Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with autonomous cloud-node scoping for big-data machine learning use cases are described. In some example embodiments, an automated scoping tool, method, and system are presented that, for each of multiple combinations of parameter values, (i) set a combination of parameter values describing a usage scenario, (ii) execute a machine learning application according to the combination of parameter values on a target cloud environment, and (iii) measure the computational cost for the execution of the machine learning application. A recommendation regarding configuration of central processing unit(s), graphics processing unit(s), and memory for the target cloud environment to execute the machine learning application is generated based on the measured computational costs.