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Cloud · head to head

HAProxy vs Together AI

HAProxy logo

HAProxy

Cloud

High-performance TCP and HTTP load balancer

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Together AI logo

Together AI

AI

Open-source AI at scale

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: HAProxy configuration syntax is dense and unforgiving, with a steep initial learning curve; Together AI free tier limits not clearly specified in pricing documentation
  • They diverge on capability: HAProxy covers High throughput, Together AI covers Open-source models.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HAProxy and Together AI actually diverge.

Attributes where HAProxy and Together AI differ
AttributeHAProxyTogether AI
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeusage-based
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hostedApi, Cloud
CategoryCloudAI
FoundedUnknown2022

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in HAProxy

  • High throughput
  • Layer 4 and 7
  • Health checking
  • Rate limiting and ACLs

Only in Together AI

  • Open-source models
  • Fine-tuning
  • Fast inference
  • Embeddings
  • REST API
  • Python SDK
  • OpenAI compatible
  • Api support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

HAProxy

  • Load balancing at traffic levels where proxy efficiency shows up in the hardware billnot Together AI
  • Precise traffic control — rate limits, sticky sessions, complex routing rulesnot Together AI
  • TCP load balancing for databases and non-HTTP servicesnot Together AI

Together AI

  • LLM inference for production AI applicationsnot HAProxy
  • Content generation at scalenot HAProxy
  • Code execution and embeddingsnot HAProxy
  • Model fine-tuning and trainingnot HAProxy
  • Startup and enterprise AI deploymentnot HAProxy

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

HAProxy

  • Configuration syntax is dense and unforgiving, with a steep initial learning curve
  • No automatic certificate management, unlike newer servers that treat it as default behaviour
  • The built-in stats page is basic, so real observability needs exporters and dashboards
  • A dedicated load balancer is more machinery than small deployments need

Together AI

  • Free tier limits not clearly specified in pricing documentation
  • Pricing varies significantly by model and use case
  • Requires account setup for production access
  • Batch API discounts apply only to non-urgent workloads

Pricing, plan by plan

HAProxy

Free
  • HAProxyFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

Together AI

Free
  • Serverless Inference$0.03/1M input tokens
    • Chat and Vision models
    • Image generation
    • Video generation
  • Provisioned Throughput$21600/month
    • Up to 83% savings vs commercial alternatives
    • Reserved capacity
    • Guaranteed throughput
  • Dedicated Inference$5.49/hour
    • H100 GPU instance
    • Single-tenant deployment
    • No resource sharing
  • GPU Clusters$3.99/GPU-hour
    • On-demand capacity
    • Volume discounts available
    • Reserved options with up to 35% savings

Which should you pick?

Choose HAProxy if

  • You need high throughput.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
  • You also want layer 4 and 7.
HAProxy review

Choose Together AI if

  • You need open-source models.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Api, Cloud.
  • You also want fine-tuning.
Together AI review

Questions people ask

Is HAProxy or Together AI better?
Neither clearly leads. HAProxy starts at Free and Together AI at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HAProxy or Together AI?
HAProxy starts at Free and Together AI at Free.
Does HAProxy or Together AI run on more platforms?
HAProxy runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted. Together AI runs on Api, Cloud.
Can I use HAProxy for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is HAProxy best used for?
HAProxy is most often used for load balancing at traffic levels where proxy efficiency shows up in the hardware bill, precise traffic control — rate limits, sticky sessions, complex routing rules, tcp load balancing for databases and non-http services. Of those, load balancing at traffic levels where proxy efficiency shows up in the hardware bill and precise traffic control — rate limits, sticky sessions, complex routing rules are not what Together AI is typically brought in for.
What can HAProxy do that Together AI cannot?
HAProxy covers High throughput, Layer 4 and 7, Health checking, Rate limiting and ACLs. Together AI covers Open-source models, Fine-tuning, Fast inference, Embeddings.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HAProxy: Is HAProxy free?

Yes, the community version is open source. HAProxy Technologies sells HAProxy Enterprise separately.

Together AI: Does Together AI offer a free tier?

Yes, Together AI advertises 'Start for free, scale on demand,' but specific free tier usage limits are not detailed on the pricing page.

Source
HAProxy: HAProxy or Nginx?

HAProxy is a specialist load balancer with deeper balancing and health-check features. Nginx also serves static content and is more approachable, which is why it is more common as a general web server.

Together AI: What are Together AI's highest model prices?

Serverless inference pricing ranges from free for base models up to $4.40 per 1M input tokens for premium models. Video generation costs $0.14 to $3.20 per video depending on resolution.

Source
HAProxy: Does HAProxy handle TLS certificates automatically?

No. Certificate issuance and renewal are external, unlike Caddy where it is automatic.

Together AI: How much can I save with Provisioned Throughput?

Together AI offers up to 83% savings compared to commercial alternatives when using their Provisioned Throughput option with reserved capacity.

Source
Together AI: What is Together AI's fine-tuning pricing?

Standard fine-tuning costs $0.48 to $2.90 per 1M tokens depending on model size, with a minimum charge of $4.00 per job.

Source
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