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DeepInfra vs Novita AI
Two budget open-model hosts with the same $0.02 floor. Novita adds GPUs, LoRA endpoints and a wider catalog. DeepInfra stays simpler.
By The Subconscious Team · Updated
DeepInfra vs Novita AI: key differences
This is one of the closest price fights in the category. Both advertise LLM prices from $0.02 per million, and both move fast on new open releases. On DeepSeek V4 Pro both now offer the full 1M context, with DeepInfra at $1.30 in and $2.60 out. Novita's catalog is also wider, 200+ models spanning video, voice cloning and embeddings on top of text, image and speech, and its API speaks both OpenAI and Anthropic formats. DeepInfra's API is OpenAI compatible.
Novita is also more of a platform. It adds a GPU cloud from RTX 3090s to H200s with spot pricing up to 50% off, dedicated endpoints that run any Hugging Face model with hot-swappable LoRA adapters, batch at 50% off and a per-second Agent Sandbox. DeepInfra keeps to a shared API with no minimums or contracts. Each has a weak spot. DeepInfra's is default quantization. Novita's is looser serverless SLAs, middling uptime ratings, Discord-based support and no HIPAA. For LoRA serving, Novita has the edge. For plain bulk calls, DeepInfra is a sound default.
What DeepInfra and Novita AI 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 $0.09 in and $0.18 out. The catalog covers 200+ 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 profileNovita AI
Novita AI is a San Francisco inference cloud founded in late 2023 by Frank Lewis and Junyu Huang, and it competes on price and breadth. Its serverless API covers 200+ open models across LLMs, image, video, speech, voice cloning and embeddings, with LLM prices starting at $0.02 per million tokens. The API speaks both OpenAI and Anthropic formats. It became an official Hugging Face Inference Partner in April 2026 and was the day-zero launch partner for Google's Gemma 4.
Example models: DeepSeek V4 Pro, Gemma 4
Full Novita AI profileShould you choose DeepInfra or Novita AI?
DeepInfra
Choose DeepInfra for
- Plain per-token bulk calls with no platform to learn
- Teams that treat low list price as the main metric
- DeepSeek V4 Pro at full 1M context for $1.30 in
Novita AI
Choose Novita AI for
- Full 1M context on DeepSeek V4 Pro at a budget price
- Serving private models with hot-swappable LoRA adapters
- Model APIs, GPUs and agent sandboxes on one bill
DeepInfra vs Novita AI at a glance
| Attribute | DeepInfra | Novita AI |
|---|---|---|
| Model access | Open weights | Open weights |
| Flagship models | DeepSeek V4 Flash, Llama 3.1 8B | DeepSeek V4 Pro, Gemma 4 |
| Speed | Unknown | ~36 tok/s on DeepSeek V4 Pro |
| Price | From $0.02 per 1M | From $0.02 per 1M; batch 50% off |
| Customization | No managed fine-tuning | Hot-swappable LoRA adapters |
| Deployment | Shared API, no contracts | Serverless, GPU cloud, dedicated |
| Long context | 1M on DeepSeek V4 Pro | Full 1M on DeepSeek V4 Pro |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between DeepInfra and Novita AI?
Two budget open-model hosts with the same $0.02 floor. Novita adds GPUs, LoRA endpoints and a wider catalog. DeepInfra stays simpler.
When should I choose DeepInfra over Novita AI?
Plain per-token bulk calls with no platform to learn; Teams that treat low list price as the main metric; DeepSeek V4 Pro at full 1M context for $1.30 in.
When should I choose Novita AI over DeepInfra?
Full 1M context on DeepSeek V4 Pro at a budget price; Serving private models with hot-swappable LoRA adapters; Model APIs, GPUs and agent sandboxes on one bill.
Is DeepInfra or Novita AI cheaper?
DeepInfra: From $0.02 per 1M. Novita AI: From $0.02 per 1M; batch 50% off. The cheaper choice depends on the model and workload.
Which has more context, DeepInfra or Novita AI?
DeepInfra: 1M on DeepSeek V4 Pro. Novita AI: Full 1M on DeepSeek V4 Pro.
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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.