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Alternatives · 2026

Best Groq Alternatives in 2026

24 alternatives · 18 with a free plan · Updated

What are the best Groq alternatives?

The best Groq alternatives for AI API in 2026 are WizModel (platform for deploying, free), Novita AI (developers use Novita AI as a cloud platform, free) and Predibase (low-code AI model fine-tuning and deployment platform for LLMs…, enterprise). 18 of the 24 listed alternatives have a free or freemium plan.

Looking for something other than Groq? Below are 24 alternatives in AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs) and Open Source AI Models, all closely matched, ranked by how much they overlap with Groq. Groq itself is free. Each entry shows what the tool does, what it shares with Groq, its key features and pricing.

What is Groq?

Groq provides an API for running AI models with a focus on speed and cost efficiency. The platform combines custom hardware with optimized software to deliver faster inference than traditional solutions. Developers can access pre-built AI models through the API or deploy their own.

Pricing
Free

Key features of Groq

  • It aims to provide faster inference at a lower cost than competitors

Groq alternatives compared

Top 5 alternatives to Groq with pricing and overlap
ToolPricingShared with GroqMatch
GroqFree—Original
WizModelFreeAI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, OtherStrong match
Novita AIFreeAI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, OtherStrong match
PredibaseEnterpriseAI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, OtherStrong match
BackmeshFreemiumAI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, OtherStrong match
Featherless.aiFreeAI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, OtherStrong match

Top 24 alternatives to Groq

  1. #1
    WizModel logo

    WizModel

    Strong matchFree

    WizModel is a platform for deploying, scaling, and running machine learning models through a unified API for ML inference.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, Other

    • It provides a unified API for ML inference
    • It also allows users to explore and use thousands of pre-existing models shared by the…

    Pricing: free, same as Groq

  2. #2
    Novita AI logo

    Novita AI

    Strong matchFree

    Developers use Novita AI as a cloud platform with model APIs for AI image generation, plus GPU instances and serverless GPUs for running AI workloads.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, Other

    • GPU instances

    Pricing: free, same as Groq

  3. #3
    Predibase logo

    Predibase

    Strong matchEnterprise

    Predibase is a low-code AI model fine-tuning and deployment platform for LLMs and open source AI models, built for developers.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, Other

    • Enables building and deploying state-of-the-art models with just a few lines of code
    • Offers unmatched accuracy and speed with end-to-end training and serving infrastructure
    • Provides cost reduction and faster inference compared to solutions like OpenAI

    Pricing: enterprise (custom pricing), while Groq is free

  4. #4
    Backmesh logo

    Backmesh

    Strong matchFreemium

    Open-source backend service that lets AI applications call LLM APIs securely without building your own backend infrastructure.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, Other

    • Open Source BaaS for AI apps to securely call LLM APIs without backend

    Pricing: freemium (free plan + paid upgrades); Groq is free

  5. #5
    F

    Featherless.ai

    Strong matchFree

    Featherless.ai is a serverless inference service that runs a growing library of Hugging Face models, including Llama, for chat, roleplay and coding.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, Other

    • It supports popular models for role-playing

    Pricing: free, same as Groq

  6. #6
    LiteLLM logo

    LiteLLM

    Strong matchFree

    LiteLLM is an open source LLM gateway that lets developers call over 100 large language models through one OpenAI-format API and track spend.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, Other

    Pricing: free, same as Groq

  7. #7
    LLM Gateway logo

    LLM Gateway

    Strong matchFree

    LLM Gateway is an open source API gateway that routes, manages, and tracks costs of requests to many large language model providers.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, Other

    • Fully open source under an MIT license
    • Unified API compatible with OpenAI format for easy migration
    • Supports a wide range of LLM providers

    Pricing: free, same as Groq

  8. #8
    Together AI logo

    Together AI

    Strong matchFreemium

    Together AI is a cloud platform for running, fine-tuning, and training open source large language models on NVIDIA GPUs.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, Other

    • Batch inference is available at an introductory 50% discount
    • Supports various NVIDIA GPUs like RTX-6000
    • A100

    Pricing: freemium (free plan + paid upgrades); Groq is free

  9. #9
    DeepSeek Online logo

    DeepSeek Online

    Strong matchFree

    Free access to a 671B-parameter open-source AI model via online demo or local installation.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, Other

    • Open-source and commercially usable
    • Easy integration through API or local installation
    • Comprehensive documentation and community support

    Pricing: free, same as Groq

  10. #10
    Funnyskill API logo

    Funnyskill API

    Strong matchEnterprise

    Enterprise AI aggregator giving developers one API endpoint for over 500 text, image, audio and video models from providers like OpenAI and Google.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, Other

    • Enterprise-grade aggregator providing unified access to 500+ AI models via one API

    Pricing: enterprise (custom pricing), while Groq is free

  11. #11
    Manifest logo

    Manifest

    Strong matchFree

    Open-source LLM router for OpenClaw that sends each query to the most cost-effective model based on task complexity, cutting token costs.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, Other

    Pricing: free, same as Groq

  12. #12
    Fireworks AI logo

    Fireworks AI

    Strong matchEnterprise

    Fireworks AI is a generative AI platform for fast model inference, fine-tuning, and deployment of open source LLMs and image models.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, Other

    • Fast inference speeds (9x faster RAG
    • Cost-efficient customization (40x lower cost for chat)
    • Engineered for scale (1T+ tokens generated per day)

