What is the difference between OpenAI and Wafer?

OpenAI and Wafer 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: OpenAI or Wafer?

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 OpenAI and Wafer?

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

OpenAI vs Wafer LLM API Pricing 2026

LLM API Pricing Comparison

Total models: 5Both available: 0OpenAI: 3Wafer: 2

Showing 5 of 5 models

Prices per 1M tokens · Last updated: 7/21/2026, 2:43:29 AM

Model ↑	OpenAI	Wafer	Input Diff ↕
GLM-5.1 Zhipu	Not available	$1.00 in $3.20 out	—
GLM-5.2 Zhipu	Not available	$1.20 in $4.10 out	—
GPT-5 OpenAI	$5.00 in $30.00 out	Not available	—
GPT-5.4 OpenAI	$2.50 in $15.00 out	Not available	—
GPT-5.4 Mini OpenAI	$0.750 in $4.50 out	Not available	—

Features Comparison

OpenAI

GPT Model Family
Access to GPT-4o, GPT-4o mini, and other frontier language models
Reasoning Models
o1 and o3 series models with advanced reasoning capabilities for complex problems
Multimodal Capabilities
Process text, images, audio, and video inputs with unified models
Function Calling
Structured outputs and tool use for building agents and workflows
Assistants API
Build AI assistants with code interpreter, file search, and custom tools
Fine-Tuning
Customize models on your own data for specialized use cases

Wafer

Serverless Inference
Pay-as-you-go API access to hosted open-source models including GLM, Kimi, Qwen, and DeepSeek with no infrastructure management
Dedicated Endpoints
Custom-tuned inference deployments with performance guarantees, provisioned in under 24 hours
Automated Performance Optimization
Agents profile inference bottlenecks and tune across serving engines (vLLM, SGLang, TensorRT-LLM), custom kernels (CUDA, HIP, Triton, NKI), quantization (FP8/FP4), and decode strategies
Multi-Accelerator Hardware
Workloads run on NVIDIA B200/B300, AMD MI350X/MI355X, and AWS Trainium depending on the model and traffic shape
OpenAI- and Anthropic-Compatible API
OpenAI-compatible endpoint at pass.wafer.ai/v1 and Anthropic-compatible endpoint at pass.wafer.ai/v1/messages, both using Bearer token authentication
Prompt Caching
Cached input tokens are billed at reduced rates on supported models

Pros & Cons

OpenAI

Advantages

Industry-leading model performance and accuracy
Extensive training data providing unmatched breadth across 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

Wafer

Advantages

High-throughput serving with results independently benchmarked on Artificial Analysis
Prompt caching with discounted cached-input rates
Dedicated endpoints set up in under 24 hours
Runs across NVIDIA, AMD, and AWS Trainium accelerators rather than a single vendor

Considerations

Small serverless model catalog centered on the GLM family
Inference only - no GPU rental, training, or fine-tuning hosting
Early-stage company with a smaller ecosystem than established inference providers

Compute Services

OpenAI

Wafer

Pricing Options

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

Wafer

Pay-per-token

Prepaid credits with separate input and output token rates per model and no subscription

Cached input

Reduced rates for cached input tokens on supported models

Dedicated endpoints

Custom pricing for dedicated deployments with tuned performance targets, arranged with the sales team

Getting Started

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

Wafer

Get Started

1
Create an account
Sign up at app.wafer.ai and load credits for pay-as-you-go usage
2
Generate an API key
Create a key in the console and pass it as a Bearer token
3
Make your first request
Call the OpenAI-compatible endpoint at pass.wafer.ai/v1 with a model from the serverless catalog

Support & Global Availability

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

Wafer

Support

Documentation at docs.wafer.ai, email support (hi@wafer.ai), and scheduled onboarding calls for enterprise