Machine Learning & Data Science · head to head
OpenAI API vs Groq
OpenAI API
Machine Learning & Data Science
GPT and DALL-E APIs for developers
- From
- $0.15/per-million-tokens
- Rated
- -
Groq
Machine Learning & Data Science
Fast inference provider using proprietary LPU hardware for low-latency serving
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: OpenAI API new accounts start with a $100 approved monthly usage limit and must spend cumulatively to graduate tiers; Groq pricing is not published and is sold entirely by quote, making cost comparison difficult
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which OpenAI API and Groq actually diverge.
| Attribute | OpenAI API | Groq |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $0.15/per-million-tokens | On request |
| Pricing model | usage-based | quote |
| Platforms | Api | API, Cloud |
| Founded | 2015 | Unknown |
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Machine Learning & Data Science).
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 OpenAI API
- GPT models
- DALL-E
- Whisper
- Embeddings
- REST API
- SDKs
- Azure OpenAI
- Api support
Only in Groq
Nothing recorded that OpenAI API does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
OpenAI API
- Calling hosted language models from an applicationnot Groq
- Generating images, audio and embeddings through one APInot Groq
- Building agents and tool calling workflows on managed modelsnot Groq
Groq
- Latency-sensitive applications requiring sub-second inference response timesnot OpenAI API
- High-volume inference workloads where cost per inference matters at scalenot OpenAI API
- Custom model deployment with performance guaranteesnot OpenAI API
- Enterprise applications seeking inference-specific infrastructurenot OpenAI API
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
OpenAI API
- New accounts start with a $100 approved monthly usage limit and must spend cumulatively to graduate tiers
- Reaching the top Tier 5 monthly cap of $200,000 requires $1,000 of cumulative paid usage
- Rate limits apply simultaneously across requests per minute, requests per day, tokens per minute, tokens per day and images per minute, and the first one hit blocks the request
- API access is restricted to approved geographies
Groq
- Pricing is not published and is sold entirely by quote, making cost comparison difficult
- Limited to open-weight models; no proprietary model access through the platform
- Not widely integrated into third-party AI platforms compared to OpenAI or Anthropic
Pricing, plan by plan
OpenAI API
$0.15/per-million-tokens- GPT-4o mini$0.15/per-million-input-tokens
- Fast
- Affordable
- GPT-4o$5/per-million-input-tokens
- Multimodal
- 128K context
Groq
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Groq review.
Which should you pick?
Questions people ask
- Is OpenAI API or Groq better?
- Neither clearly leads. OpenAI API starts at $0.15/per-million-tokens and Groq at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, OpenAI API or Groq?
- OpenAI API starts at $0.15/per-million-tokens and Groq at On request.
- Does OpenAI API or Groq run on more platforms?
- OpenAI API runs on Api. Groq runs on API, Cloud.
- What is OpenAI API best used for?
- OpenAI API is most often used for calling hosted language models from an application, generating images, audio and embeddings through one api, building agents and tool calling workflows on managed models. Of those, calling hosted language models from an application and generating images, audio and embeddings through one api are not what Groq is typically brought in for.
- What can OpenAI API do that Groq cannot?
- OpenAI API covers GPT models, DALL-E, Whisper, Embeddings.