vs
Baseten vs Novita AI
Novita AI is a low-cost cloud with 200+ open models across every modality. Baseten is pricier and narrower but brings compliance, a higher SLA and record first-token latency.
By The Subconscious Team · Updated
Baseten vs Novita AI: key differences
Novita competes on breadth and price. Its serverless API covers 200+ models across text, image, video, speech and embeddings, with LLM prices from $0.02 per million and batch at 50% off. Next to it runs a GPU cloud from RTX 3090s to H200s, with spot pricing up to 50% off and dedicated endpoints that host any Hugging Face model with hot-swappable LoRA adapters. Baseten's 13-model catalog and roughly $6.50 an hour H100 look thin by comparison. Both speak OpenAI and Anthropic API formats, so client code moves easily. Novita also serves the full 1M context on DeepSeek V4 Pro.
The gap reverses on enterprise readiness. Novita lists no public SOC 2, HIPAA or VPC peering, its serverless SLAs are looser, and support runs through Discord. Baseten offers HIPAA, data residency, self-hosting and a 99.99% SLA against Novita's 99.5% on dedicated endpoints. It also posted the lowest measured time to first token. Indie products and prototypes that need cheap multimodal calls belong on Novita. Regulated or latency-bound production traffic belongs on Baseten.
What Baseten and Novita AI do
Baseten
Baseten runs two products. Model APIs serve a curated set of 13 open models, including DeepSeek V4, GLM 5.2, Kimi K3 and gpt-oss 120B, over endpoints that speak both the OpenAI Chat Completions shape and the Anthropic Messages shape. That dual compatibility means an existing OpenAI or Claude SDK, or a coding agent, points at Baseten with a base URL change. Dedicated deployments take any model you package with the open-source Truss CLI and bill per GPU minute, with an H100 at about $6.50 an hour.
Example models: GLM 5.2, gpt-oss 120B
Full Baseten profileNovita AI
Novita AI is a San Francisco inference cloud founded in late 2023 by Frank Lewis and Junyu Huang, and it competes on price and breadth. Its serverless API covers 200+ open models across LLMs, image, video, speech, voice cloning and embeddings, with LLM prices starting at $0.02 per million tokens. The API speaks both OpenAI and Anthropic formats. It became an official Hugging Face Inference Partner in April 2026 and was the day-zero launch partner for Google's Gemma 4.
Example models: DeepSeek V4 Pro, Gemma 4
Full Novita AI profileShould you choose Baseten or Novita AI?
Baseten
Choose Baseten for
- Enterprise buyers who need HIPAA and a 99.99% SLA
- Latency-critical agents on curated open models
- White-label APIs for model labs
Novita AI
Choose Novita AI for
- Cost-first text and image generation for indie apps
- Many LoRA adapters hot-swapped on one endpoint
- Model APIs, GPUs and agent sandboxes on one bill
Baseten vs Novita AI at a glance
| Attribute | Baseten | Novita AI |
|---|---|---|
| Model access | Open weights, 13 curated | Open weights |
| Flagship models | GLM 5.2, DeepSeek V4, Kimi K3, gpt-oss 120B | DeepSeek V4 Pro, Gemma 4 |
| Speed | 0.49s TTFT, lowest measured | ~36 tok/s on DeepSeek V4 Pro |
| Price | H100 about $6.50/hr dedicated | From $0.02 per 1M; batch 50% off |
| Customization | Deploy any model with Truss | Hot-swappable LoRA adapters |
| Deployment | Model APIs, dedicated, self-host | Serverless, GPU cloud, dedicated |
| Long context | Varies by model | Full 1M on DeepSeek V4 Pro |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Baseten and Novita AI?
Novita AI is a low-cost cloud with 200+ open models across every modality. Baseten is pricier and narrower but brings compliance, a higher SLA and record first-token latency.
When should I choose Baseten over Novita AI?
Enterprise buyers who need HIPAA and a 99.99% SLA; Latency-critical agents on curated open models; White-label APIs for model labs.
When should I choose Novita AI over Baseten?
Cost-first text and image generation for indie apps; Many LoRA adapters hot-swapped on one endpoint; Model APIs, GPUs and agent sandboxes on one bill.
Is Baseten or Novita AI cheaper?
Baseten: H100 about $6.50/hr dedicated. Novita AI: From $0.02 per 1M; batch 50% off. The cheaper choice depends on the model and workload.
Which has more context, Baseten or Novita AI?
Baseten: Varies by model. Novita AI: Full 1M on DeepSeek V4 Pro.
Related comparisons
Running long-horizon agents?
If your agents run past 200K tokens, compare both against Subconscious. Our inference stack treats a long-horizon trace as the primary workload, so speed, cost, and accuracy hold up deep into the trace.