# DeepInfra vs Dolphin

> Both compete on price. DeepInfra serves 150+ open models from managed infrastructure, while Dolphin serves one model on idle consumer GPUs.

Canonical: https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/deepinfra-vs-dolphin · By The Subconscious Team · Updated October 11, 2026

## How they compare

DeepInfra lists DeepSeek V4 Flash at $0.09 in and $0.18 out and small models from $0.02 per million, with an OpenAI-compatible API and no contracts. Dolphin's API launched in October 2026 with one model, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, at $0.01 in and $0.07 out per million, served on idle consumer GPUs. Validators check returned logprobs against a trusted copy of the model so nodes cannot swap in a smaller one, but Dolphin publishes no speed, context or SLA.

DeepInfra is the safer cost-first choice, with many models and normal signup, though teams should check quantization per model. Dolphin goes lower on price for one model, and fits teams that accept variable latency, want uncensored models and can sign up with a crypto wallet and Telegram.

## What each one does

### DeepInfra

DeepInfra is the price floor for open-model inference. Developers treat it as the reference point for what a token should cost, with small models like Llama 3.1 8B at $0.02 per million and DeepSeek V4 Flash at $0.09 in and $0.18 out. The catalog covers 150+ open models across text, image and speech behind a fully OpenAI-compatible API. There are no minimums, setup fees or contracts on the shared API.

### Dolphin

Dolphin began in 2023 as Eric Hartford's series of open-source, uncensored fine-tunes, trained to drop the refusals and baked-in guidelines of their base models so that the developer sets the rules through the system prompt. Current releases include Dolphin Llama 3.1 8B and Dolphin Mistral 24B Venice Edition, built with Venice, and the project publishes nearly 100 models on Hugging Face. It also runs a chat app, a Telegram bot and a synthetic data service that generates answers to commonly refused prompts.

## Which is best, and when

### Choose DeepInfra for

- Cheap inference across 150+ open models
- Bulk jobs with normal signup and billing
- Fast access to new open releases

### Choose Dolphin for

- Lowest price on DeepSeek V4.1 Flash
- Background jobs with loose latency needs
- Uncensored models

## At a glance

| Attribute | DeepInfra | Dolphin |
|---|---|---|
| Model access | Open weights | Open weights, uncensored fine-tunes |
| Flagship models | DeepSeek V4 Flash, Llama 3.1 8B | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, Dolphin Mistral 24B |
| Speed | - | - |
| Price | From $0.02 per 1M | $0.01 in, $0.07 out (DeepSeek V4.1 Flash) |
| Customization | No managed fine-tuning | Own uncensored fine-tunes |
| Deployment | Shared API, no contracts | Decentralized serverless API |
| Long context | 1M on DeepSeek V4 Pro | - |

## FAQ

### What is the difference between DeepInfra and Dolphin?

Both compete on price. DeepInfra serves 150+ open models from managed infrastructure, while Dolphin serves one model on idle consumer GPUs.

### When should I choose DeepInfra over Dolphin?

Cheap inference across 150+ open models; Bulk jobs with normal signup and billing; Fast access to new open releases.

### When should I choose Dolphin over DeepInfra?

Lowest price on DeepSeek V4.1 Flash; Background jobs with loose latency needs; Uncensored models.

### Is DeepInfra or Dolphin cheaper?

DeepInfra: From $0.02 per 1M. Dolphin: $0.01 in, $0.07 out (DeepSeek V4.1 Flash). The cheaper choice depends on the model and workload.

## Running long-horizon agents?

If your agents run past 200K tokens, compare both against Subconscious: [Subconscious vs DeepInfra](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/subconscious-vs-deepinfra.md), [Subconscious vs Dolphin](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/subconscious-vs-dolphin.md).

Full profiles: [DeepInfra](https://www.subconscious.dev/providers/deepinfra.md), [Dolphin](https://www.subconscious.dev/providers/dolphin.md).