Cerebras vs Groq: AI model API pricing compared
Updated 2026-11-06 · listed A to Z, not ranked
Cerebras Inference is an API for fast inference on open-weight models. The Developer tier is self-serve pay-as-you-go; Enterprise is quoted.
Groq runs its own LPU inference hardware and sells model access through GroqCloud, an OpenAI-compatible API billed per token (language models), per hour of audio (Whisper) or per character (text to speech).
Listed A to Z, from cerebras.ai and console.groq.com. Every figure below is quoted from those pages.
- Main price table
- GPT OSS 120B, Qwen 3.8 27B
- Free option
- One-time $5 promotional credit on the Developer tier
- Published prices
- Developer tier pay-as-you-go with a $5 starter credit; GPT OSS 120B $0.35/M input, $0.75/M output.
- Main price table
- GPT OSS 120B (openai/gpt-oss-120b), GPT OSS 20B (openai/gpt-oss-20b), Llama 3.1 8B Instant, Llama 3.3 70B Versatile, Whisper Large V3, Whisper Large V3 Turbo
- Free option
- None in the published plan table
- Published prices
- GPT OSS 120B $0.15 in / $0.60 out per 1M tokens, GPT OSS 20B $0.075 / $0.30, Whisper Large V3 Turbo $0.04 per hour.
How we checked: Prices quoted from each official pricing page: Cerebras checked Nov 10, 2026, Groq checked Nov 6, 2026. Taxes, usage overages and promotions can change what you pay; confirm with each provider before you buy.
How they compare
- Main price table. Cerebras lists 2 entries (GPT OSS 120B, Qwen 3.8 27B); Groq lists 6 (GPT OSS 120B (openai/gpt-oss-120b), GPT OSS 20B (openai/gpt-oss-20b), Llama 3.1 8B Instant, Llama 3.3 70B Versatile, Whisper Large V3, Whisper Large V3 Turbo).
- Free option. Cerebras: One-time $5 promotional credit on the Developer tier. Groq: none in the published plan table.
- How prices are quoted. Cerebras: “Developer tier (per 1M tokens)”. Groq: “Production models”.
Cerebras plans and prices
| Model | Speed | Input | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT OSS 120B | ~3000 tokens/s | $0.35/M tokens | $0.75/M tokens |
| Qwen 3.8 27B | ~1,850 tokens/s | $0.99/M tokens | $1.49/M tokens |
Add a valid payment method to get a one-time $5 promotional credit, which expires 30 days after activation. The Developer tier is for development and evaluation, not production use.
| Tier | For | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Exploration workloads; community Discord support | Self-serve pay-as-you-go with free $5 credit to start |
| Enterprise | Production workloads; higher rate limits, dedicated account team | Contact Cerebras for a quote |
From cerebras.ai, checked Nov 10, 2026. Full breakdown: Cerebras pricing.
Groq plans and prices
| Model | Speed (tokens/sec) | Price | Context window |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT OSS 120B (openai/gpt-oss-120b) | ~500 | $0.15 input / $0.60 output per 1M tokens | 131,072 |
| GPT OSS 20B (openai/gpt-oss-20b) | ~1,000 | $0.075 input / $0.30 output per 1M tokens | 131,072 |
| Llama 3.1 8B Instant | ~560 | Enterprise: contact sales | 131,072 |
| Llama 3.3 70B Versatile | ~280 | Enterprise: contact sales | 131,072 |
| Whisper Large V3 | — | $0.111 per hour of audio | — |
| Whisper Large V3 Turbo | — | $0.04 per hour of audio | — |
Developer plan rate limits on the same page: GPT OSS 120B 250K tokens/min and 1K requests/min; Whisper Large V3 Turbo 400K audio seconds/hour.
| Model | Price |
|---|---|
| Qwen3.8 27B | $0.80 input / $4.00 output per 1M tokens |
| Safety GPT OSS 20B | $0.075 input / $0.30 output per 1M tokens |
| Canopy Labs Orpheus V1 English (TTS) | $22.00 per 1M characters |
| Canopy Labs Orpheus Arabic Saudi (TTS) | $40.00 per 1M characters |
| Llama Prompt Guard 2 22M / 86M | $0.03 / $0.04 per 1M tokens (input and output) |
Groq says preview models may be discontinued at short notice and should not be used in production.
From console.groq.com, checked Nov 6, 2026. Full breakdown: Groq pricing.
FAQ
How much does Cerebras cost?
Developer tier pay-as-you-go with a $5 starter credit; GPT OSS 120B $0.35/M input, $0.75/M output. (checked Nov 10, 2026).
How much does Groq cost?
GPT OSS 120B $0.15 in / $0.60 out per 1M tokens, GPT OSS 20B $0.075 / $0.30, Whisper Large V3 Turbo $0.04 per hour. (checked Nov 6, 2026).
Do Cerebras and Groq have a free option?
Cerebras: One-time $5 promotional credit on the Developer tier. Groq: none in the published plan table.
Which is better, Cerebras or Groq?
We do not pick a winner. The two price and package their products differently; the tables above quote each official pricing page so you can match a plan to your own usage.
Where do these prices come from?
Each vendor's own pricing page: cerebras.ai (checked Nov 10, 2026) and console.groq.com (checked Nov 6, 2026). Prices change; confirm on the vendor's page before you buy.
Sources (official pages, read 2026-11-06)
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