How to Get Free VPS with 96 Cores Using Google Colab

Google Colab is more than just a playground for machine learning. With a few simple steps, you can turn it into a free VPS with up to 96 cores by using TPU v2-8 or v3-8. This trick lets you run a web-based terminal through SSHX, giving you a powerful cloud server without spending a dime.

Step 1: Open Google Colab

Go to Google Colab.
Make sure you’re signed in with your Google account.
Click New Notebook to create a fresh notebook.

Step 2: Change Runtime to TPU

From the top menu, go to Runtime → Change runtime type.
Under Hardware accelerator, select TPU.
If the option appears, set TPU type to v2-8 (or v3-8 if available).
Click Save.

💡 Note: If TPU v2-8 is not available on your account, just select TPU. The SSH shell will still run inside the Colab VM.

Step 3: Add a Code Cell

Click + Code to insert a new cell.
Paste the following command:

!curl -sSf https://sshx.io/get | sh -s run

Run the cell by pressing the ▶️ play button on the left.

Step 4: Access the Free VPS

Once the command runs, you’ll see an SSHX link in the output.
Click the link to open a browser-based terminal.
You now have a free VPS with 96 cores running on Google’s infrastructure.

👉 Make sure to copy and save the link, as it gives you direct access to your Colab VM.

Final Notes

This VPS is temporary; it will shut down if the Colab session ends or times out.
Performance may vary depending on Google’s availability of TPU resources.
Great for testing, running scripts, or experimenting with cloud compute at zero cost.