[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":409},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-docs\u002Fcompute-backends":3,"sibling-dives-docs\u002Fcompute-backends":407,"learn-track-docs\u002Fcompute-backends":408},{"id":4,"title":5,"authors":6,"body":7,"breadcrumb":6,"builders":6,"byline":6,"category":389,"categoryName":390,"challenge":6,"courseAuthor":6,"courseLead":6,"dek":6,"description":391,"draft":392,"extension":393,"eyebrow":6,"featured":392,"finish":6,"fork":6,"hero":6,"heroAlt":6,"heroCta":6,"heroImage":6,"homepageFeatured":392,"kind":394,"lessonCount":6,"meta":395,"navigation":396,"newsItems":6,"next":6,"ogImage":6,"order":397,"outcomes":6,"path":398,"publishDate":399,"readingTime":6,"related":400,"relatedProjects":6,"seo":401,"stem":404,"tags":405,"track":6,"trackName":6,"__hash__":406},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Flearn\u002Fdocs\u002Fcompute-backends.md","Compute backends",null,{"type":8,"value":9,"toc":382},"minimark",[10,19,26,31,61,65,314,317,321,357,361],[11,12,13,14,18],"p",{},"When you run a project, the ",[15,16,17],"strong",{},"Select QPU"," dialog asks where it should execute. Every option falls into one of three groups, from free and instant to real quantum hardware.",[20,21],"blog-figure",{"alt":22,"caption":23,"no":24,"src":25},"The Select QPU dialog, grouped into locally run simulators, remotely run simulators, and quantum computers.","The Select QPU dialog. Simulators are free; only the hardware group spends credits.","","\u002F_content\u002Fimages\u002Fdocs\u002Fselect-qpu.webp",[27,28,30],"h2",{"id":29},"the-three-groups","The three groups",[32,33,34,45,51],"ul",{},[35,36,37,40,41,44],"li",{},[15,38,39],{},"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 ",[15,42,43],{},"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.",[35,46,47,50],{},[15,48,49],{},"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.",[35,52,53,56,57,60],{},[15,54,55],{},"Quantum computers"," are the real thing: physical IonQ hardware. Runs here ",[15,58,59],{},"consume credits",", and a device is only available when it is online, so you may see one listed as offline.",[27,62,64],{"id":63},"every-backend","Every backend",[66,67,68,90],"table",{},[69,70,71],"thead",{},[72,73,74,78,81,84,87],"tr",{},[75,76,77],"th",{},"Backend",[75,79,80],{},"Group",[75,82,83],{},"Qubits",[75,85,86],{},"Runs",[75,88,89],{},"Cost",[91,92,93,111,125,140,153,166,179,192,206,219,232,247,260,274,287,302],"tbody",{},[72,94,95,99,102,105,108],{},[96,97,98],"td",{},"Built-in simulator",[96,100,101],{},"Local simulator",[96,103,104],{},"24",[96,106,107],{},"In your browser",[96,109,110],{},"Free",[72,112,113,116,118,121,123],{},[96,114,115],{},"AWS Braket local simulator",[96,117,101],{},[96,119,120],{},"25",[96,122,107],{},[96,124,110],{},[72,126,127,130,133,136,138],{},[96,128,129],{},"IBM Boston (Heron r3)",[96,131,132],{},"Local simulator, IBM noise model",[96,134,135],{},"156",[96,137,107],{},[96,139,110],{},[72,141,142,145,147,149,151],{},[96,143,144],{},"IBM Kingston (Heron r2)",[96,146,132],{},[96,148,135],{},[96,150,107],{},[96,152,110],{},[72,154,155,158,160,162,164],{},[96,156,157],{},"IBM Pittsburgh (Heron r3)",[96,159,132],{},[96,161,135],{},[96,163,107],{},[96,165,110],{},[72,167,168,171,173,175,177],{},[96,169,170],{},"IBM Fez (Heron r2)",[96,172,132],{},[96,174,135],{},[96,176,107],{},[96,178,110],{},[72,180,181,184,186,188,190],{},[96,182,183],{},"IBM