What is the difference between Cerebras and OpenAI?

Cerebras and OpenAI are both cloud GPU providers offering different pricing models, features, and GPU availability. Use our comparison tool to see real-time pricing and feature differences.

Which is cheaper: Cerebras or OpenAI?

Pricing varies by GPU model and usage requirements. Check our real-time comparison table to find the best deals for your specific needs.

Can I switch between Cerebras and OpenAI?

Yes, both providers offer flexible cloud GPU services. However, consider factors like data transfer costs, setup time, and specific features when switching between providers.

Cerebras vs OpenAI

Compare LLM inference API pricing between Cerebras and OpenAI. Find the best rates for AI training, inference, and ML workloads.

Cerebras

Provider 1

Models Available

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OpenAI

Provider 2

Models Available

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Comparison Overview

Total LLM Models

Cerebras Models

OpenAI Models

Direct Comparisons

LLM API Pricing Comparison

Total models: 30Both available: 0Cerebras: 2OpenAI: 28

Showing 15 of 30 models

Prices per 1M tokens · Last updated: 10/26/2026, 9:59:10 AM

Model ↑	Cerebras	OpenAI	Input Diff ↕
GPT-3.5 Turbo OpenAI	Not available	$0.500 in $1.50 out	—
GPT-4.1 OpenAI	Not available	$2.00 in $8.00 out	—
GPT-4.1 mini OpenAI	Not available	$0.400 in $1.60 out	—
GPT-4.1 nano OpenAI	Not available	$0.100 in $0.400 out	—
GPT-4o OpenAI	Not available	$2.50 in $10.00 out	—
GPT-4o mini OpenAI	Not available	$0.150 in $0.600 out	—
GPT-5 OpenAI	Not available	$1.25 in $10.00 out	—
GPT-5 mini OpenAI	Not available	$0.250 in $2.00 out	—
GPT-5 Nano OpenAI	Not available	$0.050 in $0.400 out	—
GPT-5 Pro OpenAI	Not available	$15.00 in $120.00 out	—
GPT-5.1 OpenAI	Not available	$1.25 in $10.00 out	—
GPT-5.2 OpenAI	Not available	$1.75 in $14.00 out	—
GPT-5.2 Pro OpenAI	Not available	$21.00 in $168.00 out	—
GPT-5.4 OpenAI	Not available	$2.50 in $15.00 out	—
GPT-5.4 Mini OpenAI	Not available	$0.750 in $4.50 out	—

Features Comparison

Cerebras

Wafer-Scale Inference
Models run on the Cerebras Wafer-Scale Engine, which keeps model weights in on-chip SRAM to reach published speeds in the thousands of tokens per second
OpenAI-Compatible API
Chat Completions and Completions endpoints at api.cerebras.ai/v1, usable from the OpenAI SDKs or the Cerebras Python and TypeScript SDKs
Open-Weight Model Catalog
Public endpoints serve unmodified open-weight models such as OpenAI GPT OSS and Qwen, with a documented policy of no pruning on hosted models
Reasoning and Tool Calling
Configurable reasoning effort, streaming, structured outputs, parallel tool calling, and prompt caching across the catalog
Image Inputs
Vision-capable models accept PNG and JPEG images alongside text
Dedicated Endpoints
Private, provisioned endpoints on reserved capacity with fine-tuning, weight management, and additional model families, arranged through sales

OpenAI

GPT Model Family
GPT-6 Astra for complex reasoning and coding, GPT-6 Sol to balance capability and cost, and GPT-6 Luna for cost-sensitive, high-volume workloads
Reasoning Models
Reasoning models for multi-step, complex tasks
Image Generation
Generate images as output with GPT Image 2
Realtime and Audio
Realtime API for voice applications plus endpoints to analyze, transcribe, and generate audio
Multimodal Capabilities
Process text, images, audio, and video inputs with unified models
Function Calling
Structured outputs and tool use for building agents and workflows

Pros & Cons

Cerebras

Advantages

Published throughput in the thousands of tokens per second on public models
Drop-in OpenAI-compatible API with first-party Python and TypeScript SDKs
Serves original, unpruned open-weight models with a stated no-modification policy
Free trial credits on signup, then self-serve pay-as-you-go

Considerations

Very small public model catalog compared with GPU-based inference providers
Free-tier context windows are roughly half the paid-tier limits
Preview models can be withdrawn and are not intended for production use

OpenAI

Advantages

Model performance and accuracy reported on public benchmarks
Training data spanning many languages and domains
Developer-friendly SDKs for Python, JavaScript, and other languages
Comprehensive documentation and large community

Considerations

Higher cost compared to open-source alternatives
Token usage can scale quickly with conversation threads
Data privacy concerns for sensitive applications

Compute Services

Cerebras

OpenAI

Pricing Options

Cerebras

Free Trial

Time-limited credits granted on signup, with lower rate limits and context windows than paid tiers

Developer (Pay as You Go)

Prepaid credits billed per million input and output tokens at published per-model rates

Enterprise and Dedicated Endpoints

Reserved capacity, higher rate limits, and additional models on custom terms through sales

OpenAI

Pay-per-token

Charged based on tokens processed for both input and output

Batch API

50% discount for asynchronous batch processing

Prompt Caching

Discounts for recently seen input tokens

Getting Started

Cerebras

Get Started

1
Create an account
Sign up at cloud.cerebras.ai and add a payment method to activate the free trial
2
Get an API key
Generate a key from the Cloud Console
3
Install an SDK
pip install cerebras_cloud_sdk or npm install @cerebras/cerebras_cloud_sdk, or use the OpenAI SDK pointed at api.cerebras.ai/v1
4
Make a request
Call chat completions with a model ID from the catalog, such as gpt-oss-120b

OpenAI

Get Started

1
Create an account
Sign up at platform.openai.com
2
Generate API key
Create an API key in the dashboard and store it securely
3
Install SDK
Install the OpenAI SDK for Python, JavaScript, or your preferred language
4
Make your first call
Use the SDK to call OpenAI models for text generation or other tasks

Support & Global Availability

Cerebras

Global Regions

Cerebras-operated data centers in North America, with expansion into Europe; no region selection on the public API

Support

Documentation and API reference, model-specific guides, Cloud Console usage monitoring, Discord community, and enterprise support for dedicated customers

OpenAI

Global Regions

Global availability with data residency options in US, Europe, UK, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India, Australia, and UAE

Support

Documentation, Help Center, Developer Forum, email support, and enterprise support plans with dedicated account managers