What is the difference between SambaNova and xAI?

SambaNova 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: SambaNova 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 SambaNova 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.

SambaNova vs xAI

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

SambaNova

Provider 1

Models Available

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xAI

Provider 2

Models Available

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Comparison Overview

Total LLM Models

SambaNova Models

xAI Models

Direct Comparisons

LLM API Pricing Comparison

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

Showing 8 of 8 models

Prices per 1M tokens · Last updated: 10/22/2026, 11:00:57 PM

Model ↑	SambaNova	xAI	Input Diff ↕
Gemma 4 31B Google	$0.380 in $1.15 out	Not available	—
GPT-OSS-120B OpenAI	$0.220 in $0.590 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	—
MiniMax-M3 MiniMax	$0.600 in $2.40 out	Not available	—

Features Comparison

SambaNova

Custom RDU hardware
Models run on SambaNova's own Reconfigurable Dataflow Units rather than GPUs
OpenAI-compatible API
Chat completions for open models such as DeepSeek, Llama, Gemma, MiniMax and gpt-oss
Prompt caching
Cached input tokens billed at a reduced rate on supported models
Commits and credits
Prepaid commitments alongside pay-as-you-go billing

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

SambaNova

Advantages

Serves models on non-GPU hardware built for inference
Public per-token rates for every served model
OpenAI-compatible endpoints

Considerations

Small model catalog compared with GPU-based inference providers
Some models are priced above other providers of the same open weights
No GPU rental; inference only

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

SambaNova

xAI

Pricing Options

SambaNova

Per token

Input, cached input, and output tokens billed per 1M

Commits

Prepaid usage commitments

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

SambaNova

Get Started

1
Create an account
Sign up on SambaNova Cloud
2
Create an API key
Generate a key in the API Keys page
3
Call the API
Point an OpenAI-compatible client at api.sambanova.ai

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

SambaNova

Support

Documentation and the SambaNova Cloud dashboard

xAI

Support

Documentation, status page, and console support