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Three Platforms, One Goal: Cheap Open-Source AI Inference
If you want to run Llama, Mistral, DeepSeek, or other open-source models without managing GPUs, three platforms dominate in 2026: Replicate, Together AI, and Fireworks AI. All three host hundreds of models behind unified APIs. All three are cheaper than closed-source alternatives like GPT-5 and Claude.
But they re not identical. Pricing differs. Speed differs. Model variety differs. Here s the complete comparison - and how to pair any of them with discounted credits via AI Credits for maximum savings.
Buy verified OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, AWS, Azure & GCP credits at discounted prices.
Quick Comparison
| Factor | Replicate | Together AI | Fireworks AI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model variety | 2000+ | 200+ | 100+ |
| Pricing model | Per-second GPU | Per-token | Per-token |
| Best for | Image/video/custom | LLMs at scale | Fastest LLM inference |
| Fine-tuning | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Speed | Good | Fast | Fastest |
| LLM pricing (Llama 70B) | Variable | ~$0.88/MTok | ~$0.90/MTok |
Buy verified OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, AWS, Azure & GCP credits at discounted prices.
Replicate: The Model Marketplace
Replicate is the broadest catalog - 2,000+ models covering LLMs, image generation, video, audio, speech, and custom models.
Strengths:
- Massive variety - image (FLUX, SDXL), video (Sora-style), audio (Whisper, Bark), LLMs, and niche models
- Community models - thousands of fine-tuned and custom models
- Easy deployment - push your own models with simple API
- Per-second billing - pay for actual GPU time used
- Cold start tolerance - good for intermittent workloads
Weaknesses:
- Cold starts - models that aren t hot can take 30+ seconds to wake up
- Per-second billing can be unpredictable for variable workloads
- Not optimized for raw LLM speed compared to Together/Fireworks
Pricing:
Replicate charges per second of GPU time used:
- CPU: $0.00004/second
- NVIDIA T4: $0.000225/second
- NVIDIA A40: $0.000725/second
- NVIDIA A100: $0.00140/second
- NVIDIA H100: $0.001528/second
For LLM inference, this translates to roughly $0.50-$2.00 per MTok depending on model size.
Best for:
- Image generation (FLUX, SDXL, Midjourney-style)
- Video generation (text-to-video models)
- Audio/speech (Whisper, Bark, voice cloning)
- Custom models you ve fine-tuned yourself
- Niche and experimental models
Together AI: LLM-Focused Scale
Together AI is LLM-specialized - hosting 200+ language models with optimized inference infrastructure.
Strengths:
- LLM optimized - fastest inference on many open-source models
- Per-token pricing - predictable costs
- Big model variety - Llama (all sizes), Mistral, DeepSeek, Qwen, Gemma, Mixtral
- Fine-tuning - supported with model ownership
- Batch API - 50% off for non-real-time workloads
- Together Code Sandbox - run generated code safely
Weaknesses:
- Focused on LLMs - limited image/video/audio
- Less model variety than Replicate overall
Pricing (examples):
| Model | Input/Output (per MTok) |
|---|---|
| Llama 3.3 8B | $0.18/$0.18 |
| Llama 3.3 70B | $0.88/$0.88 |
| Llama 3.1 405B | $3.50/$3.50 |
| Mixtral 8x22B | $1.20/$1.20 |
| DeepSeek V3 | $0.27/$1.10 |
| Qwen 2.5 72B | $0.88/$0.88 |
Notable: Most Together models charge the same for input and output - unlike OpenAI/Anthropic where output is 5x more expensive.
Best for:
- High-volume LLM workloads
- Llama, Mistral, DeepSeek production use
- Teams that need predictable per-token pricing
- Fine-tuning open-source models
Fireworks AI: Speed-Optimized LLM Inference
Fireworks AI is the speed leader for LLM inference - often 2-5x faster than competitors on the same models.