    Pricing: enterprise (custom pricing), while Groq is free

  13. #13
    PremAI logo

    PremAI

    Strong matchEnterprise

    PremAI is a private AI platform for enterprises and consumers, with custom finetuned models, encrypted inference, and open-source RAG models.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, Other

    • They offer open-source models like Prem-1B-SQL and Prem-1B Series for…

    Pricing: enterprise (custom pricing), while Groq is free

  14. #14
    Not Diamond logo

    Not Diamond

    Strong matchFree

    Not Diamond is an AI model router that picks the best LLM for each query to cut costs and improve accuracy.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, Other

    Pricing: free, same as Groq

  15. #15
    APIPark logo

    APIPark

    Strong matchFree

    Open-source AI gateway and developer portal for managing, integrating, and deploying LLM and API services with usage controls.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, Other

    Pricing: free, same as Groq

  16. #16
    M

    Mancer AI

    Strong matchPaid

    API service for running large language models with both free and paid options.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Other

    • Have you considered going outside?
    • (Limited time! Think of it as a 'founder's pack' bonus.)

    Pricing: paid, while Groq is free

  17. #17
    Local AI Playground logo

    Local AI Playground

    Strong matchFree

    Local AI Playground is a native app for testing AI models on your own computer, with simple setup and no GPU needed.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, Other

    • Simplified setup process
    • Local and private AI experimentation
    • Memory efficient and compact application

    Pricing: free, same as Groq

  18. #18
    RunPod logo

    RunPod

    Strong matchFreemium

    Cloud GPU rental and serverless AI inference service for running and scaling machine learning models at lower hourly cost.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Other

    Pricing: freemium (free plan + paid upgrades); Groq is free

  19. #19
    Cerebrium logo

    Cerebrium

    Strong matchFree

    Cerebrium is a serverless AI infrastructure platform for building, deploying, and scaling AI applications and models with lower compute costs.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Other

    • Serverless AI infrastructure platform for building

    Pricing: free, same as Groq

  20. #20
    DeepSeek v3 logo

    DeepSeek v3

    Strong matchFreemium

    Open source large language model with 671B parameters, available through an OpenAI compatible API or self-hosted under the MIT license.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, Other

    • MIT licensed open source

    Pricing: freemium (free plan + paid upgrades); Groq is free

  21. #21
    OpenAI Solution logo

    OpenAI Solution

    Strong matchFree

    Access OpenAI products and services with built-in internet acceleration for faster browsing, optimized for Chrome-based browsers.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Other

    • Provides access to OpenAI products that might otherwise be unavailable
    • Offers internet acceleration for faster browsing and data transfer
    • Specifically tailored for various professional fields

    Pricing: free, same as Groq

  22. #22
    Moondream AI logo

    Moondream AI

    Strong matchFree

    Open-source visual language model that answers questions about images and generates captions from plain text prompts, built for developers.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, Other

    • It is lightweight
    • It's designed for developers who want a versatile and easy-to-use visual AI solution

    Pricing: free, same as Groq

  23. #23
    Qdrant logo

    Qdrant

    Strong matchEnterprise

    Qdrant is an open-source vector database and similarity search engine, written in Rust, for AI applications that need fast semantic search.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, Other

    • Open-source and written in Rust for reliability and performance
    • Scalable vector similarity search with a convenient API
    • Integrates with various embeddings and frameworks

    Pricing: enterprise (custom pricing), while Groq is free

  24. #24
    TUNiB logo

    TUNiB

    Strong matchFree

    TUNiB offers sLLM, chatbot, and NLP API solutions for businesses that want customizable language AI with a focus on AI ethics and safety.

    In common with Groq: AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs), Open Source AI Models, Other

    • Wide range of AI solutions including sLLM
    • Focus on AI ethics and safety
    • Customizable solutions tailored to specific needs

    Pricing: free, same as Groq

How we picked these Groq alternatives

We rank tools by how closely they match Groq: tools that share more of its categories rank first, then tools whose main category, tags and description overlap with it, then community votes and views. Pricing type and features come from each product's SoftwareVital listing. Admins can pin or remove tools from this list.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best alternatives to Groq in 2026?

The closest alternatives to Groq are WizModel, Novita AI, Predibase, Backmesh and Featherless.ai. They are ranked by how many categories and tags they share with Groq and how similar their descriptions are, then by community votes and views on SoftwareVital.

What is the closest alternative to Groq?

WizModel is the closest match because it shares AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs) and Open Source AI Models with Groq. It is free.

Are there free alternatives to Groq?

Yes. 18 of the 24 alternatives have a free or freemium plan, including WizModel (free), Novita AI (free), Backmesh (freemium), Featherless.ai (free) and LiteLLM (free). Groq is free.

Which Groq alternatives are paid or enterprise tools?

Predibase (enterprise), Funnyskill API (enterprise), Fireworks AI (enterprise), PremAI (enterprise) and Mancer AI (paid) use paid or enterprise pricing, which usually means more support and admin options for teams.

How does Groq compare to WizModel?

WizModel overlaps with Groq in AI API, Large Language Models (LLMs) and Open Source AI Models. Its listed features include it provides a unified API for ML inference and it also allows users to explore and use thousands of pre-existing models shared by the…. Pricing: free, same as Groq. Open the side-by-side compare page for a full breakdown.

What category is Groq in?

Groq is listed under AI API on SoftwareVital. Browse that category to see more tools in the same group.