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Baseten vs Relace
Relace sells small tool models for coding agents: apply, search and compaction. Baseten serves general open models. They slot into different steps of the same agent.
By The Subconscious Team · Updated
Baseten vs Relace: key differences
Relace's small models act as tools inside a coding agent. relace-apply-3 merges a lazy edit snippet into the original file at about 10,000 tokens per second with 128K tokens of input and output, and Relace says this runs over 3x faster and cheaper than a full rewrite. Its agentic search and a 50,000 tokens per second compaction model handle other chores. Baseten serves the model that plans and writes the edits, from a curated list including GLM 5.3, Kimi K3 and DeepSeek V4, with the lowest measured time to first token. The two stack rather than compete.
Deployment options line up well. Relace offers self-hosting with guided onboarding for enterprises that keep code in-house, and Baseten offers self-hosting plus HIPAA and data residency, so a company could keep the whole agent inside its own boundary. Relace returns an error past 128K tokens, so very large files need a fallback, and a general model on Baseten can fill that role. Relace also bundles source control with built-in codebase retrieval, which Baseten does not attempt.
What Baseten and Relace do
Baseten
Baseten runs two products. Model APIs serve a curated set of 15+ open models, including GLM 5.3, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, DeepSeek V4 Pro 0813, 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 5.3, gpt-oss 120B
Full Baseten profileRelace
Relace started out training small, fast models that act as tools for coding agents, and by October 2026 its homepage led with open-model inference instead. It says it served 30 trillion tokens in the 30 days to late October and ranks among the top providers on OpenRouter. The hosted catalog covers DeepSeek V4 Pro, V4 Flash and V4.1 Flash, Kimi K3, GLM 5.3, GLM 5.3 Flash and GLM 5.2 over OpenAI and Anthropic compatible APIs, billed per token with no subscription. Prices run from $0.07 in and $0.14 out per million tokens on DeepSeek V4 Flash to $2.00 in and $14.00 out on Kimi K3, and Relace says it reprices often.
Example models: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, Kimi K3, GLM 5.3, relace-apply-3
Full Relace profileShould you choose Baseten or Relace?
Baseten
Choose Baseten for
- Serving the planning and coding model in an agent
- Fallback model for files past Relace's 128K limit
- General open-model inference beyond code
Relace
Choose Relace for
- Instant apply of AI edits in app builders
- Parallel search across large codebases
- Fast context compaction for long agent sessions
Baseten vs Relace at a glance
| Attribute | Baseten | Relace |
|---|---|---|
| Model access | Open weights, 15+ curated | Open weights, plus specialist coding models |
| Flagship models | GLM 5.3, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, Kimi K3, gpt-oss 120B | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, Kimi K3, GLM 5.3, relace-apply-3 |
| Speed | 0.49s TTFT, lowest measured | ~10,000 tok/s apply |
| Price | H100 about $6.50/hr dedicated | $0.07 in, $0.50 out (DeepSeek V4.1 Flash) |
| Customization | Deploy any model with Truss | Unknown |
| Deployment | Model APIs, dedicated, self-host | Hosted API, OpenRouter or self-hosted |
| Long context | Varies by model | 128K on apply; varies by open model |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Baseten and Relace?
Relace sells small tool models for coding agents: apply, search and compaction. Baseten serves general open models. They slot into different steps of the same agent.
When should I choose Baseten over Relace?
Serving the planning and coding model in an agent; Fallback model for files past Relace's 128K limit; General open-model inference beyond code.
When should I choose Relace over Baseten?
Instant apply of AI edits in app builders; Parallel search across large codebases; Fast context compaction for long agent sessions.
Is Baseten or Relace cheaper?
Baseten: H100 about $6.50/hr dedicated. Relace: $0.07 in, $0.50 out (DeepSeek V4.1 Flash). The cheaper choice depends on the model and workload.
Which has more context, Baseten or Relace?
Baseten: Varies by model. Relace: 128K on apply; varies by open model.
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.