# DeepInfra vs Meta

> Meta's new closed Muse API against DeepInfra's open catalog. Meta's cheapest tier costs you your data. DeepInfra's low prices come from quantization instead.

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

## How they compare

Meta has moved from open Llama releases to a closed API, while DeepInfra still serves the older open side of that story, with Llama 3.1 8B at $0.02 per million. The Meta Model API is in public preview with Muse Spark 1.3, a multimodal reasoning model aimed at agentic coding, tool use and computer use, with 1M context at $1.25 in and $4.25 out. It speaks OpenAI Chat Completions, Anthropic Messages and a stateful agentic format. DeepInfra offers a fully OpenAI-compatible API over 150+ open models from many labs, with no single model at the center.

The price comparison hinges on Meta's Contributor tier. At $0.10 in and $0.20 out it lands close to floor pricing, but Meta trains on your prompts and completions, and rate limits drop from 3,000 to 100 requests per minute. That rules it out for most business traffic. DeepInfra reaches low prices through quantization, so teams should check precision per model. Meta also bundles Muse Image at $0.01 per image and transcription at $0.18 per hour on the same key. Choose Meta for coding agents and multimodal assistants on one capable model. Choose DeepInfra for bulk work across many open models.

## 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 $0.14 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.

### Meta

Meta has moved from open Llama releases toward its own closed API. Meta Superintelligence Labs builds the Muse family, and in July 2026 Meta opened a public preview of the Meta Model API with Muse Spark 1.1, a multimodal reasoning model aimed at agentic coding, tool use and computer use. The current lineup runs through Muse Spark 1.3 with a 1M token context. Standard pricing is $1.25 in and $4.25 out per million tokens, with cached input at $0.15, and the endpoint speaks OpenAI Chat Completions, Anthropic Messages and a stateful agentic format.

## Which is best, and when

### Choose DeepInfra for

- Business traffic that cannot be shared for training
- High-rate bulk calls on small open models
- Choosing among many open model families

### Choose Meta for

- Agentic coding and computer use on Muse Spark 1.3
- Cheap image generation and transcription on one key
- Near-free prototyping where data sharing is acceptable

## At a glance

| Attribute | DeepInfra | Meta |
|---|---|---|
| Model access | Open weights | Closed API; open Muse Glimmer |
| Flagship models | DeepSeek V4 Flash, Llama 3.1 8B | Muse Spark 1.3, Muse Glimmer |
| Speed | ~33 tok/s on DeepSeek V4 Pro (FP4) | ~145–233 tok/s on Muse Spark 1.3 |
| Price | From $0.02 per 1M | $1.25 in, $4.25 out; Contributor tier cheaper |
| Customization | No managed fine-tuning | Open Muse Glimmer weights to fine-tune |
| Deployment | Shared API, no contracts | Meta Model API (preview) |
| Long context | 66K on FP4 DeepSeek V4 Pro | 1M |

## FAQ

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

Meta's new closed Muse API against DeepInfra's open catalog. Meta's cheapest tier costs you your data. DeepInfra's low prices come from quantization instead.

### When should I choose DeepInfra over Meta?

Business traffic that cannot be shared for training; High-rate bulk calls on small open models; Choosing among many open model families.

### When should I choose Meta over DeepInfra?

Agentic coding and computer use on Muse Spark 1.3; Cheap image generation and transcription on one key; Near-free prototyping where data sharing is acceptable.

### Is DeepInfra or Meta cheaper?

DeepInfra: From $0.02 per 1M. Meta: $1.25 in, $4.25 out; Contributor tier cheaper. The cheaper choice depends on the model and workload.

### Which has more context, DeepInfra or Meta?

DeepInfra: 66K on FP4 DeepSeek V4 Pro. Meta: 1M.

## 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 Meta](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/subconscious-vs-meta.md).

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