Compute backends
Every simulator and quantum computer you can run a Qollab project on, what each one costs, and how to choose between them.
When you run a project, the Select QPU dialog asks where it should execute. Every option falls into one of three groups, from free and instant to real quantum hardware.
The three groups
- Locally run simulators run in your browser through WebAssembly. They are free, start immediately, and never queue. This group includes a built-in simulator, an AWS Braket local simulator, and a set of simulators that carry the real noise models of IBM devices. Those let you see how a circuit behaves on noisy hardware without leaving your browser. They are simulations of those machines, not the machines themselves.
- Remotely run simulators run on IonQ's cloud rather than in your browser. They are also free, and they model IonQ's own Aria and Forte systems more closely than a local simulator can.
- Quantum computers are the real thing: physical IonQ hardware. Runs here consume credits, and a device is only available when it is online, so you may see one listed as offline.
Every backend
| Backend | Group | Qubits | Runs | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in simulator | Local simulator | 24 | In your browser | Free |
| AWS Braket local simulator | Local simulator | 25 | In your browser | Free |
| IBM Boston (Heron r3) | Local simulator, IBM noise model | 156 | In your browser | Free |
| IBM Kingston (Heron r2) | Local simulator, IBM noise model | 156 | In your browser | Free |
| IBM Pittsburgh (Heron r3) | Local simulator, IBM noise model | 156 | In your browser | Free |
| IBM Fez (Heron r2) | Local simulator, IBM noise model | 156 | In your browser | Free |
| IBM Marrakesh (Heron r2) | Local simulator, IBM noise model | 156 | In your browser | Free |
| IBM Miami (Nighthawk r1) | Local simulator, IBM noise model | 120 | In your browser | Free |
| IBM Aachen (Heron r3) | Local simulator, IBM noise model | 156 | In your browser | Free |
| IBM Berlin (Nighthawk r1) | Local simulator, IBM noise model | 120 | In your browser | Free |
| IonQ Aria 1 | Remote simulator | 25 | IonQ cloud | Free |
| IonQ Aria 2 | Remote simulator | 25 | IonQ cloud | Free |
| IonQ Forte 1 | Remote simulator | 36 | IonQ cloud | Free |
| IonQ Forte Enterprise 1 | Remote simulator | 36 | IonQ cloud | Free |
| IonQ Forte 1 | Quantum computer | 36 | IonQ hardware | Credits |
| IonQ Forte Enterprise 1 | Quantum computer | 36 | IonQ hardware | Credits |
The list of live machines changes as hardware comes online, so treat the dialog itself as the source of truth for what is available right now.
Which one to pick
- Writing or debugging a circuit? Start on the built-in simulator. It is free, instant, and enough to catch logic and syntax errors.
- Want to see noise before you spend anything? Run one of the IBM noise-model simulators or an IonQ remote simulator. Same circuit, a realistic picture of how a real device would answer.
- Ready for real hardware? Choose a quantum computer from the last group. This is the only group that uses credits, so verify your circuit on a simulator first.
Related
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