SemiAnalysis - ClusterMAX™ 2.0: The Industry Standard GPU Cloud Rating System - November 2025

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The Industry Standard GPU Cloud Rating System

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Type

Open Source

Company

SemiAnalysis

Visit Website GitHub (38 stars)

About SemiAnalysis - ClusterMAX™ 2.0: The Industry Standard GPU Cloud Rating System - November 2025

ClusterMAX™ 2.0 is an independent, comprehensive rating system for GPU cloud providers (also known as 'neoclouds'), published by SemiAnalysis. This November 2025 update covers 84 providers, tracks 209 total providers, and incorporates interviews with over 140 end users. The system evaluates providers across 10 categories: security, lifecycle, orchestration, storage, networking, reliability, monitoring, pricing, partnerships, and availability. Providers are assigned tiers: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze. The article includes detailed analysis of key trends such as Slurm-on-Kubernetes, Blackwell GPU adoption, and AMD vs. NVIDIA quality gaps. A companion website, clustermax.ai, provides ongoing criteria and results. This edition is an upgrade from the March 2025 ClusterMAX 1.0 release.

Key Features

95% coverage by volume of GPU cloud market

84 providers rated across Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze tiers

209 total providers tracked

140+ end-user customers surveyed

Itemized criteria across 10 categories (security, lifecycle, orchestration, storage, networking, etc.)

Detailed analysis of key trends (Slurm-on-Kubernetes, Blackwell transition, AMD vs. NVIDIA quality)

Companion website clustermax.ai for ongoing criteria and results

Independent third-party evaluation based on extensive interviews

Pros & Cons

Pros

Comprehensive coverage of 84+ providers with detailed ratings
Independent and transparent evaluation criteria
Based on extensive interviews with over 140 actual end users
Regular updates reflecting industry changes (e.g., new GPUs, trends)
Companion website provides ongoing access to criteria and results

Cons

Article is behind a paid subscription on Substack (not fully free)
AMD cloud offerings generally found to be inferior to NVIDIA offerings
Ratings may not include all smaller or newer providers
Focused primarily on technical criteria; business or contractual aspects may be less emphasized

Best For

Evaluating and comparing GPU cloud providers for AI training and inference workloadsSelecting a neocloud based on technical criteria, pricing, and reliabilityUnderstanding market trends and competitive landscape in GPU cloud computingAssessing AMD vs. NVIDIA GPU cloud quality and feature availability

FAQ

What is ClusterMAX?

ClusterMAX is a GPU cloud rating system developed by SemiAnalysis. It evaluates neocloud providers across multiple criteria and assigns tiers (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) to help users select the best cloud for AI workloads.

How many providers are rated in ClusterMAX 2.0?

ClusterMAX 2.0 rates 84 providers and tracks 209 total providers, up from 26 and 169 in version 1.0.

What categories are used to evaluate providers?

Ten categories: security, lifecycle, orchestration, storage, networking, reliability, monitoring, pricing, partnerships, and availability.

Is there a website for ClusterMAX?

Yes, a companion website is available at clustermax.ai, providing current criteria, expectations, and results.

Who publishes ClusterMAX?

ClusterMAX is published by SemiAnalysis, an independent research newsletter covering the semiconductor and AI industries.