Groq
Groq runs open-source LLMs on custom LPU chips that deliver 500+ tokens per second — the fastest inference API available, with a generous free tier and no credit card required.
Verified against: groq.comconsole.groq.comklymentiev.com as of 2026-09-07
Quick verdict: Groq earns a 4.2/5 from our research, standing out for value for money. It fits best when your priority is groq runs open-source llms on custom lpu chips that deliver 500+ tokens per second, with the caveat that you should weigh its collaboration.
- Our rating: 4.2/5
- Strongest dimension: Value (5/5, research only)
- Weakest dimension: Collaboration (2/5, research only)
- Pricing: Free plan · $0.05/1M tokens
- Verification: Research-only pass over official sources, last checked 2026-09-07. Sources: groq.com, console.groq.com, klymentiev.com
Groq pricing details
- Free plan available
- paid plans from $0.05/1M tokens
Pay-per-token, no monthly fees; free tier: 30 req/min, 6000 tokens/min, 14400 req/day, all models, no credit card; paid = Developer pay-as-you-go (rate limit increases with usage); cheapest: Llama 3.1 8B $0.05/$0.08 per 1M; flagship Llama 3.3 70B $0.59/$0.79 per 1M; Batch API + prompt caching each 50% off (~25% stacked)
In our index: Free plan available; paid from $0.05/1M tokens
How Groq scores across our 6 index dimensions
- Functionality: 4/5 (research only)
- Usability: 4/5 (research only)
- Stability: 4/5 (research only)
- Collaboration: 2/5 (research only)
- Localization: 3/5 (research only)
- Value: 5/5 (research only)
Score rationale: Research-only: fastest inference speed (500+ tok/s on LPU); only open-source models (no GPT/Claude); free tier generous for prototyping; batch + cache discounts significant
What Groq does well
- Best dimension: Value for money at 5/5 — backed by verification against the official site & pricing.
- Second strong point: Core features at 4/5.
- Pricing: Pay-per-token, no monthly fees
- Positioning: Groq runs open-source LLMs on custom LPU chips that deliver 500+ tokens per second — the fastest inference API available, with a generous free tier and no credit card required.
- Source check: Research-only: fastest inference speed (500+ tok/s on LPU); only open-source models (no GPT/Claude); free tier generous for prototyping; batch + cache discounts significant
Where Groq falls short
- Weakest dimension: Collaboration at 2/5.
- Weigh collaboration before committing.
How Groq compares to other AI API Gateways tools
Our index tracks 5 AI API Gateways tools. Groq sits at 4.2/5, with paid plans from $0.05/1m tokens. Here are the 4 closest alternatives we hold pricing and scoring evidence for.
- OpenRouter — 4.3/5 · Free plan · $0.07/1M tokens
OpenRouter is the largest AI model gateway — 374+ models from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, DeepSeek and more, with free tiers, BYOK support, and unified OpenAI-compatible API. - Fireworks AI — 4.0/5 · $1 free credit for new accounts · $0.10/1M tokens
Fireworks AI runs 200+ open-source LLMs with a self-serve post-training stack (SFT/LoRA/RL) and 99.9% uptime SLA — pay-per-token serverless, no GPU provisioning, Day-0 support for new open weights. - Together AI — 3.9/5 · $5 free signup credit · $0.05/1M tokens
Together AI is an open-model inference platform with 100+ open-source models, fine-tuning support, and dedicated GPU capacity — built for production AI teams. - DashScope — 3.8/5 · Free plan · ¥0.20/1M tokens (~$0.03)
DashScope is Alibaba Cloud's AI model service — Qwen, GLM, MiniMax and other Chinese models with OpenAI-compatible API, free credit promotions, and native Chinese support.
Frequently asked questions about Groq
How much does Groq cost?
Free plan available; paid plans from $0.05/1M tokens. Billing detail: Pay-per-token, no monthly fees; free tier: 30 req/min, 6000 tokens/min, 14400 req/day, all models, no credit card; paid = Developer pay-as-you-go (rate limit increases with usage); cheapest: Llama 3.1 8B $0.05/$0.08 per 1M; flagship Llama 3.3 70B $0.59/$0.79 per 1M; Batch API + prompt caching each 50% off (~25% stacked). Figures verified 2026-09-07.
Does Groq have a free plan?
Yes. Groq has a free tier; paid plans start at $0.05/1M tokens.
What is Groq rated in our index?
Groq sits at 4.2/5 in our index, strongest on value (5/5, research only) and weakest on collaboration (2/5, research only). Groq earns a 4.2/5 from our research, standing out for value for money. It fits best when your priority is groq runs open-source llms on custom lpu chips that deliver 500+ tokens per second, with the caveat that you should weigh its collaboration.
What are the drawbacks of Groq?
Weakest dimension: Collaboration at 2/5 Weigh collaboration before committing.
What does Groq do well?
Best dimension: Value for money at 5/5 — backed by verification against the official site & pricing Second strong point: Core features at 4/5 Pricing: Pay-per-token, no monthly fees Positioning: Groq runs open-source LLMs on custom LPU chips that deliver 500+ tokens per second — the fastest inference API available, with a generous free tier and no credit card required Source check: Research-only: fastest inference speed (500+ tok/s on LPU); only open-source models (no GPT/Claude); free tier generous for prototyping; batch + cache discounts significant.
How was Groq verified?
Research-only pass over official sources, last checked 2026-09-07. Sources: groq.com, console.groq.com, klymentiev.com.
What are the alternatives to Groq?
We track OpenRouter, Together AI, DashScope as the closest alternatives in our AI API Gateways index, and 4 head-to-head comparisons against Groq are available.