DeepInfra vs Inference.net

Inference.net turns spare GPU time into cheap batch jobs and custom distilled models. DeepInfra sells cheap per-token calls on a large open catalog.

By The Subconscious Team · Updated September 30, 2026

DeepInfra vs Inference.net: key differences

Both companies chase the same cost-first buyer running extraction, classification and synthetic data jobs, but they get there differently. Inference.net started by buying idle GPU time and passes those discounts through a Batch API that takes up to 1M requests per file, with completion windows from 24 hours to 7 days. DeepInfra lists per-token prices on 150+ open models, such as $0.14 in and $0.28 out on DeepSeek V4 Flash, with no minimums or contracts. If a job can wait a day, Inference.net's batch design is built for it. Its fragmented capacity suits batch better than strict real-time SLAs, so interactive traffic fits DeepInfra's shared API better.

The bigger difference is what happens after inference. Inference.net's gateway routes traffic across open, closed and custom models under one key, captures every request, and turns that traffic into eval and training data. It then fine-tunes a task-specific model and deploys it on a dedicated GPU with a 99.99% uptime target. DeepInfra has no managed fine-tuning. On the other side, DeepInfra is a public reference price, while Inference.net has few independent benchmarks or pricing comparisons, so buyers depend on its own numbers.

What DeepInfra and Inference.net do

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 $0.14 in and $0.28 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.

Example models: DeepSeek V4 Flash, Llama 3.1 8B

Full DeepInfra profile

Inference.net

Inference.net started as a buyer of last resort for idle GPU time. Its scheduler aggregates small unused chunks of capacity across data centers and runs models on them, and it passes the steep discounts it gets from those data centers on to customers. That origin still shows in its OpenAI-compatible Batch API, which takes up to 1M requests per file with completion windows from 24 hours to 7 days and far higher headroom than synchronous limits.

Example models: open catalog models plus customer fine-tunes served on dedicated GPUs

Full Inference.net profile

Should you choose DeepInfra or Inference.net?

DeepInfra

Choose DeepInfra for

Per-call pricing that is public and easy to compare
Workloads that need answers without a batch window
Picking from a broad catalog of stock open models

Inference.net

Choose Inference.net for

Million-request batch jobs that can wait 24 hours or more
Distilling production traces into a smaller custom model
Routing open, closed and custom models through one gateway

DeepInfra vs Inference.net at a glance

Attribute	DeepInfra	Inference.net
Model access	Open weights	Open, closed and custom
Flagship models	DeepSeek V4 Flash, Llama 3.1 8B	Customer fine-tunes
Speed	~33 tok/s on DeepSeek V4 Pro (FP4)	Batch windows of 24h to 7 days
Price	From $0.02 per 1M	Discounted spare GPU capacity
Customization	No managed fine-tuning	Distill traces into custom models
Deployment	Shared API, no contracts	Batch API, gateway, dedicated GPUs
Long context	66K on FP4 DeepSeek V4 Pro	Varies by model

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between DeepInfra and Inference.net?

Inference.net turns spare GPU time into cheap batch jobs and custom distilled models. DeepInfra sells cheap per-token calls on a large open catalog.

When should I choose DeepInfra over Inference.net?

Per-call pricing that is public and easy to compare; Workloads that need answers without a batch window; Picking from a broad catalog of stock open models.

When should I choose Inference.net over DeepInfra?

Million-request batch jobs that can wait 24 hours or more; Distilling production traces into a smaller custom model; Routing open, closed and custom models through one gateway.

Is DeepInfra or Inference.net cheaper?

DeepInfra: From $0.02 per 1M. Inference.net: Discounted spare GPU capacity. The cheaper choice depends on the model and workload.

Which has more context, DeepInfra or Inference.net?

DeepInfra: 66K on FP4 DeepSeek V4 Pro. Inference.net: Varies by 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.

Subconscious vs DeepInfra Subconscious vs Inference.net