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Fireworks AI vs Nebius
Nebius is a European AI cloud with EU placement and cheap raw GPUs. Fireworks is a broader model host with managed training built in.
By The Subconscious Team · Updated
Fireworks AI vs Nebius: key differences
Nebius is a full AI cloud headquartered in Amsterdam. It rents raw NVIDIA GPUs, from H100s at $2.15 an hour preemptible up to GB300 racks, and runs a managed inference product, Token Factory, with 60+ open models starting at $0.06 per million input tokens. Its dedicated endpoints carry a 99.9% SLA and optional EU or US placement, and Artificial Analysis has measured Nebius among the top hosts on throughput. Fireworks is a model host first, with 400+ models, a custom stack that posts 167 to 174 tokens per second on DeepSeek V4 Pro, and SOC 2, HIPAA and ISO certifications.
Each serves fine-tunes at base token pricing, but they get there differently. Nebius lets you upload a checkpoint trained elsewhere, or train on raw GPUs on the same account. Fireworks runs SFT, DPO and RL as managed services, with a Training API that matches numerics between training and inference. Nebius lists preemptible H100s at $2.15 an hour, while Fireworks' dedicated H100 rate is $8. For European buyers who need workloads kept in-region, Nebius is the clearer answer. For teams that want managed RL without running their own trainers, Fireworks is.
What Fireworks AI and Nebius do
Fireworks AI
Fireworks AI was founded in 2022 by former Meta PyTorch engineers led by CEO Lin Qiao, and it sells speed on open models. Its custom serving stack has posted 167 to 174 tokens per second on DeepSeek V4 Pro in third-party measurements, several times what most GPU peers hit on the same model. The catalog holds 400+ models across text, vision, audio and embeddings, served through an OpenAI-compatible API. In July 2026 it raised a $1.505B Series D at a $17.5B valuation, with a reported $1B+ run rate and 40T+ tokens a day.
Example models: DeepSeek V4 Pro, Kimi K3
Full Fireworks AI profileNebius
Nebius is an Amsterdam-headquartered AI cloud and the strongest European alternative to the US hyperscalers. It sells raw NVIDIA GPU compute, from H100s at $2.15 an hour preemptible up to GB300 NVL72 racks, and it has begun adding Vera Rubin. Hyperscale buyers back it: a Microsoft capacity deal worth about $17.4B in September 2025, then a Meta agreement worth up to about $27B in March 2026.
Example models: DeepSeek V3, GPT-OSS
Full Nebius profileShould you choose Fireworks AI or Nebius?
Fireworks AI
Choose Fireworks AI for
- Managed RL and DPO without running your own trainers
- A catalog of 400+ models rather than 60+
- Buyers who need HIPAA and marketplace billing
Nebius
Choose Nebius for
- European enterprises needing EU data placement
- Raw GPUs and managed inference on one account
- Low per-token prices from $0.06 per million input
Fireworks AI vs Nebius at a glance
| Attribute | Fireworks AI | Nebius |
|---|---|---|
| Model access | Open weights | Open weights, 60+ models |
| Flagship models | DeepSeek V4 Pro, Kimi K3 | DeepSeek, Qwen, GLM, Kimi, GPT-OSS |
| Speed | 167–174 tok/s on DeepSeek V4 Pro | Among top hosts on throughput |
| Price | Fine-tunes served at base price | From $0.06 per 1M input |
| Customization | SFT, DPO, RFT; Training API | Serve uploaded fine-tunes |
| Deployment | Serverless, dedicated GPUs | Token Factory, dedicated, raw GPUs |
| Long context | Full 1M on DeepSeek V4 Pro | Varies by model |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Fireworks AI and Nebius?
Nebius is a European AI cloud with EU placement and cheap raw GPUs. Fireworks is a broader model host with managed training built in.
When should I choose Fireworks AI over Nebius?
Managed RL and DPO without running your own trainers; A catalog of 400+ models rather than 60+; Buyers who need HIPAA and marketplace billing.
When should I choose Nebius over Fireworks AI?
European enterprises needing EU data placement; Raw GPUs and managed inference on one account; Low per-token prices from $0.06 per million input.
Is Fireworks AI or Nebius cheaper?
Fireworks AI: Fine-tunes served at base price. Nebius: From $0.06 per 1M input. The cheaper choice depends on the model and workload.
Which has more context, Fireworks AI or Nebius?
Fireworks AI: Full 1M on DeepSeek V4 Pro. Nebius: Varies by model.
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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.