# Groq vs Cerebras: which fast-inference platform wins in 2026?

**Source:** https://promtable.com/compare/groq-vs-cerebras

> Groq wins on broad model availability, OpenAI-compatible API, and competitive pricing. Cerebras wins on raw throughput (wafer-scale CS-3) and largest open-weight models. Pick Groq for general-purpose fast inference, Cerebras for absolute throughput + large open-weight LLMs.

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Groq wins on broad model availability, OpenAI-compatible API, and competitive pricing. Cerebras wins on raw throughput (wafer-scale CS-3) and largest open-weight models. Pick Groq for general-purpose fast inference, Cerebras for absolute throughput + large open-weight LLMs.

## At a glance

| Dimension | Groq | Cerebras |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | LPU (Language Processing Unit) | Wafer-scale CS-3 / CS-4 |
| Raw throughput (tokens/s) | ~500-800 tok/s on 70B | **~1500-2500 tok/s on 70B (CS-3 / Inference)** ✓ |
| Model availability | **Llama, Mixtral, Gemma, Qwen, Whisper** ✓ | Llama, Qwen, DeepSeek, smaller Mistral |
| Largest open-weight model | Up to 70B / 405B (Llama) | **Up to 405B Llama + 671B DeepSeek** ✓ |
| OpenAI-compatible API | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing | Per-token, competitive | Per-token, competitive at high volume |
| Latency (TTFT) | **Very low (~50-100ms)** ✓ | Very low (~80-150ms) |
| Function calling / tool use | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | General fast inference, voice agents, broad model menu | Raw throughput, largest models, high-volume batch |

## Verdict

Groq is the right pick for general-purpose fast inference — broadest model menu (including Whisper STT), OpenAI-compatible API, very low TTFT — ideal for voice agents and real-time apps. Cerebras is the right pick for raw throughput on the largest open-weight models — wafer-scale CS-3 / CS-4 deliver 2-4× Groq's tokens-per-second on 70B+ models, valuable for bulk batch or super-low-latency. Both ship OpenAI-compatible APIs; switching is one URL change.

## When to pick which

- **Groq** — General fast inference, voice agents, broad model + Whisper STT.
- **Cerebras** — Maximum throughput on largest open-weight models, bulk batch.

## FAQ

### Fastest pure throughput?

Cerebras CS-3 — leads on 70B+ models.

### Most models available?

Groq — broader catalog including Whisper STT.

### OpenAI-compatible?

Yes — both ship OpenAI-format APIs; switching is one URL change.

## Related

- [/compare/groq-vs-together](https://promtable.com/compare/groq-vs-together)
- [/alternatives/groq](https://promtable.com/alternatives/groq)
- [/glossary/fast-inference-asic](https://promtable.com/glossary/fast-inference-asic)

*Last updated: 2026-06-01*
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