Together AI is a cloud inference platform enabling developers to run, fine-tune, and deploy open-source models like Llama and DeepSeek via pay-as-you-go APIs.
Starting price Pay-as-you-go (From $0.17/1M tokens)
Tool Information
Together AI platform architecture and high-performance cloud inference
Together AI (accessible at together.ai, founded by Vipul Ved Prakash, Ce Zhang, Chris Re, and Percy Liang) is the leading artificial intelligence native cloud platform, serverless inference engine, and machine learning infrastructure provider. Engineered for AI researchers, software developers, and enterprise engineering teams, Together AI delivers high-speed inference for open-source foundation models.
The platform is powered by custom virtualization kernels and high-speed GPU clusters (NVIDIA H100, B200, and A100). Together AI features Serverless Inference APIs (hosting Llama 3, DeepSeek, Qwen, Mistral, and FLUX.1), Custom Fine-Tuning (LoRA and full fine-tuning), Provisioned Throughput (PTU), and dedicated GPU cluster infrastructure with pure consumption-based pricing.
Core developer capabilities and Together Cloud tools
Together AI delivers features for production AI inference and custom model deployment:
- Sub-second serverless inference: Query state-of-the-art open-source LLMs and diffusion models with fast token generation speeds.
- Comprehensive model catalog: Instant access to Llama 3.3, DeepSeek-R1, Qwen 2.5, Mistral, and FLUX.1.
- Custom LoRA fine-tuning: Fine-tune open-source models on proprietary datasets with automated deployment endpoints.
- OpenAI-compatible REST API: Drop-in replacement for OpenAI SDKs by updating the base URL and API key.
- Provisioned Throughput (PTU): Reserve dedicated inference capacity for consistent latency during peak production traffic.
- Enterprise security & compliance: SOC 2 Type II certified, HIPAA compliant, with Zero Data Retention on inference requests.
Comparative benchmark: Together AI vs. Replicate and Groq
Together AI provides per-token LLM pricing, custom fine-tuning pipelines, and dedicated GPU clusters.
| Dimension | Together AI | Replicate | Groq (LPU) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per-token consumption (from $0.17/1M tokens) | Per-second GPU runtime | Per-token consumption |
| Fine-tuning suite | Full fine-tuning & LoRA API with automated deployment | LoRA training via Cog Docker | Inference only (no fine-tuning) |
| Dedicated capacity | Provisioned Throughput (PTU) & dedicated GPU clusters | Custom enterprise contracts | Enterprise provisioned LPUs |
| OpenAI SDK Drop-in | Yes (Full OpenAI API schema compatibility) | Replicate SDK / REST | Yes |
Practical applications and operational limits
- Production LLM application backend: Power customer support bots, coding assistants, and search engines with open-source LLMs.
- High-volume image generation: Author visual generation pipelines using FLUX.1 Schnell and Dev models via API.
- Domain-specific fine-tuning: Train open-source models on legal, medical, or financial documents.
- High-throughput batch processing: Process millions of text records for sentiment analysis and classification.
Operating limits: Pure pay-as-you-go pricing without monthly base subscription fees. High-throughput dedicated GPU clusters require Provisioned Throughput (PTU) configurations.
Pricing structure and token rates
Together AI operates strictly on consumption-based per-token and per-second rates:
| Model Category | Input Rate (per 1M tokens) | Output Rate (per 1M tokens) | Typical Models Hosted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightweight LLMs (8B-9B) | ~$0.17 to $0.20 | ~$0.17 to $0.20 | Llama 3.1 8B, Qwen 2.5 7B, Mistral 7B |
| Medium LLMs (70B) | ~$0.88 to $0.90 | ~$0.88 to $0.90 | Llama 3.3 70B, Qwen 2.5 72B, DeepSeek-V3 |
| Frontier Reasoning (DeepSeek-R1) | ~$0.55 to $2.00 | ~$2.19 to $6.00 | DeepSeek-R1 Full, Llama 3.1 405B |
| Image Models (FLUX.1) | ~$0.003 to $0.03/img | N/A | FLUX.1 Schnell, FLUX.1 Dev, Stable Diffusion XL |
*Pricing and plan details verified as of August 2026.
Step-by-step workflow
- Get API key: Sign up at together.ai and create an API key in your developer console.
- Select model: Browse the catalog (such as
meta-llama/Llama-3.3-70B-Instruct-Turbo). - Integrate API: Use the standard OpenAI client: set
base_url="https://api.together.xyz/v1". - Deploy and scale: Stream responses in real time and monitor usage metrics in the dashboard.
Editorial verdict
- Best for: AI engineers, startup developers, machine learning researchers, and enterprise engineering teams seeking fast, cost-effective inference for open-source AI models.
- Not recommended for: Non-technical business users seeking a consumer graphical interface without code.
- Learning curve: Minimal for developers. Direct drop-in replacement for OpenAI SDKs.
- Value threshold: Exceptional value. Token rates from $0.17/1M tokens deliver substantial savings compared to proprietary closed models.
- Bottom line: Together AI provides a high-performance cloud inference platform for open-source foundation models.
F.A.Q
Pros and Cons
Pros
- High-speed inference kernels delivering fast token generation speeds across open-source models
- Pure consumption-based pay-as-you-go pricing starting from $0.17 per 1 million tokens
- Full OpenAI API schema compatibility allowing 1-line integration with existing codebases
- Integrated fine-tuning suite supporting custom LoRA and full model training on private datasets
- Comprehensive model catalog spanning Llama 3.3, DeepSeek-R1, Qwen 2.5, and FLUX.1
Cons
- Designed strictly for software engineers, lacking a standalone consumer desktop application
- Provisioned Throughput (PTU) for guaranteed dedicated capacity involves minimum hourly reservations
- Rate limits apply to standard tier developer accounts during global traffic spikes
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Together.AI: The Cloud Platform for Generative AI
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