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IBM Quantum – Cost Control Best Practices#

Running experiments on IBM Quantum backends can quickly become expensive if not carefully managed. While simulators are free to use, execution on real quantum devices consumes credits and may lead to significant costs, especially when running large circuits or repeated jobs.
This page provides recommended practices to help you minimize costs while experimenting on IBM Quantum hardware.

General Guidelines#

  • Start with Simulators
    Use qasm_simulator or aer_simulator to debug and validate your circuits before running on a quantum processor.
    This ensures that errors in logic or syntax do not consume valuable credits.

  • Select the Smallest Suitable Backend
    Choose the backend with the minimum number of qubits required. Larger backends are more expensive and may not add value to early experiments.

  • Control the Number of Shots
    The default (1024 shots) is not always necessary.

    • For testing, reduce to 10–100 shots.
    • Increase only when statistical confidence is essential.

  • Batch Your Circuits
    Whenever possible, group multiple small circuits into a single job submission to reduce overhead.

  • Optimize Transpilation
    Over-transpilation can increase circuit depth, making runs longer and more error-prone.
    Use transpiler optimization levels wisely:

    • Low levels (0–1) for testing and debugging.
    • Higher levels (2–3) only for production runs.

Queue Management#

  • Monitor Queue Times
    Long queues consume valuable time. If the queue is congested, consider submitting to a different backend.

  • Avoid Idle Consumption
    Do not submit test runs to busy backends; wait times add no experimental value and may lead to delayed results.

Error Prevention#

  • Kill Inefficient Experiments Early
    If a design is faulty, stop development and fix it in a simulator before running on hardware.
    Avoid re-running the same failed experiment repeatedly on a QPU.

  • Validate Locally Before Hardware Runs
    Always run backend.run(circuit).result() in a simulator to ensure the circuit executes correctly.

Subscription Awareness#

  • Understand Premium Tier Policies
    Premium access may auto-scale and incur higher costs.
    Always check your subscription’s credit limits and configure usage alerts.

  • Set Up Usage Monitoring
    Regularly review your IBM Quantum account dashboard to track credit consumption.
    Configure notifications when approaching defined limits.

Summary of Best Practices#

Practice Recommendation
Debugging & validation Always use simulators first
Backend choice Use smallest backend meeting qubit needs
Shots per run 10–100 for testing, increase only when needed
Transpilation Use low levels for testing, higher for final
Queue management Avoid congested backends
Experiment design Stop and fix faulty designs in simulators
Subscription monitoring Track credits and set alerts

By following these practices, you can experiment effectively on IBM Quantum backends while keeping costs under control.