ComputeFinder

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Buyer's checklist for compute

Questions to ask any compute provider before you commit: price and payment, egress, service levels, data residency, certifications, export controls and sanctions, and exit. Printable.

Print this page or save it as a PDF and take it into a call with a provider. The site header and footer are left out when printed, and each question gets a line for the answer.

Offer types differ: see ways to buy compute and the comparison of offer types for questions that matter most for each one. Words are explained in the glossary, for example egress, service level agreement and data residency.

Provider: ____________________ Offer type: ____________________ Date: ____________

Know what you need

  • Write down the workload: training, fine-tuning, inference, scientific computing or rendering.
  • Note the accelerator type, memory and number you need, and the network between machines.
  • Note the start date, how long you need it, and whether the work can be interrupted.
  • Decide which offer types fit, using the comparison of offer types.

Price and payment

  • Is this a listed price or a quote, and what unit is it for: per accelerator, per node, per token, per hour or per month?
  • What is included, and what is billed on top: storage, network, support, licences?
  • Is there a minimum spend, a minimum term or a deposit?

Egress and data transfer

  • What does it cost to move data out to the internet, to another region and to another provider?
  • Is traffic between your own machines or to storage charged?

Service levels

  • What does the service level agreement promise, for which service, and what does it exclude?
  • What do you get if it is broken: a credit, a replacement or nothing?
  • If capacity is reserved, is the start date guaranteed?
  • Can the provider interrupt the work, and with how much notice?

Data residency and access

  • In which country and facility will data be stored and processed, including backups and logs?
  • Which law governs the provider and its parent company?
  • Who can access the systems, from where, and who holds the encryption keys?
  • Are prompts, inputs or outputs stored or used to train models, and can you switch that off?

Security certifications

  • Which certifications does the provider hold, such as ISO 27001 or SOC 2, and do they cover the exact service and site you will use?
  • Can you read the audit reports, and when do they expire?
  • For a facility, is a tier rating for the design or for the built and operated site?

Export controls and sanctions

  • Do export controls limit the accelerators you want in your country or for your use?
  • Will the provider ask for an end-use or end-user statement, and are you able to give one?
  • Are the provider, its owners and its sites clear of sanctions that apply to you?

Exit

  • How do you get your data, models and configuration out, in what format, and how fast?
  • Can a reservation or contract be ended early, resized or passed on, and at what cost?
  • How are disks and data deleted at the end, and will you get written confirmation?

Before you sign

  • Get the answers in writing, attached to the contract.
  • Compare at least two offers on the same terms.
  • Ask a lawyer or procurement specialist to read the contract.

Related

Definitions and questions written in our own words, checked on 3 October 2026 and due for review by 3 January 2027. Sourced facts stay on the provider, programme and policy pages this page links to. This is general information to help you ask better questions. It is not legal, tax or procurement advice. For export controls, sanctions and contracts, check the primary rules and talk to a qualified adviser. Something wrong? Tell us.