes off at settlement depending on contract type and payment currency. Always calculate with net rates.
Which marketplace pays hosts more?
It depends on the card and the renter’s payment method:
- Consumer GPUs (4090, 3090): Clore.ai’s list prices are currently higher, but you take on CLORE settlement risk.
- Vast.ai: Deeper demand and fiat payouts.
- Many hosts list on both to maximize utilization.
Can I still list on RunPod as an individual?
No — RunPod’s Community Cloud host program is confirmed closed to new hosts (checked 2026-10-09). RunPod prices in our tables are renter reference only. See Host Eligibility by Platform for the full picture.
How do I calculate my net GPU hosting rate?
- For Vast.ai: Net rate = List price ÷ 1.25
- For Clore.ai (paid in CLORE): Net rate = List price × 0.95
- For Clore.ai (paid in USDT): Net rate = List price × 0.80
Then subtract electricity costs, including idle draw.
Does idle power really matter for GPU hosting ROI?
Yes. At 60% utilization, idle draw adds 10–15% to your electricity bill. Over a year, that can erase months of profit. Always include it in your model.
Why do some GPUs show “no current offers” on Clore.ai?
Clore.ai has a smaller, crypto-native renter base. High-end enterprise GPUs like the H100 SXM often have no demand there, even if consumer cards (4090, 3090) do well.
7. Sources & Official Documentation
- Vast.ai Host Earnings Article — renter prices ~25% above host earnings (checked 2026-10-09)
- Clore.ai Host Fee Schedule Docs — 5% On-Demand / 1.25% Spot / +15% non-CLORE payments (checked 2026-10-09)
- Market Rates Table — median asking price per GPU-hour, On-Demand offers, collected 2026-10-12/13
- Hosting Calculator — net payout estimator
- Methodology Page — full formula including idle term
- Host Eligibility by Platform — platform-by-platform host rules
Written by the GPUEARN Research Team. We collect GPU rental prices from marketplace APIs daily, publish every figure with its collection date and verification status, and never accept payment for rankings.
⚠️ Verify every number against your own electricity rate before buying hardware.
Last updated: October 24, 2026