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Groq vs Crusoe
Groq sells raw decode speed on its own LPU with a tiny catalog. Crusoe sells GPU capacity and prefix reuse, with fine-tuning and a wider open-model list.
By The Subconscious Team · Updated
Groq vs Crusoe: key differences
Groq and Crusoe optimize different parts of a request. Groq's LPU keeps weights in on-chip SRAM and publishes 1,000 tokens per second on GPT-OSS 20B and 500 on GPT-OSS 120B, with tail latency close to the median. Crusoe runs GPUs and targets the prefill side: MemoryAlloy reuses KV cache across the cluster, and Crusoe claims up to 9.9x faster time to first token versus vLLM on prefix-heavy work. Both serve gpt-oss. Beyond that, Groq's catalog centers on GPT-OSS and Qwen 3.6 and caps around 131K context, while Crusoe adds DeepSeek, GLM, Kimi, Gemma and Nemotron, priced from $0.05 in and $0.20 out per million. Groq's small-model prices sit near the market floor.
Customization splits them cleanly. Groq hosts no fine-tuned models. Crusoe offers serverless LoRA fine-tuning, self-serve dedicated endpoints per GPU-hour, tailored deployments with SLAs and raw GPU clusters. Groq adds Whisper for speech to text and Groq Compound for built-in search and code execution, which suit voice agents. Outlook matters too. NVIDIA licensed the LPU and hired most of Groq's staff in December 2025, leaving GroqCloud's long-term investment an open question, while Crusoe closed the first part of a $3.9B Series F in September 2026 and reports over 6 GW of contracted capacity. Pick Groq when each generated token must arrive fast. Pick Crusoe when prompts are long and repeated or the model needs a fine-tune.
What Groq and Crusoe do
Groq
Groq serves open models on its own chip, the LPU, which keeps model weights in on-chip SRAM and runs a deterministic schedule instead of waiting on GPU memory. Groq publishes 1,000 tokens per second on GPT-OSS 20B and 500 on GPT-OSS 120B. Latency stays tight between median and tail, which matters for strict SLAs. The API is OpenAI-compatible and also hosts Whisper for speech to text plus an agentic system called Groq Compound with built-in search and code execution.
Example models: GPT-OSS 120B, Qwen 3.6 27B
Full Groq profileCrusoe
Crusoe started in 2018 turning wasted natural gas into power for computing and has since become a vertically integrated AI infrastructure company: it sources energy, builds data centers and rents GPUs through Crusoe Cloud. It designed and built the Abilene, Texas campus behind the OpenAI and Oracle Stargate project, planned at 1.2 GW, and in March 2026 announced an adjacent 900 MW campus for Microsoft. On September 17, 2026 it closed the first part of a $3.9B Series F at a $30.9B post-money valuation, and it reports over 6 GW of contracted capacity. Crusoe Cloud lists GB200 NVL72, B200 and AMD MI355X by quote, with H100 at $3.90 and H200 at $4.29 per GPU-hour on demand.
Example models: DeepSeek V4 Pro, GLM 5.3, Kimi K2.6
Full Crusoe profileShould you choose Groq or Crusoe?
Groq
Choose Groq for
- Voice agents pairing Whisper with fast replies
- Tight tail latency on GPT-OSS
- Short multi-step loops where decode speed dominates
Crusoe
Choose Crusoe for
- Long repeated prompts that benefit from cache reuse
- Fine-tuning an open model with LoRA
- Wider open-model choice, including DeepSeek and Kimi
Groq vs Crusoe at a glance
| Attribute | Groq | Crusoe |
|---|---|---|
| Model access | Open weights | Open weights |
| Flagship models | GPT-OSS 120B, Qwen 3.6 27B | DeepSeek V4, GLM 5.3, Kimi K2.6, Nemotron 3 |
| Speed | 500–1,000 tok/s | Up to 9.9x faster TTFT vs vLLM (vendor claim) |
| Price | Near the floor on small models | $0.05–$1.74 in, $0.20–$4.40 out per 1M |
| Customization | No fine-tuned model hosting | Serverless LoRA fine-tuning |
| Deployment | GroqCloud API | Serverless, self-serve and tailored dedicated, raw GPUs |
| Long context | Around 131K max | Varies by model; cluster-wide KV cache |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Groq and Crusoe?
Groq sells raw decode speed on its own LPU with a tiny catalog. Crusoe sells GPU capacity and prefix reuse, with fine-tuning and a wider open-model list.
When should I choose Groq over Crusoe?
Voice agents pairing Whisper with fast replies; Tight tail latency on GPT-OSS; Short multi-step loops where decode speed dominates.
When should I choose Crusoe over Groq?
Long repeated prompts that benefit from cache reuse; Fine-tuning an open model with LoRA; Wider open-model choice, including DeepSeek and Kimi.
Is Groq or Crusoe cheaper?
Groq: Near the floor on small models. Crusoe: $0.05–$1.74 in, $0.20–$4.40 out per 1M. The cheaper choice depends on the model and workload.
Which has more context, Groq or Crusoe?
Groq: Around 131K max. Crusoe: Varies by model; cluster-wide KV cache.
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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.