# Baseten vs SambaNova

> SambaNova sells fast decode on large open models from its own RDU chip. Baseten runs GPUs with the lowest measured first token and deploys any custom model.

Canonical: https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/baseten-vs-sambanova · By The Subconscious Team · Updated September 30, 2026

## How they compare

SambaNova is a chip company. Its Reconfigurable Dataflow Unit maps the model graph onto silicon, and a three-tier memory design lets one system hold very large models and hot swap between them in milliseconds. SambaCloud serves MiniMax M2.7, DeepSeek, Gemma 4 31B and GPT-OSS 120B. SambaNova claims its SN50 rack runs MiniMax M2.7 near 820 tokens per second in its fastest setup, though that chip is still ramping and many headline numbers are its own benchmarks. Baseten runs GPUs and competes on the other end of the request: 0.49 seconds to first token on the Artificial Analysis board in August 2026.

Both companies sell to other businesses as much as to developers. SambaNova sells racks to neoclouds that want a premium speed tier. Baseten sells white-label APIs to model labs, as it did for Poolside's Laguna launch. For an app team, Baseten is the easier self-serve platform, with Truss deployments for custom models, HIPAA, data residency and a 99.99% SLA. SambaNova is the pick for agents that bounce between big open models and care most about decode speed.

## What each one does

### 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.

### SambaNova

SambaNova designs its own inference chip, the Reconfigurable Dataflow Unit, and sells fast tokens on large open models through SambaCloud. The RDU maps the model graph onto the chip to cut trips to off-chip memory. A three-tier memory design of SRAM, HBM and bulk DRAM lets one system host very large models and hot swap between several of them in milliseconds. SambaCloud serves models like MiniMax M2.7, DeepSeek, Gemma 4 31B and GPT-OSS 120B, with speeds reported by Artificial Analysis.

## Which is best, and when

### Choose Baseten for

- Self-serve custom deployments with Truss
- Interactive requests where time to first token dominates
- Model labs launching a branded API

### Choose SambaNova for

- Fast decode on MiniMax M2.7 and other large open models
- Agents that switch models often and benefit from hot swapping
- Neoclouds adding a premium speed tier

## At a glance

| Attribute | Baseten | SambaNova |
|---|---|---|
| Model access | Open weights, 13 curated | Open weights |
| Flagship models | GLM 5.2, DeepSeek V4, Kimi K3, gpt-oss 120B | MiniMax M2.7, GPT-OSS 120B, DeepSeek |
| Speed | 0.49s TTFT, lowest measured | ~820 tok/s on MiniMax M2.7 (SN50) |
| Price | H100 about $6.50/hr dedicated | $0.22 in, $0.59 out (GPT-OSS 120B) |
| Customization | Deploy any model with Truss | - |
| Deployment | Model APIs, dedicated, self-host | SambaCloud, racks for neoclouds |
| Long context | Varies by model | Up to 192K (MiniMax M2.7) |

## FAQ

### What is the difference between Baseten and SambaNova?

SambaNova sells fast decode on large open models from its own RDU chip. Baseten runs GPUs with the lowest measured first token and deploys any custom model.

### When should I choose Baseten over SambaNova?

Self-serve custom deployments with Truss; Interactive requests where time to first token dominates; Model labs launching a branded API.

### When should I choose SambaNova over Baseten?

Fast decode on MiniMax M2.7 and other large open models; Agents that switch models often and benefit from hot swapping; Neoclouds adding a premium speed tier.

### Is Baseten or SambaNova cheaper?

Baseten: H100 about $6.50/hr dedicated. SambaNova: $0.22 in, $0.59 out (GPT-OSS 120B). The cheaper choice depends on the model and workload.

### Which has more context, Baseten or SambaNova?

Baseten: Varies by model. SambaNova: Up to 192K (MiniMax M2.7).

## Running long-horizon agents?

If your agents run past 200K tokens, compare both against Subconscious: [Subconscious vs Baseten](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/subconscious-vs-baseten.md), [Subconscious vs SambaNova](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/subconscious-vs-sambanova.md).

Full profiles: [Baseten](https://www.subconscious.dev/providers/baseten.md), [SambaNova](https://www.subconscious.dev/providers/sambanova.md).