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navigator
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A Python-based open-source framework and managed service offering the most detailed and transparent dataset on cloud servers.
Open Data
Python
Benchmarks
Real-time pricing

We run low-level hardware inspection tools and diverse benchmarks on thousands of cloud server options across clouds to collect reliable and reproducible data. Everything is published under open licenses as Python packages, public datasets, API endpoints, and SDKs — making it easy to search, analyze, and integrate.

The Spare Cores Navigator is not just about data. It's a full platform: open-source code, interactive data visualizations, and managed infrastructure. For teams that need SLA-backed support or custom features, enterprise-grade services are available too.

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extract_transform_load
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Here are some key highlights regarding the information we currently cover.
SQL query to show statistics on the Spare Cores inventory and update frequency
7 (out of 10 planned) vendors
540 availability zones
5,550 server types
2,250,285 benchmark scores
542,771 live price records
~5k records updated hourly
100M+ historical records
Tracked every 5 mins.
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fun_facts
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The most expensive server costs over $250 per hour. It comes with 448 vCPUs and 24TB RAM.
Most regions have 3 independent zones.
Some are single-zone, and one have 6 zones.
While spot prices are relatively stable nowadays, they can still fluctuate by up to 10% within a day.
There is a 2500x performance difference between the fastest and slowest nodes.
Some vendors charge 6+ times the price of a public IPv4 address compared to others.
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resource_optimization
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Only 3 Steps to optimize your compute resources
Screenshot of the server listing page, focusing on the filter elements in the sidebar
1
Step
Define Your Needs
Utilize our platform's dozens of filters to precisely outline your workload requirements, specifying details like number of vCPUs, amount of memory/storage, or GPU options.
Screenshot of the server listing page, focusing on the search results, showing 3 instance records in a table
2
Step
Find Optimal Resource
Let Spare Cores narrow down 5,000+ server types and 500,000 pricing options based on your criteria. We prioritize cost efficiency, presenting you with optimal choices.
Running the SC runner CLI tool to start a t4g.nano instance
3
Step
Deploy with Ease
Use our CLI tool to launch the selected instance in your cloud environment. Our streamlined process ensures it is up and running without unnecessary complexities.
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project_components
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The status and brief descriptions of the
Spare Cores Navigator components:
COMPONENTLICENSEREFERENCESDESCRIPTION
RunnerMPL 2.0Python logoPulumi wrapper to launch instances across clouds.
InspectorMPL 2.0Python tools to inspect and benchmark cloud servers.
Inspector DataCC BY-SA 4.0Raw hardware information and benchmark results.
CrawlerMPL 2.0Python logoCloud vendor API and Inspector Data integrations.
Crawler DataCC BY-SA 4.0JSON dumps of collected cloud resource information.
DatabaseBSL 1.1SQLite database dump of current cloud resource information.
Data WrapperMPL 2.0Python logoPython package for easy integration of the Database.
HTTP APIMPL 2.0API logoProgrammatic access to the Database.
Web UIMPL 2.0WWW logoWeb frontend for human access to the Database.

To make the Spare Cores Navigator available to the community, our software components are licensed under MPL 2.0 and all raw collected data under CC BY-SA 4.0. For deep production integrations and enterprise reliability, we offer commercial API and database access, expert support, and consulting services.

<spare_cores> is 100% committed to using and contributing to open-source!
The Spare Cores Navigator is the successor to cloudperf, an AWS-focused open-source project for exploring spot prices and stress-ng benchmarks, which we started in 2017. This next-generation framework was launched in Q3 of 2023 and gained momentum in 2024, particularly due to the support from NGI Search funding.
Banner image showing NGI (Next Generation Internet) funding for the SC (Spare Cores) project
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testimonials
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What the community is saying about the Spare Cores Navigator:
This is super cool. The folks at @SpareCores built something that compares compute, storage, and transit across multiple providers, creating more transparency into cloud infra pricing. 💯
— Mike Julian, CEO @ The Duckbill Group via Twitter/X
Spare Cores is straight-up crushing it! 💥 Turning a €150K grant into a killer cloud price tool with just 3 people? That’s some big-brain, lean-team energy. Props to this squad for making it happen! 👏
— Simone Nogara, Cloud Architect @ European Commission via LinkedIn
Thanks for publishing all the instance information! I had wanted to try and pull together the trends of vCPU vs local storage size, but manually digging up instance information on websites was an absurd hassle. Now it's a SQL query!
— Database Internals Engineer (ex Google, Apple, Snowflake) via email
I really liked the idea of Spare Cores because pricing comparison across cloud providers is increasingly useful.
— Gergely Orosz @ The Pragmatic Engineer via The Pulse newsletter
Honestly, you’re doing something the industry has been missing for too long—and doing it brilliantly.
— FinOps Engineer via email
I'm impressed by what a useful tool this tiny team built purely from a modest EU grant.
— Gergely Orosz @ The Pragmatic Engineer via The Pulse newsletter