# Meta vs SambaNova

> Meta sells its own closed Muse models on a new API. SambaNova sells fast decode on other labs' open models, served on its own dataflow chip.

Canonical: https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/meta-vs-sambanova · By The Subconscious Team · Updated September 30, 2026

## How they compare

Meta is a model lab and SambaNova is a hardware company, so the comparison is less about price per token than about what you want to run. Meta's Model API, in public preview since July 2026, serves Muse Spark 1.3 with 1M context at $1.25 in and $4.25 out per million, and its endpoint speaks OpenAI, Anthropic and a stateful agentic format. SambaCloud serves open weights like MiniMax M2.7, DeepSeek, Gemma 4 31B and GPT-OSS 120B on the Reconfigurable Dataflow Unit, which hot swaps between large models in milliseconds.

Speed claims favor SambaNova, with caveats. It says an SN50 rack runs MiniMax M2.7 near 820 tokens per second in its fastest configuration, but many headline numbers are vendor benchmarks on hardware still ramping. Meta makes no speed pitch. It pitches an agentic model at mid-tier prices plus image generation and transcription on the same key. Meta's risk is a preview API with a short track record. SambaNova's is a small public catalog and a business that leans on hardware sales. Agents that bounce between open models fit SambaNova. Agents built on one multimodal model fit Meta.

## What each one does

### Meta

Meta has moved from open Llama releases toward its own closed API. Meta Superintelligence Labs builds the Muse family, and in July 2026 Meta opened a public preview of the Meta Model API with Muse Spark 1.1, a multimodal reasoning model aimed at agentic coding, tool use and computer use. The current lineup runs through Muse Spark 1.3 with a 1M token context. Standard pricing is $1.25 in and $4.25 out per million tokens, with cached input at $0.15, and the endpoint speaks OpenAI Chat Completions, Anthropic Messages and a stateful agentic format.

### SambaNova

SambaNova designs its own inference chip, the Reconfigurable Dataflow Unit, and sells fast tokens on large open models through SambaCloud. The RDU maps the model graph onto the chip to cut trips to off-chip memory. A three-tier memory design of SRAM, HBM and bulk DRAM lets one system host very large models and hot swap between several of them in milliseconds. SambaCloud serves models like MiniMax M2.7, DeepSeek, Gemma 4 31B and GPT-OSS 120B, with speeds reported by Artificial Analysis.

## Which is best, and when

### Choose Meta for

- One multimodal agentic model with 1M context
- Image generation and transcription on the same key
- Drop-in use from OpenAI or Anthropic SDKs

### Choose SambaNova for

- Fast decode on large open models like MiniMax M2.7
- Agents that hot swap between several models
- Neoclouds adding a premium speed tier

## At a glance

| Attribute | Meta | SambaNova |
|---|---|---|
| Model access | Closed API; open Muse Glimmer | Open weights |
| Flagship models | Muse Spark 1.3, Muse Glimmer | MiniMax M2.7, GPT-OSS 120B, DeepSeek |
| Speed | ~145–233 tok/s on Muse Spark 1.3 | ~820 tok/s on MiniMax M2.7 (SN50) |
| Price | $1.25 in, $4.25 out; Contributor tier cheaper | $0.22 in, $0.59 out (GPT-OSS 120B) |
| Customization | Open Muse Glimmer weights to fine-tune | - |
| Deployment | Meta Model API (preview) | SambaCloud, racks for neoclouds |
| Long context | 1M | Up to 192K (MiniMax M2.7) |

## FAQ

### What is the difference between Meta and SambaNova?

Meta sells its own closed Muse models on a new API. SambaNova sells fast decode on other labs' open models, served on its own dataflow chip.

### When should I choose Meta over SambaNova?

One multimodal agentic model with 1M context; Image generation and transcription on the same key; Drop-in use from OpenAI or Anthropic SDKs.

### When should I choose SambaNova over Meta?

Fast decode on large open models like MiniMax M2.7; Agents that hot swap between several models; Neoclouds adding a premium speed tier.

### Is Meta or SambaNova cheaper?

Meta: $1.25 in, $4.25 out; Contributor tier cheaper. SambaNova: $0.22 in, $0.59 out (GPT-OSS 120B). The cheaper choice depends on the model and workload.

### Which has more context, Meta or SambaNova?

Meta: 1M. SambaNova: Up to 192K (MiniMax M2.7).

## Running long-horizon agents?

If your agents run past 200K tokens, compare both against Subconscious: [Subconscious vs Meta](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/subconscious-vs-meta.md), [Subconscious vs SambaNova](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/subconscious-vs-sambanova.md).

Full profiles: [Meta](https://www.subconscious.dev/providers/meta.md), [SambaNova](https://www.subconscious.dev/providers/sambanova.md).