Strengths:
- Fastest inference - lowest latency and highest throughput
- Optimized serving - custom inference stack
- LLM focus - 100+ LLMs well-optimized
- Function calling - strong structured output support
- JSON mode - reliable structured outputs
- Fine-tuning - supported with fast deployment
Weaknesses:
- Smaller catalog than Together or Replicate
- LLM-only focus (no image/video/audio)
- Slightly higher pricing than Together on some models
Pricing (examples):
| Model | Input/Output (per MTok) |
|---|---|
| Llama 3.3 8B | $0.20/$0.20 |
| Llama 3.3 70B | $0.90/$0.90 |
| Llama 3.1 405B | $3.00/$3.00 |
| Mixtral 8x22B | $1.20/$1.20 |
| DeepSeek V3 | $0.40/$1.60 |
Best for:
- Latency-sensitive applications (real-time chat, voice agents)
- High-throughput production workloads
- Teams that prioritize speed over absolute cheapest price
Head-to-Head: Which Should You Choose?
Choose Replicate if:
- You need image, video, or audio generation
- You want the broadest model selection
- You re running niche or custom models
- Per-second billing fits your workload pattern
Choose Together AI if:
- You re doing high-volume LLM inference
- Cost matters most
- You want predictable per-token pricing
- You need to fine-tune open-source models
Choose Fireworks AI if:
- Latency is mission-critical
- You need the fastest possible LLM inference
- Function calling and JSON mode matter
- You re willing to pay slightly more for speed
Use Multiple if:
- Different workloads need different optimizations
- You want to test model variety (Replicate) then scale on Together/Fireworks
- You need image generation (Replicate) + text LLMs (Together/Fireworks)
Cost Math at Scale
For 500M tokens/month of Llama 3.3 70B:
| Platform | Monthly Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Replicate | $500-$800 | Varies by GPU usage patterns |
| Together AI | $440 | Cheapest per-token |
| Fireworks AI | $450 | Very close, faster inference |
For 100M tokens/month with discounted credits via AI Credits:
- Together AI at 50% off: $44/month
- Fireworks AI at 50% off: $45/month
Compare to closed-source alternatives:
- GPT-5: $1,125/month (10x more)
- Claude Sonnet 4.6: $1,800/month (20x more)
How AI Credits Helps
AI Credits sells discounted credits for Replicate, Together AI, Fireworks, and many other AI providers. Combined with their already-low base pricing, the effective cost becomes dramatically lower than closed-source alternatives.
For teams running high-volume workloads on open-source models, the combined savings are substantial.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheapest - Replicate, Together, or Fireworks?
For LLM inference, Together AI is typically cheapest per token. Fireworks is very close and faster. Replicate can be cheaper for bursty or image/video workloads. Buy all three at discount via AI Credits.
What s the fastest open-source model hosting?
Fireworks AI is optimized for speed - often 2-5x faster than competitors on the same models. Together AI is second. Replicate is slowest due to cold start tolerance.
Can I fine-tune models on all three platforms?
Yes. All three support fine-tuning of open-source models. Together and Fireworks focus on LLM fine-tuning. Replicate supports fine-tuning across more modalities.
Is Replicate good for LLMs?
Replicate hosts LLMs but isn t specifically optimized for them. For high-volume LLM inference, Together or Fireworks are better choices. Use Replicate for image, video, audio, or niche models.
Can I buy discounted credits for these platforms?
Yes. AI Credits sells discounted credits for Replicate, Together AI, Fireworks, and other AI providers. Stack the savings with their already-low pricing.
Should I use these instead of OpenAI/Anthropic?
For high-volume workloads where open-source quality is sufficient, yes - open-source hosting is 5-20x cheaper. Reserve closed-source for tasks that genuinely need flagship models.
Open-Source Inference at Fraction of Closed-Source Cost
Pick the platform that fits your workload. Then buy credits at a discount.
Get a quote at aicredits.co ->
Replicate, Together, Fireworks - all cheaper with discounted credits at aicredits.co.