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Together AI vs Crusoe
Two full-stack open-model clouds. Together has the wider catalog and deeper training tools; Crusoe owns its data centers and leans on a cluster-wide KV cache.
By The Subconscious Team · Updated
Together AI vs Crusoe: key differences
Together and Crusoe sell nearly the same shape of product: serverless tokens, dedicated deployments, fine-tuning and raw GPU clusters on one bill. The differences sit in depth. Together's text catalog runs past thirty open models, including Kimi K3, DeepSeek V4, GLM 5.2, Qwen 3.8 and MiniMax M3, with image, video, speech and embeddings on top. Crusoe's serverless list is smaller, covering DeepSeek, GLM 5.3, Kimi K2.6, Gemma, gpt-oss and Nemotron, from $0.05 in and $0.20 out per million. On speed, Together posts 0.99s time to first token on DeepSeek V4 Pro with a 512K context. Crusoe claims up to 9.9x faster time to first token versus vLLM on prefix-heavy work through MemoryAlloy, its cluster-wide KV cache.
Together wins on training. It offers LoRA and full-parameter SFT from $0.48 per million training tokens, reinforcement learning in closed beta, and rollout tools like canary and blue-green deploys, shadow traffic and A/B routing. Crusoe offers LoRA fine-tuning, launched in July 2026. On raw GPUs, Together lists H100s from $3.19 an hour reserved, while Crusoe charges $3.90 on demand and $4.29 for H200, with GB200 NVL72, B200 and AMD MI355X by quote. Crusoe's strength is owning power and data centers, which backs over 6 GW of contracted capacity. Pick Together for catalog breadth and post-training depth, and Crusoe for cache-heavy agent serving or large NVIDIA and AMD clusters from a vendor that builds its own sites.
What Together AI and Crusoe 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 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 Together AI or Crusoe?
Together AI
Choose Together AI for
- Full SFT or RL on proprietary data
- Picking from 30+ open text models
- Staged rollouts with canary and shadow traffic
Crusoe
Choose Crusoe for
- Agents reusing long prefixes across a cluster
- AMD MI355X or GB200 capacity by quote
- LoRA fine-tunes served next to raw GPUs
Together AI vs Crusoe at a glance
| Attribute | Together AI | Crusoe |
|---|---|---|
| Model access | Open weights | Open weights |
| Flagship models | Kimi K3, DeepSeek V4, GLM 5.2, Qwen 3.8 | DeepSeek V4, GLM 5.3, Kimi K2.6, Nemotron 3 |
| Speed | 0.99s TTFT on DeepSeek V4 Pro | Up to 9.9x faster TTFT vs vLLM (vendor claim) |
| Price | Parity with Fireworks and Baseten | $0.05–$1.74 in, $0.20–$4.40 out per 1M |
| Customization | LoRA and full SFT; RL in beta | Serverless LoRA fine-tuning |
| Deployment | Serverless, dedicated, GPU clusters | Serverless, self-serve and tailored dedicated, raw GPUs |
| Long context | 512K on DeepSeek V4 Pro | Varies by model; cluster-wide KV cache |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Together AI and Crusoe?
Two full-stack open-model clouds. Together has the wider catalog and deeper training tools; Crusoe owns its data centers and leans on a cluster-wide KV cache.
When should I choose Together AI over Crusoe?
Full SFT or RL on proprietary data; Picking from 30+ open text models; Staged rollouts with canary and shadow traffic.
When should I choose Crusoe over Together AI?
Agents reusing long prefixes across a cluster; AMD MI355X or GB200 capacity by quote; LoRA fine-tunes served next to raw GPUs.
Is Together AI or Crusoe cheaper?
Together AI: Parity with Fireworks and Baseten. 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, Together AI or Crusoe?
Together AI: 512K on DeepSeek V4 Pro. Crusoe: Varies by model; cluster-wide KV cache.
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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.