What is the difference between Groq and xAI?

Groq and xAI 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: Groq or xAI?

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 Groq and xAI?

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

Groq vs xAI

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

Groq

Provider 1

Models Available

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xAI

Provider 2

Models Available

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Comparison Overview

Total LLM Models

Groq Models

xAI Models

Direct Comparisons

LLM API Pricing Comparison

Total models: 8Both available: 0Groq: 3xAI: 5

Showing 8 of 8 models

Prices per 1M tokens · Last updated: 10/24/2026, 10:34:38 AM

Model ↑	Groq	xAI	Input Diff ↕
GPT-OSS-120B OpenAI	$0.150 in $0.600 out	Not available	—
GPT-OSS-20B OpenAI	$0.075 in $0.300 out	Not available	—
Grok 4.3 xAI	Not available	$1.25 in $2.50 out	—
Grok 4.5 xAI	Not available	$2.00 in $6.00 out	—
Grok 4.6 xAI	Not available	$2.00 in $6.00 out	—
Grok 4.7 xAI	Not available	$2.00 in $6.00 out	—
Grok Build 0.1 0616 xAI	Not available	$1.00 in $2.00 out	—
Qwen3.8 27B Alibaba	$0.800 in $4.00 out	Not available	—

Features Comparison

Groq

LPU-Powered Inference
Custom Language Processing Units run inference, with 256 LPUs and 128 GB of on-chip SRAM per rack
OpenAI-Compatible API
Drop-in replacement for the OpenAI API at api.groq.com/openai/v1, including a Responses API
Layered Platform
GroqMetal bare-metal infrastructure, GroqCore inference stack, and GroqAssured enterprise governance, each including the layers below
Multimodal Endpoints
Text generation plus speech-to-text, text-to-speech, OCR and image recognition, and content moderation models
Agentic Systems and Built-In Tools
Compound systems that combine models with web search, code execution, remote MCP tools, and Google Workspace connectors
Service Tiers
Performance, flex, and batch processing tiers, plus prompt caching, structured outputs, and LoRA inference

xAI

Grok text models
Chat Completions and Responses endpoints for the Grok models, with configurable reasoning and tool calling
Server-side tools
Web Search, X Search, code execution, file and collection search, and remote MCP tools billed per invocation on top of tokens
Imagine and Voice APIs
Image and video generation billed per image or second, and speech-to-speech, speech-to-text and text-to-speech endpoints
Batch API
Asynchronous processing with a discount on selected models, typically completed within 24 hours
Priority Processing
Higher scheduling priority for lower latency at a premium over standard token rates
Prompt caching
Cached prompt tokens are billed at a reduced rate

Pros & Cons

Groq

Advantages

High published token speeds (500 t/s on GPT-OSS 120B, 1,000 t/s on GPT-OSS 20B)
OpenAI-compatible API for easy integration
Competitive pricing for open-weight models
Free tier available for testing

Considerations

Small model catalog: production text models are limited to OpenAI GPT-OSS
Focus on inference only - no training capabilities
Several models are preview-only and may be discontinued at short notice

xAI

Advantages

First-party access to Grok models
Cached-input rates published per model
Batch and priority tiers for cost or latency trade-offs
Also available through Google Cloud Vertex AI and Microsoft Foundry

Considerations

Only xAI's own models are offered
Long-context requests above the published prompt threshold are billed at a higher rate for the whole request
Server-side tool calls add per-invocation charges on top of tokens

Compute Services

Groq

xAI

Pricing Options

Groq

Pay-per-token

Token-based pricing with separate input/output rates; audio models are billed per hour and speech models per character

Batch and flex processing

Alternative service tiers for throughput-tolerant or bursty workloads instead of the standard on-demand tier

Enterprise capacity

Dedicated capacity and enterprise-only models quoted through sales

Free tier

Rate-limited free access for development and testing

xAI

Per token

Input, cached input, and output tokens billed per 1M, with a higher long-context rate above a prompt-size threshold

Batch

Discounted asynchronous processing for selected models

Priority

A premium over standard rates for higher scheduling priority

Getting Started

Groq

Get Started

1
Create an account
Sign up at console.groq.com with email or OAuth
2
Get API key
Generate an API key from the console dashboard
3
Make API calls
Use the OpenAI-compatible endpoint with your preferred model

xAI

Get Started

1
Create an account
Sign up on the xAI console and add credits
2
Create an API key
Generate a key in the console
3
Call the API
Send requests to api.x.ai with an OpenAI-compatible client or the xAI SDK

Support & Global Availability

Groq

Global Regions

13 data centers across four continents, including sites in the US (Liberty Lake, St Paul, Dallas, Houston), Canada (Kamloops, Vaudreuil-Dorion, Calgary), Finland, the UK, Australia, and Saudi Arabia

Support

Documentation and API reference, developer community, production readiness guides, and enterprise onboarding via sales

xAI

Support

Documentation, status page, and console support