GPU Programming Competitive Platforms | Generated by AI
Question: Is there any Codeforces equivalent for CUDA/GPU programming?
Answer:
No, there is no direct equivalent to Codeforces (with rated contests, fast algorithmic problems, and large community) specifically for CUDA/GPU low-level kernel optimization as of 2026.
However, several platforms and initiatives come reasonably close or serve similar purposes:
-
LeetGPU (leetgpu.com) — the closest thing right now to “LeetCode/Codeforces for CUDA”.
It offers LeetCode-style challenges specifically for writing optimized CUDA kernels (vector add, convolution, k-means, attention, matrix multiplication, etc.).
You write CUDA code in the browser (no local GPU needed — uses emulation), submit for performance-based ranking/leaderboards, and compete on speed.
Many people call it “LeetCode for CUDA”. -
Tensara — described in some communities as “Codeforces/Kaggle for GPU programming”.
Focused on submitting and benchmarking GPU kernels (mainly for deep learning workloads) with FLOPS-based scoring. - Older / one-time events:
- NVIDIA CUDA Superhero Challenge (2009 on Topcoder) — marathon-style GPU optimization contests (very old).
- Occasional GPU hackathons (OLCF, academic events) and one-off challenges.
- Related but different:
- Kaggle competitions → sometimes allow heavy GPU kernel optimization, but usually higher-level ML.
- 1BR (1 Billion Row Challenge) variants in CUDA → community-driven performance competitions.
- WebGPU Puzzles / GPU Puzzles → educational small GPU coding challenges (more learning than rated contest).
Short summary (2026 status):
| Platform | Style | Rated/Leaderboard | Needs real GPU? | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LeetGPU | LeetCode-style challenges | Yes | No (emulated) | Pure CUDA kernel writing |
| Tensara | Kernel optimization / FLOPS | Yes | Likely yes | DL-oriented GPU kernels |
| Codeforces | Classic CP | Yes | No | CPU algorithms (no CUDA) |
| Kaggle | ML competitions | Yes | Yes | End-to-end ML (sometimes kernel opt) |
Right now LeetGPU is the most practical and closest “competitive CUDA playground”.
References:
- LeetGPU - The CUDA Challenges
- Reddit discussion on LeetGPU
- Tensara announcement on Reddit
- Codeforces blog asking for GPU contests