Salad.com

Salad.com is a decentralized compute-sharing network that allows users—primarily gamers—to earn money by sharing the idle power of their personal computers. With demand for compute infrastructure at an all-time high, Salad offers an innovative platform that turns consumer-grade GPUs and CPUs into valuable assets for powering AI workloads, rendering tasks, and other compute-intensive processes.

Rather than let gaming rigs sit idle, users can install the Salad desktop app and start contributing unused computing resources to Salad’s global workload pool. The platform then connects this aggregated capacity with enterprise customers needing GPU horsepower for AI training, inference, simulation, or 3D rendering.

Salad creates a win-win model where users earn rewards for their unused PC power, and businesses access affordable, elastic, and decentralized compute capacity.

Features

Salad.com offers a robust set of features for both users contributing compute and customers consuming it:

For Contributors (PC Owners)

• Easy-to-Use Desktop App
  Download and install the Salad app to start earning with minimal setup.

• GPU and CPU Workload Support
  Share both GPU and CPU resources depending on workload requirements.

• Real-Time Earnings Tracking
  See your current compute usage and earnings within the Salad dashboard.

• Flexible Payout Options
  Redeem earnings as PayPal cash, Visa gift cards, Discord Nitro, Steam credit, and more.

• Idle-Time Detection
  Automatically runs only when your PC is idle or below usage thresholds.

• Privacy and Security Focused
  Salad uses secure containers to isolate workloads and prevent data access or tampering.

For Customers (Compute Buyers)

• Affordable Distributed Compute
  Tap into GPU capacity at a fraction of the cost of cloud providers.

• Elastic Scaling
  Rapidly scale workloads across a global, decentralized network.

• Workload Types Supported
  Ideal for AI inference, distributed rendering, data processing, and video encoding.

• Developer-Friendly Integration
  Access SaladCloud via API and manage jobs through a RESTful interface.

How It Works

Salad makes it easy for both sides—contributors and consumers—to engage with decentralized compute.

For PC Owners:

1. Download the Salad App
   Available for Windows; install and create an account.

2. Configure Settings
   Choose your idle-time preferences, earning options, and payout method.

3. Start Sharing Compute
   When idle, your PC will begin running verified workloads.

4. Earn Rewards
   Track and redeem your earnings directly in the app.

For Workload Consumers:

1. Sign Up for SaladCloud
   Create an account to submit AI inference, rendering, or compute jobs.

2. Submit Jobs via API
   Send workloads through Salad’s job scheduler and access a global network of contributors.

3. Monitor Job Performance
   Track job progress, status, and completion metrics via the web interface.

4. Scale as Needed
   Ramp up compute access instantly without provisioning traditional cloud infrastructure.

Use Cases

Salad is designed to serve multiple types of users and applications:

For PC Owners:

• Gamers
  Monetize high-end gaming PCs during downtime.

• Content Creators
  Earn passive income while editing or rendering isn’t in progress.

• Tech Enthusiasts
  Run Salad on test rigs or home servers for rewards.

For Businesses:

• AI Inference at Scale
  Access GPU compute for running LLMs or vision models on-demand.

• Rendering & Encoding
  Distribute CGI rendering or video encoding workloads across hundreds of machines.

• Scientific Research
  Run decentralized simulations or data analysis workflows.

• Startup AI Companies
  Save on GPU costs by leveraging Salad’s compute network for early-stage experiments.

Pricing

Salad uses a dual-sided model:

For Contributors:

• Free to Use
  No setup fees or subscriptions. Contributors earn based on compute provided and current demand.

• Earnings Potential
  Varies depending on GPU/CPU, workload type, and hours contributed. High-end GPUs can earn $30–$100+/month.

For Customers:

• Usage-Based Billing
  Pricing depends on:

  • GPU type (e.g., RTX 3060, 3080, 4090)

  • Task complexity and duration

  • Regional availability

• Custom Quotes
  Businesses can request custom SLAs and bulk pricing based on workload needs via SaladCloud.

Strengths

Salad.com has several standout strengths:

• Utilizes Idle Consumer Hardware
  Turns existing, depreciated hardware into a monetizable resource.

• Low Barrier to Entry
  No technical expertise required to start earning.

• Scalable Infrastructure for AI Workloads
  Offers on-demand GPU access without long provisioning times.

• Community-Powered Model
  Over 400,000+ users globally contributing compute power.

• Secure Workload Isolation
  Uses containerization and virtualization to ensure contributor safety.

• Multiple Earnings Options
  Appeals to a wide audience with flexible payout choices.

Drawbacks

While innovative, Salad may not be suitable for everyone:

• Windows-Only Contributor App
  Currently, contributors need a Windows-based PC to run the app.

• Variable Earnings
  Income depends on demand and hardware capability—lower-end PCs may see minimal rewards.

• No Control Over Workload Type
  Contributors trust Salad to manage what kinds of jobs run on their machines.

• Enterprise-Level SLAs Still Growing
  SaladCloud is relatively new, and may not match AWS or GCP in compliance or long-term guarantees.

Comparison with Other Tools

Salad.com competes and complements other platforms in unique ways:

• Versus NiceHash
  NiceHash focuses on crypto mining. Salad supports a broader range of compute jobs, including AI and rendering.

• Versus AWS/GCP/Azure
  Salad offers more affordable and decentralized compute, but lacks full cloud services like storage, databases, and IAM.

• Versus RunPod/Lambda Labs
  Salad is built for ultra-low-cost, community-powered compute—not just GPU rentals.

• Versus Folding@Home or BOINC
  Those are non-commercial distributed computing platforms. Salad adds a monetization layer and enterprise use cases.

Salad excels as a decentralized, plug-and-play compute platform for users and businesses alike.

Customer Reviews and Testimonials

Salad has an enthusiastic community and growing enterprise presence:

• “I earn enough each month to cover my Netflix and game subscriptions—just by leaving my PC on.” – Salad Contributor

• “We used SaladCloud to run AI inference jobs across thousands of distributed GPUs—at a fraction of our AWS bill.” – Startup CTO

• “Setup took five minutes. Now my GPU earns money while I sleep.” – PC Enthusiast

• “Salad helped us prototype our AI product without breaking our budget.” – ML Engineer

The platform has also been featured in tech media for its innovative take on decentralized compute.

Conclusion

Salad.com is reimagining how compute resources are shared, monetized, and consumed. By turning idle gaming rigs into powerful nodes for AI workloads, Salad creates a community-driven compute network that benefits both contributors and businesses.

For users, it’s a seamless way to earn money from unused PC power. For businesses, it’s a scalable and affordable infrastructure alternative for compute-heavy tasks.