# Google Vertex AI vs General Compute

> Vertex AI is Google Cloud's full AI platform with Gemini and Claude. General Compute is a focused inference cloud serving open models on ASICs.

Canonical: https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/google-vertex-vs-general-compute · By The Subconscious Team · Updated October 27, 2026

## How they compare

Vertex AI, now branded Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform, offers 200+ models in Model Garden, including Gemini 3.8 Flash at $0.75 in and $3.75 out per million tokens with a 1M window through 2026. Custom training, pipelines, vector search and BigQuery integration sit alongside. General Compute only does inference. Its OpenAI-compatible API serves four open models from $0.21 in, with GPU prefill and decode on Cerebras, SambaNova, Positron AI and d-Matrix chips. In its own benchmark it posts over 1,000 tokens per second on GPT-OSS 120B.

Vertex is the pick for enterprises already on Google Cloud that want governed agents, multimodal work and training in one stack. General Compute fits teams that want fast, cheap open-model tokens without adopting a cloud platform, or reserved ASIC capacity under a tokens-per-second SLA. Its catalog is small, tops out at 192K context and runs only in us-west-2.

## What each one does

### Google Vertex AI

Vertex AI is Google Cloud's enterprise AI platform. At Google Cloud Next on April 22, 2026, Google rebranded it the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform with an agent-first structure, though the API endpoint and most docs still say Vertex. Model Garden offers 200+ models, including Google's Gemini 3.8 family, Anthropic's Claude models and open models like Gemma, alongside Imagen, Veo and Chirp for media and speech. Google's own TPUs sit underneath much of its first-party serving.

### General Compute

General Compute is a San Francisco inference cloud built on alternative chips. It splits each request across hardware, with NVIDIA GPUs handling prefill and ASICs from Cerebras, SambaNova, Positron AI and d-Matrix handling decode. In its own open benchmark on GPT-OSS 120B it measured 1,025 to 1,234 output tokens per second against 100 to 121 on an unnamed GPU cloud, and up to 16.2x faster end to end. Founders Finn Puklowski and Jason Goodison raised a $15M seed led by FUSE, an up to $400M debt facility from Upper90 and, on October 27, 2026, a $100M Series A co-led by Blackbird and Abstract.

## Which is best, and when

### Choose Google Vertex AI for

- Enterprises standardized on Google Cloud
- Gemini multimodal and 1M context work
- Training and MLOps in one stack

### Choose General Compute for

- Fast decode on open models
- Simple per-token pricing
- Dedicated racks with throughput SLAs

## At a glance

| Attribute | Google Vertex AI | General Compute |
|---|---|---|
| Model access | Closed and open, 200+ models | Open weights |
| Flagship models | Gemini 3.8 Flash, Claude, Gemma | MiniMax M2.7, DeepSeek V3.2, GPT-OSS 120B |
| Speed | Flash tier built for low latency | 1,000+ tok/s on GPT-OSS 120B (vendor) |
| Price | Gemini 3.8 Flash $0.75 in, $3.75 out until 2027, then $1.50/$7.50 | $0.21–$0.28 in, $0.38–$1.20 out per 1M |
| Customization | Custom training on GPUs or TPUs | Custom LoRA and fine-tuned checkpoints |
| Deployment | Managed on Google Cloud | Serverless API, dedicated racks, bare metal |
| Long context | 1M on Gemini 3.8 Flash | 192K (MiniMax M2.7) |

## FAQ

### What is the difference between Google Vertex AI and General Compute?

Vertex AI is Google Cloud's full AI platform with Gemini and Claude. General Compute is a focused inference cloud serving open models on ASICs.

### When should I choose Google Vertex AI over General Compute?

Enterprises standardized on Google Cloud; Gemini multimodal and 1M context work; Training and MLOps in one stack.

### When should I choose General Compute over Google Vertex AI?

Fast decode on open models; Simple per-token pricing; Dedicated racks with throughput SLAs.

### Is Google Vertex AI or General Compute cheaper?

Google Vertex AI: Gemini 3.8 Flash $0.75 in, $3.75 out until 2027, then $1.50/$7.50. General Compute: $0.21–$0.28 in, $0.38–$1.20 out per 1M. The cheaper choice depends on the model and workload.

### Which has more context, Google Vertex AI or General Compute?

Google Vertex AI: 1M on Gemini 3.8 Flash. General Compute: 192K (MiniMax M2.7).

## Running long-horizon agents?

If your agents run past 200K tokens, compare both against Subconscious: [Subconscious vs Google Vertex AI](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/subconscious-vs-google-vertex.md), [Subconscious vs General Compute](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/subconscious-vs-general-compute.md).

Full profiles: [Google Vertex AI](https://www.subconscious.dev/providers/google-vertex.md), [General Compute](https://www.subconscious.dev/providers/general-compute.md).