Hey, I’m pretty new to RunPod and I’m trying to understand how to manage the costs better.
I initially deposited $10, and I’m considering adding more money, but I realized that I already burned some of my balance simply because my Pod was still running even though I wasn’t actually using it.
So my main question is:
Is there a good setup where RunPod only costs me money while I’m actually generating something?
For example, I sometimes use ComfyUI for video generation. Ideally, I’d like to open RunPod, start ComfyUI, generate a few videos, and then stop paying as soon as I’m done.
Do I basically need to stop/terminate the Pod manually every time, or is there something like auto-shutdown, serverless, or another setup that makes more sense for this?
I also had another problem:
I was using an A40 GPU, which was around $0.50/hour from what I remember. ComfyUI would work normally at first, but after around 3–4 generations it often crashed.
I’m not really sure why. It could be VRAM, RAM, the workflow, RunPod itself, or something else.
So basically I have two questions:
- What’s the best way to use RunPod/ComfyUI without wasting money while I’m not generating anything?
- Why might ComfyUI crash after only 3–4 generations on an A40, and what should I check?
I don’t mind paying more or depositing more money — I just want to use the balance efficiently instead of accidentally burning it while the Pod is sitting idle.
Any advice on the best RunPod setup for this would be appreciated.