Managed inference API
Together AI
Managed inference and fine-tuning oriented around open models — serverless token APIs plus dedicated / GPU-cluster options (together.ai/pricing), not tokens-only.
Product facts checked October 2, 2026Editorial scores last reviewed September 3, 2026
Some outbound links use a first-party redirect hop for click counting. Commission is only claimed when a partner programme is active for that specific link — most vendor hops here are not paid placements. Affiliate disclosure.
Marketplace referrals (for example RunPod or Vast) may return credits or kickbacks when a programme is active — that is a material connection even when it is not a cash CPA.
Best for
Serving open-weight models without operating your own GPU fleet
Watch out
Serverless token APIs, dedicated GPU hours and provisioned throughput have different cost models. Each PTU represents reserved capacity; tokens per minute depend on the model and token type. Together announced $800M in Series C funding on July 1, 2026; this does not guarantee endpoint availability or service levels.
| Billing | Serverless per-token; dedicated inference per GPU-minute for ready replicas; GPU clusters and provisioned throughput have separate contracts. |
|---|---|
| GPU choice | Managed serverless; dedicated deployment profiles with selected hardware; separate GPU clusters for infrastructure control. |
| Cold start | Dedicated replicas need provisioning/model loading after restart or zero replicas; ready warm replicas continue billing while idle. No universal startup latency is established. |
| Model access | Serverless catalog plus supported dedicated models, fine-tunes and uploaded LoRA adapters. Custom deployment profiles must meet Together's supported-runtime requirements. |
Sources for the dated product and announcement claims
- Current product modes, billing and deployment documentation — source checked October 2, 2026
- Current product modes, billing and deployment documentation — source checked October 2, 2026
- Current product modes, billing and deployment documentation — source checked October 2, 2026
- Together pricing and PTU definition — source checked October 2, 2026
- Together July 1 financing announcement — source checked October 2, 2026
Fit detail
When Together AI is the right shortlist — and when it is not
Use these lists to kill bad comparisons early, before you compare logos.
Ideal for
- Serving open-weight chat/code models via API
- Fine-tune + serve loops without owning GPUs
- Product teams that want tokens, not CUDA drivers
Usually not ideal for
- Arbitrary architectures outside supported dedicated model profiles
- SSH or driver changes through the managed inference API
- Treating idle dedicated replicas as token-only spending
Spend & ops
How cost behaves — and what breaks first
No invented $/hour quotes. These notes explain the failure modes that show up on the first real invoice.
Cost mental model
Serverless bills tokens. Dedicated inference bills each ready replica by GPU-minute, including idle ready time; provisioning/non-ready time and stopped or zero-replica deployments are not billed under the current DMI docs. PTUs reserve model/token-dependent throughput; GPU clusters are another product. Compare exact rates and utilization.
Ops notes
- Pin the exact model or stable endpoint string and review lifecycle notices.
- Compare serverless token spend with ready-replica GPU time at your utilization.
- Set replica bounds and idle shutdown deliberately; handle quota and endpoint-readiness errors.
Fit scores
Together AI on the decision axes
Same editorial scale as the hub chart — useful for shortlists, not as a price quote.
Together AI
- GPU choice3/10
- Time-to-serving (editorial)9/10
- Price clarity7/10
- Production ops8/10
- Open-model breadth9/10
Among all 16 providers
GPU choice
Pick exact GPUs
Time-to-serving (editorial)
Warm-path fit
Price clarity
Easy to forecast
Production ops
Less DIY ops
Open-model breadth
Catalog depth
Scores are editorial planning ratings (1–10) for product shape — not published $/hour quotes or vendor SLAs. Verify current pricing on each provider site.
Compare
Together AI vs alternatives
Open a head-to-head when you are deciding between product shapes.
Related
Keep the decision attached to the rest of the stack
Cloud rental is one path. Local VRAM and open-weight fit still matter.