Marrakesh (Heron r2)",[96,185,132],{},[96,187,135],{},[96,189,107],{},[96,191,110],{},[72,193,194,197,199,202,204],{},[96,195,196],{},"IBM Miami (Nighthawk r1)",[96,198,132],{},[96,200,201],{},"120",[96,203,107],{},[96,205,110],{},[72,207,208,211,213,215,217],{},[96,209,210],{},"IBM Aachen (Heron r3)",[96,212,132],{},[96,214,135],{},[96,216,107],{},[96,218,110],{},[72,220,221,224,226,228,230],{},[96,222,223],{},"IBM Berlin (Nighthawk r1)",[96,225,132],{},[96,227,201],{},[96,229,107],{},[96,231,110],{},[72,233,234,237,240,242,245],{},[96,235,236],{},"IonQ Aria 1",[96,238,239],{},"Remote simulator",[96,241,120],{},[96,243,244],{},"IonQ cloud",[96,246,110],{},[72,248,249,252,254,256,258],{},[96,250,251],{},"IonQ Aria 2",[96,253,239],{},[96,255,120],{},[96,257,244],{},[96,259,110],{},[72,261,262,265,267,270,272],{},[96,263,264],{},"IonQ Forte 1",[96,266,239],{},[96,268,269],{},"36",[96,271,244],{},[96,273,110],{},[72,275,276,279,281,283,285],{},[96,277,278],{},"IonQ Forte Enterprise 1",[96,280,239],{},[96,282,269],{},[96,284,244],{},[96,286,110],{},[72,288,289,291,294,296,299],{},[96,290,264],{},[96,292,293],{},"Quantum computer",[96,295,269],{},[96,297,298],{},"IonQ hardware",[96,300,301],{},"Credits",[72,303,304,306,308,310,312],{},[96,305,278],{},[96,307,293],{},[96,309,269],{},[96,311,298],{},[96,313,301],{},[11,315,316],{},"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.",[27,318,320],{"id":319},"which-one-to-pick","Which one to pick",[32,322,323,333,347],{},[35,324,325,328,329,332],{},[15,326,327],{},"Writing or debugging a circuit?"," Start on the ",[15,330,331],{},"built-in simulator",". It is free, instant, and enough to catch logic and syntax errors.",[35,334,335,338,339,342,343,346],{},[15,336,337],{},"Want to see noise before you spend anything?"," Run one of the ",[15,340,341],{},"IBM noise-model"," simulators or an ",[15,344,345],{},"IonQ remote"," simulator. Same circuit, a realistic picture of how a real device would answer.",[35,348,349,352,353,356],{},[15,350,351],{},"Ready for real hardware?"," Choose a ",[15,354,355],{},"quantum computer"," from the last group. This is the only group that uses credits, so verify your circuit on a simulator first.",[27,358,360],{"id":359},"related","Related",[32,362,363,370,376],{},[35,364,365],{},[366,367,369],"a",{"href":368},"\u002Flearn\u002Fdocs\u002Frun-your-code","Running your code",[35,371,372],{},[366,373,375],{"href":374},"\u002Flearn\u002Fdocs\u002Fhow-credits-work","How credits work",[35,377,378],{},[366,379,381],{"href":380},"\u002Flearn\u002Fbuilding-your-first-qollab-project\u002Fcode-playground","Use the Code Playground",{"title":24,"searchDepth":383,"depth":383,"links":384},2,[385,386,387,388],{"id":29,"depth":383,"text":30},{"id":63,"depth":383,"text":64},{"id":319,"depth":383,"text":320},{"id":359,"depth":383,"text":360},"running-code","Running code","Every simulator and quantum computer you can run a Qollab project on, what each one costs, and how to choose between them.",false,"md","doc",{},true,3,"\u002Fblog\u002Flearn\u002Fdocs\u002Fcompute-backends","2026-09-05",[],{"title":402,"description":403},"Compute backends · Qollab docs","The simulators and quantum computers available in the Qollab playground, with qubit counts and costs, and guidance on which to pick.","blog\u002Flearn\u002Fdocs\u002Fcompute-backends",[],"jdBlA1lDFqs5AoBiodbb_nYKpTXX2AQbDueN4tV6BAE",[],[],1788731751576]