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Groq vs OpenAI: Token Pricing, Speed & Intelligence

Full comparison of Groq and OpenAI — live token pricing, latency, throughput, context window, strengths, weaknesses, and best use cases. Rates sourced from public APIs — verify before use.

Groq

LPU + LPX inference — high-throughput tokens per second, $350M Series A

Groq runs custom Language Processing Units (LPUs) and the newer LPX chips that work alongside NVIDIA next-generation GPUs for high-throughput inference. Groq raised a $350M Series A in 2026 and is building hundreds of megawatts of capacity. Check listed rates and provider documentation for current model availability and throughput figures.

SpeedReal-time chatVoice AICost-efficiencyBatch processing
Open-weight hostHosts open weights

OpenAI

GPT-6 Astra, GPT-5.6 Sol/Terra/Luna — plus image, voice, and realtime APIs

OpenAI's September 2026 API lineup spans GPT-6 Astra (flagship frontier), GPT-5.6 Sol (promotional), GPT-5.6 Terra (balanced), and GPT-5.6 Luna (everyday). Beyond text, the platform includes GPT-Image-2.5 (Sunburst and Flare), GPT-Live-1 voice, GPT-Realtime-2.1 for low-latency voice agents, and transcription/translation models. Batch API saves 50% on all models. Check the live table for current per-token rates.

CodingChatVisionReasoningAgentsVoiceImage generation
Proprietary models

Key metric comparison

Groq
OpenAI
Cheapest input ($/1M)

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Cheapest output ($/1M)

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Peak throughput

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Best latency (TTFT)

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Intelligence score

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Context window

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Live token pricing

Strengths and weaknesses

Groq

750+ tokens/sec on Llama 3.3 70B — high-throughput GPU-class inference (Groq-published)
Sub-100ms time-to-first-token for real-time applications
LPX chips alongside LPUs for expanded capacity
Very competitive pricing on open-weight models
OpenAI-compatible API
Free tier available
Limited model selection vs. Together AI or Fireworks
No vision model support on most models
No fine-tuning capability

OpenAI

Wide API surface: text, image, voice, realtime, transcription, translation, web search, code execution
GPT-6 Astra at the frontier; GPT-5.6 Sol at promotional pricing
Prompt caching on all major models (10% of input price)
Batch API: 50% off all models for async workloads
Wide ecosystem — virtually every AI framework supports OpenAI natively
No open-weight models — full vendor lock-in
GPT-6 Astra output pricing is among the highest for frontier tier — check live table
Rate limits can be restrictive on lower tiers

Key differentiators

Groq

Groq's custom LPU/LPX chips deliver high-throughput inference significantly faster than conventional GPU systems, backed by $350M in Series A funding and hundreds of megawatts of planned capacity.

OpenAI

A broad AI API platform — GPT-6 Astra to GPT-5.6 Luna covering multiple capability tiers, plus native image, voice, realtime, and transcription APIs under one key.

Frequently asked questions

Groq FAQs

How fast is Groq inference?

Groq delivers 750+ tokens/second on Llama 3.3 70B and 1,200+ tokens/second on Llama 3.1 8B using custom LPU/LPX chips, making it well-suited for real-time and low-latency applications.

What is Groq's LPX chip?

The LPX is Groq's next-generation inference chip, introduced alongside the existing LPU lineup. It expands Groq's capacity and enables even higher throughput for large-scale deployments.

How much does Groq cost?

Groq uses per-token pricing across its model catalog. Check console.groq.com/docs/openai for current rates on Llama 3.3 70B, Llama 3.1 8B, and other models.

OpenAI FAQs

What are the latest OpenAI models as of 2026?

OpenAI's current lineup includes GPT-6 Astra (flagship frontier), GPT-5.6 Sol (promotional), GPT-5.6 Terra (balanced), and GPT-5.6 Luna (everyday). The o-series reasoning models remain available for complex multi-step tasks. Check the live table or platform.openai.com/docs/pricing for current rates.

How much does the OpenAI API cost?

OpenAI uses tiered per-token pricing across its model lineup. The Batch API cuts all prices by 50% for async workloads, and prompt caching reduces input costs by 50% on eligible requests. Check platform.openai.com/docs/pricing for current rates.

Does OpenAI support prompt caching?

Yes. Prompt caching is available on GPT-6 Astra, GPT-5.6 Sol, and other major models. Cached input tokens are billed at 50% of the standard input price, making long-context and repeated-system-prompt workloads significantly cheaper.

Provider resources

Groq

Provider page
Website
PricingDocs

OpenAI

Provider page
Website
PricingDocs

Groq — LPU + LPX inference — high-throughput tokens per second, $350M Series A

Groq runs custom Language Processing Units (LPUs) and the newer LPX chips that work alongside NVIDIA next-generation GPUs for high-throughput inference. Groq raised a $350M Series A in 2026 and is building hundreds of megawatts of capacity. Check listed rates and provider documentation for current model availability and throughput figures.

Groq's custom LPU/LPX chips deliver high-throughput inference significantly faster than conventional GPU systems, backed by $350M in Series A funding and hundreds of megawatts of planned capacity.

OpenAI — GPT-6 Astra, GPT-5.6 Sol/Terra/Luna — plus image, voice, and realtime APIs

OpenAI's September 2026 API lineup spans GPT-6 Astra (flagship frontier), GPT-5.6 Sol (promotional), GPT-5.6 Terra (balanced), and GPT-5.6 Luna (everyday). Beyond text, the platform includes GPT-Image-2.5 (Sunburst and Flare), GPT-Live-1 voice, GPT-Realtime-2.1 for low-latency voice agents, and transcription/translation models. Batch API saves 50% on all models. Check the live table for current per-token rates.

A broad AI API platform — GPT-6 Astra to GPT-5.6 Luna covering multiple capability tiers, plus native image, voice, realtime, and transcription APIs under one key.

Key strengths compared

Groq

  • 750+ tokens/sec on Llama 3.3 70B — high-throughput GPU-class inference (Groq-published)
  • Sub-100ms time-to-first-token for real-time applications
  • LPX chips alongside LPUs for expanded capacity
  • Limited model selection vs. Together AI or Fireworks
  • No vision model support on most models

OpenAI

  • Wide API surface: text, image, voice, realtime, transcription, translation, web search, code execution
  • GPT-6 Astra at the frontier; GPT-5.6 Sol at promotional pricing
  • Prompt caching on all major models (10% of input price)
  • No open-weight models — full vendor lock-in
  • GPT-6 Astra output pricing is among the highest for frontier tier — check live table

Key weaknesses compared

Groq

  • Limited model selection vs. Together AI or Fireworks
  • No vision model support on most models
  • No fine-tuning capability

OpenAI

  • No open-weight models — full vendor lock-in
  • GPT-6 Astra output pricing is among the highest for frontier tier — check live table
  • Rate limits can be restrictive on lower tiers

Provider category context

Groq is a inference api, founded in 2016. OpenAI is a frontier lab, founded in 2015. Groq as an inference API provider hosts open-weight models — typically offering lower prices for equivalent capability tiers. OpenAI as a frontier lab trains and serves proprietary models with capabilities not available elsewhere.

How to choose between them

Choose Groq if you need 750+ tokens/sec on llama 3.3 70b — high-throughput gpu-class inference (groq-published). Choose OpenAI if you need wide api surface: text, image, voice, realtime, transcription, translation, web search, code execution. For high-volume production workloads, run a cost comparison using the token pricing table above with your actual prompt/completion token ratio — the cheapest provider depends heavily on your input-to-output token ratio.