# Venice

> A privacy-first AI platform with an OpenAI-compatible API, uncensored open models and token-staked API credits.

Canonical: https://www.subconscious.dev/providers/venice · By The Subconscious Team · Updated September 30, 2026

- Founded: 2024
- Example models: GLM 5.3, Kimi K3, Venice Uncensored 1.2
- Website: https://venice.ai

## Overview

Venice is a privacy-focused AI platform founded in 2024 by Erik Voorhees, the crypto entrepreneur behind ShapeShift. It pairs a consumer chat app with a developer API that works as a drop-in replacement for OpenAI's chat endpoint and covers text, image, audio and video across 370+ models. Open models such as GLM 5.3, Kimi K3, DeepSeek V4 and Venice's own uncensored fine-tunes run under a private tier with contract-enforced zero data retention, and some add TEE inference or end-to-end encryption, where only an attested enclave can decrypt the prompt. Closed models from Anthropic, OpenAI and Google are proxied under an anonymized tier that hides user identity but leaves prompt content visible to the upstream provider.

Per-token prices span a wide range: GLM 4.7 Flash at $0.06 in and $0.40 out per million, DeepSeek V4 Flash at $0.14 and $0.28, GLM 5.3 at $1.75 and $5.50, and Claude Fable 5.1 at $12 and $60, above Anthropic's own list price. Credits can be bought in USD or crypto, or paid per request in USDC through x402. The unusual part is DIEM. Staking and locking VVV, Venice's token on Base, mints DIEM, and each staked DIEM grants $1 of API credit that refreshes every day. Venice raised a $65M Series A at a $1B valuation in July 2026, led by Dragonfly, and reports over $70M in annualized revenue.

## Upsides

- No prompt or response logging, with TEE and end-to-end encrypted options on select open models.
- One OpenAI-compatible API for open and closed models across text, image, audio and video.
- Uncensored models for use cases other hosts filter out.
- DIEM turns a one-time stake into a fixed daily inference allowance.

## Core use cases

- Apps handling sensitive prompts that need zero-retention inference.
- Creative, roleplay or research products that need less restrictive models.
- Crypto-native teams paying for inference with tokens or USDC.

## Downsides

- Closed models only get the anonymized tier, so the upstream provider still sees prompts, at a markup over direct pricing.
- DIEM access ties API budget to a volatile token, which adds price and treasury risk.

## At a glance

| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Model access | Open weights, plus proxied closed models |
| Flagship models | GLM 5.3, Kimi K3, DeepSeek V4 Pro |
| Speed | - |
| Price | $0.06–$12 in, $0.28–$60 out per 1M; DIEM staking |
| Customization | - |
| Deployment | Serverless API, consumer app |
| Long context | 1M on most current models |

## FAQ

### What is Venice?

Venice is a privacy-focused AI platform founded in 2024 by Erik Voorhees, the crypto entrepreneur behind ShapeShift. It pairs a consumer chat app with a developer API that works as a drop-in replacement for OpenAI's chat endpoint and covers text, image, audio and video across 370+ models. Open models such as GLM 5.3, Kimi K3, DeepSeek V4 and Venice's own uncensored fine-tunes run under a private tier with contract-enforced zero data retention, and some add TEE inference or end-to-end encryption, where only an attested enclave can decrypt the prompt. Closed models from Anthropic, OpenAI and Google are proxied under an anonymized tier that hides user identity but leaves prompt content visible to the upstream provider.

### What is Venice best for?

Apps handling sensitive prompts that need zero-retention inference; Creative, roleplay or research products that need less restrictive models; Crypto-native teams paying for inference with tokens or USDC.

### How much does Venice cost?

Venice pricing at a glance: $0.06–$12 in, $0.28–$60 out per 1M; DIEM staking. Rates change often, so check Venice's pricing page before committing.

### How much context does Venice support?

Venice's long-context support: 1M on most current models.

### What are the downsides of Venice?

Closed models only get the anonymized tier, so the upstream provider still sees prompts, at a markup over direct pricing; DIEM access ties API budget to a volatile token, which adds price and treasury risk.

### What are the best alternatives to Venice?

Common alternatives include Subconscious, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Vertex AI, Amazon Bedrock. Each has a head-to-head comparison with Venice on this site.

## Comparisons

- [Subconscious vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/subconscious-vs-venice.md)
- [OpenAI vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/openai-vs-venice.md)
- [Anthropic vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/anthropic-vs-venice.md)
- [Google Vertex AI vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/google-vertex-vs-venice.md)
- [Amazon Bedrock vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/aws-bedrock-vs-venice.md)
- [Together AI vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/together-ai-vs-venice.md)
- [Fireworks AI vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/fireworks-vs-venice.md)
- [Baseten vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/baseten-vs-venice.md)
- [Groq vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/groq-vs-venice.md)
- [Cerebras vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/cerebras-vs-venice.md)
- [DeepInfra vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/deepinfra-vs-venice.md)
- [Hugging Face Inference Providers vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/hugging-face-vs-venice.md)
- [Modal vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/modal-vs-venice.md)
- [Cloudflare Workers AI vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/cloudflare-workers-ai-vs-venice.md)
- [xAI vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/xai-vs-venice.md)
- [Mistral AI vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/mistral-ai-vs-venice.md)
- [DeepSeek vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/deepseek-vs-venice.md)
- [Moonshot AI vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/moonshot-ai-vs-venice.md)
- [Z.ai vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/z-ai-vs-venice.md)
- [Alibaba Cloud vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/alibaba-cloud-vs-venice.md)
- [Meta vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/meta-vs-venice.md)
- [Cohere vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/cohere-vs-venice.md)
- [SambaNova vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/sambanova-vs-venice.md)
- [Nebius vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/nebius-vs-venice.md)
- [Crusoe vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/crusoe-vs-venice.md)
- [fal vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/fal-vs-venice.md)
- [Novita AI vs Venice](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/novita-ai-vs-venice.md)
- [Venice vs Parasail](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/venice-vs-parasail.md)
- [Venice vs Inference.net](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/venice-vs-inference-net.md)
- [Venice vs GMI Cloud](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/venice-vs-gmi-cloud.md)
- [Venice vs Thinking Machines](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/venice-vs-thinking-machines.md)
- [Venice vs Sail Research](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/venice-vs-sail-research.md)
- [Venice vs Morph](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/venice-vs-morph.md)
- [Venice vs Relace](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/venice-vs-relace.md)
- [Venice vs TypeSafe AI](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/venice-vs-typesafe-ai.md)
- [Venice vs StepFun](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/venice-vs-stepfun.md)
- [Venice vs Runware](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/venice-vs-runware.md)
- [Venice vs StreamLake](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/venice-vs-streamlake.md)
- [Venice vs Wafer](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/venice-vs-wafer.md)
- [Venice vs RunInfra](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/venice-vs-runinfra.md)
- [Venice vs Particle.AI](https://www.subconscious.dev/compare/venice-vs-particle-ai.md)

## Sources

- [Venice API pricing](https://docs.venice.ai/overview/pricing)
- [Venice privacy docs](https://docs.venice.ai/overview/privacy)
- [Venice tokenomics update](https://venice.ai/blog/tokenomics-update-credit-burns-and-diem-supply-expansion)
- [Venice Series A, TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/01/venice-ai-becomes-a-unicorn-with-65m-series-a-as-its-privacy-first-ai-platform-takes-off/)

Pricing and model lineups change often; figures are a snapshot.