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Together AI vs Baseten
Together offers a wide open-model catalog plus GPU clusters. Baseten curates 13 models, posts the lowest measured time to first token and speaks both OpenAI and Anthropic formats.
By The Subconscious Team · Updated
Together AI vs Baseten: key differences
Both price tokens at parity, so the choice turns on scope. Baseten keeps its Model APIs to 13 open models, including GLM 5.2, Kimi K3 and gpt-oss 120B, and backs them with the lowest time to first token on the Artificial Analysis board in August 2026, 0.49 seconds. Every endpoint accepts the OpenAI and Anthropic shapes, so a Claude SDK or coding agent switches with a base URL change. Together runs a much wider list, past thirty text models plus media and embeddings, and new open releases show up within days. Anything outside Baseten's 13 means packaging your own deployment with Truss.
The infrastructure story differs too. Baseten bills dedicated GPUs per minute with scale to zero and a 99.99% uptime SLA, at about $6.50 an hour for an H100, and it offers self-host, HIPAA and data residency options. Together's reserved H100 clusters start at $3.19, and it adds managed fine-tuning and an RL beta. Baseten fits interactive products where first-token latency drives UX, and model labs wanting a white-label API. Together fits teams that train, experiment and serve on the same account.
What Together AI and Baseten do
Together AI
Together AI is the broadest open-model platform in the category. One bill covers per-token serverless inference, batch at up to 50% off, provisioned throughput with a 99% SLA, dedicated deployments, raw GPU clusters, managed fine-tuning and code sandboxes for agents. The text catalog runs past thirty open models, including DeepSeek V4, Kimi K3, GLM 5.2, Qwen 3.8 and MiniMax M3, plus image, video, speech and embedding models. Token prices sit at parity with Fireworks and Baseten.
Example models: Kimi K3, DeepSeek V4 Pro
Full Together AI profileBaseten
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.
Example models: GLM 5.2, gpt-oss 120B
Full Baseten profileShould you choose Together AI or Baseten?
Together AI
Choose Together AI for
- Trying many open models before committing to one
- Managed LoRA or full SFT, then serving the checkpoint
- Cheaper reserved H100 clusters for experiments
Baseten
Choose Baseten for
- Chat and agent UIs where first-token latency is the metric
- Pointing Claude or OpenAI SDKs at open models by URL change
- Regulated buyers needing HIPAA, self-host or data residency
Together AI vs Baseten at a glance
| Attribute | Together AI | Baseten |
|---|---|---|
| Model access | Open weights | Open weights, 13 curated |
| Flagship models | Kimi K3, DeepSeek V4, GLM 5.2, Qwen 3.8 | GLM 5.2, DeepSeek V4, Kimi K3, gpt-oss 120B |
| Speed | 0.99s TTFT on DeepSeek V4 Pro | 0.49s TTFT, lowest measured |
| Price | Parity with Fireworks and Baseten | H100 about $6.50/hr dedicated |
| Customization | LoRA and full SFT; RL in beta | Deploy any model with Truss |
| Deployment | Serverless, dedicated, GPU clusters | Model APIs, dedicated, self-host |
| Long context | 512K on DeepSeek V4 Pro | Varies by model |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Together AI and Baseten?
Together offers a wide open-model catalog plus GPU clusters. Baseten curates 13 models, posts the lowest measured time to first token and speaks both OpenAI and Anthropic formats.
When should I choose Together AI over Baseten?
Trying many open models before committing to one; Managed LoRA or full SFT, then serving the checkpoint; Cheaper reserved H100 clusters for experiments.
When should I choose Baseten over Together AI?
Chat and agent UIs where first-token latency is the metric; Pointing Claude or OpenAI SDKs at open models by URL change; Regulated buyers needing HIPAA, self-host or data residency.
Is Together AI or Baseten cheaper?
Together AI: Parity with Fireworks and Baseten. Baseten: H100 about $6.50/hr dedicated. The cheaper choice depends on the model and workload.
Which has more context, Together AI or Baseten?
Together AI: 512K on DeepSeek V4 Pro. Baseten: 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.