DeepInfra vs Particle.AI

Two cheap hosts for Flash-class open models, down to the same $0.14 and $0.28 on DeepSeek V4 Flash. Particle offers 1M context on every listing. DeepInfra offers a far bigger catalog.

By The Subconscious Team · Updated September 30, 2026

DeepInfra vs Particle.AI: key differences

On price these two meet head-on. Particle lists DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 at $0.14 in and $0.28 out, the same rates DeepInfra lists for DeepSeek V4 Flash. Particle's other listings are DeepSeek V4.1 Flash at $0.25 in and $1 out and GLM 5.3 Flash at $0.10 in and $0.40 out, all with 1M context and cache reads at $0.03 per million. That full context is a real point for Particle, since DeepInfra's quantized endpoints can shorten context, as on its FP4 DeepSeek V4 Pro at 66K. Teams should check each DeepInfra model's precision and window before assuming parity.

Everything else favors DeepInfra's scale. It carries 150+ models across text, image and speech, has raised a $107M Series B backed by NVIDIA and Samsung, and sells directly with no minimums or contracts. Particle is a very early startup, still hiring its founding team, with a tiny catalog, and it is reached mainly through Vercel AI Gateway. Its DeepSeek V4.1 Flash listing shows about 3.5 seconds of latency. Particle works well as a price-optimized fallback route inside a gateway. DeepInfra works as a primary host.

What DeepInfra and Particle.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 $0.14 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

Particle.AI

Particle AI is an early San Francisco infrastructure startup with a mission to make intelligence as cheap and abundant as electricity. The team works on post-training, inference optimization and distributed systems, all aimed at pushing down cost per unit of intelligence. It is still hiring its founding team and works fully in person. Public detail about funding and founders is thin as of this writing.

Example models: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GLM 5.3 Flash

Full Particle.AI profile

Should you choose DeepInfra or Particle.AI?

DeepInfra

Choose DeepInfra for

A primary host with a broad catalog and direct billing
Workloads that need models beyond DeepSeek and GLM Flash
Teams that want an established vendor

Particle.AI

Choose Particle.AI for

Full 1M context on cheap Flash-class models
A fallback route inside Vercel AI Gateway with no new contract
Cache-heavy calls with reads at $0.03 per million

DeepInfra vs Particle.AI at a glance

Attribute	DeepInfra	Particle.AI
Model access	Open weights	Open weights
Flagship models	DeepSeek V4 Flash, Llama 3.1 8B	DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, GLM 5.3 Flash
Speed	~33 tok/s on DeepSeek V4 Pro (FP4)	~157 tok/s on DeepSeek V4.1 Flash
Price	From $0.02 per 1M	$0.10 in, $0.40 out (GLM 5.3 Flash)
Customization	No managed fine-tuning	Unknown
Deployment	Shared API, no contracts	Via Vercel AI Gateway
Long context	66K on FP4 DeepSeek V4 Pro	1M

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between DeepInfra and Particle.AI?

Two cheap hosts for Flash-class open models, down to the same $0.14 and $0.28 on DeepSeek V4 Flash. Particle offers 1M context on every listing. DeepInfra offers a far bigger catalog.

When should I choose DeepInfra over Particle.AI?

A primary host with a broad catalog and direct billing; Workloads that need models beyond DeepSeek and GLM Flash; Teams that want an established vendor.

When should I choose Particle.AI over DeepInfra?

Full 1M context on cheap Flash-class models; A fallback route inside Vercel AI Gateway with no new contract; Cache-heavy calls with reads at $0.03 per million.

Is DeepInfra or Particle.AI cheaper?

DeepInfra: From $0.02 per 1M. Particle.AI: $0.10 in, $0.40 out (GLM 5.3 Flash). The cheaper choice depends on the model and workload.

Which has more context, DeepInfra or Particle.AI?

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

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.

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