kitio.aiGroq vs Fireworks AI
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Groq starts at See pricing page and Fireworks AI starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- LPU-based inference
- OpenAI-compatible API
- Speech-to-text models
- Batch API
- Free developer tier
- Serverless model API
- Dedicated GPU deployments
- Reinforcement fine-tuning
- Multi-LoRA serving
- Function calling
| Feature | Groq | Fireworks AI |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Very fast inference API for open models on custom LPU chips | Fast inference and fine-tuning platform for open models |
| Category | Models & APIs | Models & APIs |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Paid |
| Starting price | See pricing page | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Made by | Groq | Fireworks AI |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Groq starts at See pricing page and Fireworks AI starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
3 plans
Free
Free
- Rate-limited API access
- For prototyping
Developer
Pay per token
- Higher rate limits
- Pay-as-you-go by model
Enterprise
Contact sales
- Dedicated capacity
- Enterprise support
3 plans
Serverless
Per 1M tokens
- No setup, no cold starts
- Fine-tuned models at base price
On-demand GPUs
$8.00 / hr (H100)
- Billed per GPU second
- H100, H200, B200, B300 options
- No charge for start-up time
Enterprise
Contact sales
- Higher rate limits
- Faster speeds, lower costs
- Region-restricted deployments
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Groq
- Extremely fast output
- Free tier without a card
- Low prices on small models
- Smaller model catalog
- Some models moved to enterprise pricing
- Rate limits on the free tier
Fireworks AI
- Low latency on popular models
- Strong fine-tuning tools
- Quick support for new open models
- Dedicated GPUs are costly
- Fewer image models than rivals
- Docs assume ML experience
Which one should you choose?
Choose Groq if you want:
- Extremely fast output
- Free tier without a card
- Low prices on small models
Watch out: smaller model catalog.
Choose Fireworks AI if you want:
- Low latency on popular models
- Strong fine-tuning tools
- Quick support for new open models
Watch out: dedicated gpus are costly.
Groq vs Fireworks AI FAQ
What is the difference between Groq and Fireworks AI?
Groq: Very fast inference API for open models on custom LPU chips. Fireworks AI: Fast inference and fine-tuning platform for open models. Both are models & apis tools.
Is Groq or Fireworks AI cheaper?
Groq starts at See pricing page and Fireworks AI starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Groq and Fireworks AI have free plans?
Groq: Yes. Fireworks AI: No.
Who makes Groq?
Groq is made by Groq, based in United States.
Who makes Fireworks AI?
Fireworks AI is made by Fireworks AI, based in United States.
Which should I choose, Groq or Fireworks AI?
Choose Groq if you value extremely fast output and free tier without a card. Choose Fireworks AI if you value low latency on popular models and strong fine-tuning tools.