kitio.aiMicrosoft Foundry vs Baseten
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Microsoft Foundry starts at See pricing page and Baseten 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
- Model catalog
- Azure OpenAI deployments
- Foundry Agent Service
- Evaluations and tracing
- Content safety
- Truss model packaging
- Autoscaling GPU endpoints
- Model APIs
- Multi-cloud capacity
- Training jobs
| Feature | Microsoft Foundry | Baseten |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Microsoft's AI platform for OpenAI and other models, formerly Azure AI Foundry | Production inference platform for custom and open-source models |
| Category | Models & APIs | Models & APIs |
| Pricing model | Paid | Paid |
| Starting price | See pricing page | See pricing page |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Made by | Microsoft | Baseten |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Microsoft Foundry starts at See pricing page and Baseten starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
2 plans
Basic
Pay as you go
- $0 per month base fee
- GPUs billed per minute (T4 $0.01052/min)
- Model APIs per 1M tokens
Pro
Contact sales
- Priority access to high-demand GPUs
- Dedicated compute
- Higher Model API rate limits
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
Microsoft Foundry
- Enterprise access to OpenAI models
- Deep Microsoft 365 and Azure ties
- Strong compliance features
- Frequent renames confuse buyers
- Portal has a learning curve
- Regional model availability varies
Baseten
- Strong production reliability
- Fast cold starts
- Good for custom models
- Costs rise with idle GPUs
- Needs engineering effort
- Less suited to hobby use
Which one should you choose?
Choose Microsoft Foundry if you want:
- Enterprise access to OpenAI models
- Deep Microsoft 365 and Azure ties
- Strong compliance features
Watch out: frequent renames confuse buyers.
Choose Baseten if you want:
- Strong production reliability
- Fast cold starts
- Good for custom models
Watch out: costs rise with idle gpus.
Microsoft Foundry vs Baseten FAQ
What is the difference between Microsoft Foundry and Baseten?
Microsoft Foundry: Microsoft's AI platform for OpenAI and other models, formerly Azure AI Foundry. Baseten: Production inference platform for custom and open-source models. Both are models & apis tools.
Is Microsoft Foundry or Baseten cheaper?
Microsoft Foundry starts at See pricing page and Baseten starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Microsoft Foundry and Baseten have free plans?
Microsoft Foundry: No. Baseten: No.
Who makes Microsoft Foundry?
Microsoft Foundry is made by Microsoft, based in United States.
Who makes Baseten?
Baseten is made by Baseten, based in United States.
Which should I choose, Microsoft Foundry or Baseten?
Choose Microsoft Foundry if you value enterprise access to openai models and deep microsoft 365 and azure ties. Choose Baseten if you value strong production reliability and fast cold starts.