OpenAI vs Groq: Token Pricing, Speed & Intelligence
Full comparison of OpenAI and Groq — live token pricing, latency, throughput, context window, strengths, weaknesses, and best use cases. Updated July 2026.
OpenAI
GPT-6 Astra, GPT-5.6 Sol/Terra/Luna — plus image, voice, and realtime APIs
OpenAI's September 2026 API lineup spans GPT-6 Astra ($10/$50 per 1M in/out — most capable), GPT-5.6 Sol ($4/$20, promotional), GPT-5.6 Terra ($2/$12, balanced), and GPT-5.6 Luna ($0.20/$1.20, everyday). Beyond text, the platform now includes GPT-Image-2.5 (Sunburst and Flare), GPT-Live-1 voice ($0.05/min), GPT-Realtime-2.1 for low-latency voice agents, and transcription/translation models. Batch API saves 50% on all models.
Groq
LPU + LPX inference — the fastest tokens per second, $350M Series A, building hundreds of MW
Groq runs custom Language Processing Units (LPUs) and the newer LPX chips that work alongside NVIDIA next-generation GPUs to deliver unparalleled inference throughput. Groq raised a $350M Series A in 2026 and is building hundreds of megawatts of capacity. Llama 3.3 70B reaches 750+ tokens/second on Groq — 4–5× faster than GPU providers. Positioned as the premier neocloud for fast inference at scale.
Key metric comparison
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Live token pricing
Strengths and weaknesses
OpenAI
Groq
Key differentiators
The most complete AI API platform — GPT-6 Astra to GPT-5.6 Luna covering every capability tier, plus native image, voice, realtime, and transcription APIs under one key.
Groq's custom LPU/LPX chips deliver 750+ tokens/sec on Llama 3.3 70B — 4–5× faster than any GPU-based provider, now backed by $350M in Series A funding.
Frequently asked questions
OpenAI FAQs
What are the latest OpenAI models as of 2026?
OpenAI's current lineup includes GPT-6 Astra (flagship frontier, $10/$50 per 1M tokens), GPT-5.6 Sol ($4/$20, promotional), GPT-5.6 Terra ($2/$12, balanced), and GPT-5.6 Luna ($0.20/$1.20, everyday). The o-series reasoning models remain available for complex multi-step tasks.
How much does the OpenAI API cost?
GPT-5.6 Sol is at promotional pricing of $4/1M input and $20/1M output tokens. GPT-6 Astra is $10/$50 per 1M tokens. Efficient-tier GPT-5.6 Luna is just $0.20/$1.20. The Batch API cuts all prices by 50% for async workloads, and prompt caching reduces input costs by 50% on eligible requests.
Does OpenAI support prompt caching?
Yes. Prompt caching is available on GPT-6 Astra, GPT-5.6 Sol, and other major models. Cached input tokens are billed at 50% of the standard input price, making long-context and repeated-system-prompt workloads significantly cheaper.
Groq FAQs
How fast is Groq inference?
Groq delivers 750+ tokens/second on Llama 3.3 70B and 1,200+ tokens/second on Llama 3.1 8B. This is 4–5× faster than typical GPU-based providers, making it ideal for real-time applications.
What is Groq's LPX chip?
The LPX is Groq's next-generation inference chip, introduced alongside the existing LPU lineup. It expands Groq's capacity and enables even higher throughput for large-scale deployments.
How much does Groq cost?
Llama 3.3 70B costs $0.59/1M input and $0.79/1M output tokens. Llama 3.1 8B is just $0.05/$0.08 per 1M tokens — among the cheapest options for a capable open-weight model.
Provider resources
OpenAI — GPT-6 Astra, GPT-5.6 Sol/Terra/Luna — plus image, voice, and realtime APIs
OpenAI's September 2026 API lineup spans GPT-6 Astra ($10/$50 per 1M in/out — most capable), GPT-5.6 Sol ($4/$20, promotional), GPT-5.6 Terra ($2/$12, balanced), and GPT-5.6 Luna ($0.20/$1.20, everyday). Beyond text, the platform now includes GPT-Image-2.5 (Sunburst and Flare), GPT-Live-1 voice ($0.05/min), GPT-Realtime-2.1 for low-latency voice agents, and transcription/translation models. Batch API saves 50% on all models.
The most complete AI API platform — GPT-6 Astra to GPT-5.6 Luna covering every capability tier, plus native image, voice, realtime, and transcription APIs under one key.
Groq — LPU + LPX inference — the fastest tokens per second, $350M Series A, building hundreds of MW
Groq runs custom Language Processing Units (LPUs) and the newer LPX chips that work alongside NVIDIA next-generation GPUs to deliver unparalleled inference throughput. Groq raised a $350M Series A in 2026 and is building hundreds of megawatts of capacity. Llama 3.3 70B reaches 750+ tokens/second on Groq — 4–5× faster than GPU providers. Positioned as the premier neocloud for fast inference at scale.
Groq's custom LPU/LPX chips deliver 750+ tokens/sec on Llama 3.3 70B — 4–5× faster than any GPU-based provider, now backed by $350M in Series A funding.
Key strengths compared
OpenAI
- ▸Broadest API surface: text, image, voice, realtime, transcription, translation, web search, code execution
- ▸GPT-6 Astra at the frontier; GPT-5.6 Sol at promotional $4/$20 pricing
- ▸Prompt caching on all major models (10% of input price)
Groq
- ▸750+ tokens/sec on Llama 3.3 70B — fastest GPU-class inference
- ▸Sub-100ms time-to-first-token for real-time applications
- ▸LPX chips alongside LPUs for expanded capacity
Provider category context
OpenAI is a frontier lab, founded in 2015. Groq is a inference api, founded in 2016. OpenAI as a frontier lab trains and serves its own proprietary models. Groq as an inference API provider hosts open-weight models — typically offering lower prices for equivalent capability tiers but without access to proprietary frontier models.
How to choose between them
Choose OpenAI if you need broadest api surface: text, image, voice, realtime, transcription, translation, web search, code execution. Choose Groq if you need 750+ tokens/sec on llama 3.3 70b — fastest gpu-class inference. For high-volume production workloads, run a cost comparison using the token pricing table above with your actual prompt/completion token ratio — the cheapest provider depends heavily on your input-to-output token ratio.