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Alternatives · Inference APIs

Gemini API alternatives, graded

thecontinuitylayer.com/alternatives/gemini-api

6 of the 13 inference APIs on the record score higher than Gemini API's 4 of 5 (grade B+): Groq (5, A+), OpenAI API (5, A+), Anthropic API (5, A+) lead the ranking. Every grade is read from the maker's own page, checked 5 November 2026, never from a review.

B+
Gemini API · 4 of 5
13
inference APIs to compare
6
score higher
5 November 2026
Makers' pages checked

Every inference API on the record, ranked

Gemini API’s own row is shaded. The five columns are the tests a person switching asks about first; each product page has every test, with the maker’s line and the source. Where the test is about training, no is the good answer and is colored as such.

inference APIGradePriceRate limitsTrainingRetentionStatus page
Groq#1 · GroqA+5/5
OpenAI API#2 · OpenAIA+5/5
Anthropic API#3 · AnthropicA+5/5
Fireworks AI#4 · Fireworks AIA4½/5
OpenRouter#5 · OpenRouterA4½/5
DeepInfra#6 · DeepInfraA4½/5
Gemini API#7 · Google · this oneB+4/5
xAI API#8 · xAIB+4/5
Together AI#9 · Together AIB3½/5
Mistral API#10 · Mistral AIB3½/5
Cohere API#11 · CohereB3½/5
Baseten#12 · BasetenB3½/5
DeepSeek API#13 · DeepSeekC−2½/5
HiAPI#14 · HiAPID2/5
  • Price · Does it publish a per-token price?
  • Rate limits · Does it publish its rate limits?
  • Training · Does it train on your API prompts by default?
  • Retention · Does it say how long it keeps your prompts and outputs?
  • Status page · Does it run a public status page?

Gemini API alternatives, by what matters

6 inference APIs that don't train on your prompts by default

  1. A+ Groq
  2. A+ OpenAI API
  3. A+ Anthropic API
  4. A Fireworks AI
  5. B+ xAI API
  6. B Together AI

Gemini API's grade on this test: partly.

8 inference APIs that publish their rate limits

  1. A+ Groq
  2. A+ OpenAI API
  3. A+ Anthropic API
  4. A OpenRouter
  5. A DeepInfra
  6. B+ xAI API
  7. B Cohere API
  8. B Baseten

Gemini API's grade on this test: partly.

9 inference APIs that say how long they keep your prompts

  1. A+ Groq
  2. A+ OpenAI API
  3. A+ Anthropic API
  4. A Fireworks AI
  5. A OpenRouter
  6. A DeepInfra
  7. B+ xAI API
  8. B Mistral API
  9. B Baseten

Gemini API passes this test too.

What Google changed lately

  1. Google made Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash, its video generation model, generally available in the Gemini API on 5 November 2026 at $0.07 per second of 720p video, which Google says is 30% below the price of Gemini Omni 1.1. Clips can run up to 15 seconds, up from 10. The announcement gives no retirement date for Omni 1.1.

    source

  2. Google emailed Google AI Plus subscribers ($4.99 a month) that from November 13, 2026, Pro models in the Gemini app and in AI Mode in Search will only be available on Google AI Pro ($19.99 a month) and above. Plus keeps the Flash and Flash-Lite models; earlier Pro chats can be continued with a different model.

    source

  3. Google Cloud stopped selling new Gemini Code Assist Standard and Enterprise subscriptions and points buyers to Antigravity via Gemini Enterprise. Renewals are allowed until January 31, 2027 (annual) or December 31, 2027 (monthly).

    source

Every change from Google, dated →

Alternatives to the others

The whole shelf: Inference APIs. How the grades are made: How we grade. No maker pays for a place or a grade.