Groq: Pricing, Features & Alternatives
Groq runs open models (Llama, Qwen, and more) on custom LPU hardware for extremely low-latency inference — often the fastest tokens-per-second available. GroqCloud offers a generous free tier (e.g. ~14,400 requests/day on Llama 3.3 70B) and usage-based pricing beyond it.
Category
LLM Provider
Pricing
Free tier available
Free tier
Yes
Best for
LLM Provider — ai, inference
Groq Pricing Plans (2026)
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| FreePopular | $0 (generous free tier) |
| Pay As You Go | Usage-based (per token) |
Pricing summary: Free. Always confirm current pricing on the official site.
Key Groq Features
- ~14,400 requests/day (Llama 3.3 70B)
- Sub-500ms responses
- OpenAI-compatible API
- No credit card to start
Pros
- +Fastest inference (LPU hardware)
- +Generous free tier
- +OpenAI-compatible API
- +Great for realtime/agent loops
Cons
- −Open models only (no frontier closed models)
- −Throughput limits on free tier
Best Groq Alternatives
Compare allGroq Compared
Groq FAQ
What is Groq used for?⌄
Groq is a llm provider tool. Ultra-fast LLM inference API powered by custom LPUs — sub-second responses with a generous free tier.
Is Groq free?⌄
Yes — Groq has a free tier you can start with, and paid plans for more usage and features.
How much does Groq cost?⌄
Groq is free to use, with usage-based pricing on some features.
What are the best Groq alternatives?⌄
Popular Groq alternatives include Google Gemini API, Mistral AI API, Grok API (xAI), OpenRouter, Cerebras. Compare pricing and features on our Groq alternatives page.
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