# Subconscious vs Baseten

> Baseten wins the first token. Subconscious wins the rest of the run, keeping agent traces fast and affordable as they grow past 200K tokens.

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

## How they compare

The two share a surface. Both speak the OpenAI and Anthropic formats, both serve GLM-family models, and both let a coding agent switch over without new client code. Underneath, they optimize opposite ends. Baseten measured 0.49 seconds to first token on the Artificial Analysis board in August 2026, the lowest of the major open-model hosts, and its KV cache-aware routing helps agentic coding traffic. Subconscious works on what happens after the first token, as the trace keeps growing. It prunes the KV cache, delivers 2x faster task completion and a 5M+ effective context window, and bills processed tokens rather than tokens sent.

Baseten is the stronger pick for custom deployments. Truss packages any model, including speech and embedding models, onto dedicated GPUs billed per minute with scale to zero, and Baseten adds a 99.99% SLA. Model labs can even get a white-label API. Subconscious keeps its managed API focused on GLM 5.3 and DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, and for an agent whose context climbs past 200K tokens, its processed-token billing and pruned cache change the cost curve in a way smarter routing alone does not. Snappy interactive calls lean toward Baseten. Long unattended runs lean toward Subconscious.

## What each one does

### Subconscious

Subconscious is an MIT CSAIL spinout in Kendall Square that builds inference for long-horizon agents, the workloads where a single trace runs past 200K tokens and often into the millions. Its runtime drops in as a replacement for vLLM or SGLang. Instead of rereading an ever-growing context on every step, it prunes the KV cache and preserves suffix state, and Subconscious co-designs the runtime with post-trained model variants it calls Marathon. Against open models on standard inference, Subconscious delivers 2x faster task completion, delivers a 5M+ effective context window, cuts cost 50% and up to 80%, and scores neutral to 10% better on agentic benchmarks.

### Baseten

Baseten runs two products. Model APIs serve a curated set of 13 open models, including DeepSeek V4, GLM 5.2, Kimi K3 and gpt-oss 120B, over endpoints that speak both the OpenAI Chat Completions shape and the Anthropic Messages shape. That dual compatibility means an existing OpenAI or Claude SDK, or a coding agent, points at Baseten with a base URL change. Dedicated deployments take any model you package with the open-source Truss CLI and bill per GPU minute, with an H100 at about $6.50 an hour.

## Which is best, and when

### Choose Subconscious for

- Agents whose context keeps growing long after the first token
- Billing on processed tokens for 200K+ traces
- Coding agents that need more than 1M tokens of context

### Choose Baseten for

- Interactive calls where time to first token is the metric
- Packaging custom speech, embedding or fine-tuned models with Truss
- Model labs that want a white-label production API

## At a glance

| Attribute | Subconscious | Baseten |
|---|---|---|
| Model access | Open weights | Open weights, 13 curated |
| Flagship models | GLM 5.3, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash | GLM 5.2, DeepSeek V4, Kimi K3, gpt-oss 120B |
| Speed | 2x faster task completion | 0.49s TTFT, lowest measured |
| Price | 50–80% lower cost; billed on processed tokens | H100 about $6.50/hr dedicated |
| Customization | Marathon post-trained variants | Deploy any model with Truss |
| Deployment | Managed API, dedicated, on-prem | Model APIs, dedicated, self-host |
| Long context | 5M+ effective context | Varies by model |

## FAQ

### What is the difference between Subconscious and Baseten?

Baseten wins the first token. Subconscious wins the rest of the run, keeping agent traces fast and affordable as they grow past 200K tokens.

### When should I choose Subconscious over Baseten?

Agents whose context keeps growing long after the first token; Billing on processed tokens for 200K+ traces; Coding agents that need more than 1M tokens of context.

### When should I choose Baseten over Subconscious?

Interactive calls where time to first token is the metric; Packaging custom speech, embedding or fine-tuned models with Truss; Model labs that want a white-label production API.

### Is Subconscious or Baseten cheaper?

Subconscious: 50–80% lower cost; billed on processed tokens. Baseten: H100 about $6.50/hr dedicated. The cheaper choice depends on the model and workload.

### Which has more context, Subconscious or Baseten?

Subconscious: 5M+ effective context. Baseten: Varies by model.

## Try Subconscious

Subconscious speaks the OpenAI and Anthropic API formats. Base URL: https://api.subconscious.dev/v1. Docs: https://docs.subconscious.dev. Get an API key: https://platform.subconscious.dev/signin. Agent guide: https://www.subconscious.dev/agents.md.

Full profiles: [Subconscious](https://www.subconscious.dev/providers/subconscious.md), [Baseten](https://www.subconscious.dev/providers/baseten.md).