Developer Resources
Tools and platforms we recommend for building with AI APIs. Whether you're choosing an inference provider, setting up hosting, or picking developer tools, this page covers the options worth considering — with honest assessments of each.
AI Platforms
The major AI API providers — from frontier models to ultra-affordable options. Use our cost calculator to compare exact pricing for your workload.
OpenAI
GPT-4o, o3, and GPT-5 series. The most widely used AI API with extensive documentation, function calling, and vision capabilities. Best for teams already in the OpenAI ecosystem.
Google AI
Gemini 2.5 and 3 series. Strong multimodal support, million-token context windows, and tight integration with Google Cloud. Excellent for long-document processing and multimodal tasks.
Mistral
European AI lab offering open-weight models and a hosted API. Competitive pricing, strong multilingual performance, and models available for self-hosting.
DeepSeek
Ultra-low-cost models with strong reasoning capabilities. DeepSeek V3 and R1 offer some of the best price-to-performance ratios available, especially for batch workloads.
Together AI
Open-source model hosting with competitive pricing. Run Llama, Mixtral, and other open models without managing infrastructure. Good free tier for experimentation.
Groq
Ultra-fast inference on custom LPU hardware. Delivers some of the lowest latency in the industry with a generous free tier. Great for latency-sensitive applications.
Cerebras
Wafer-scale inference delivering extremely fast token generation. Best suited for workloads where speed matters more than cost per token.
SambaNova
Enterprise AI platform with custom DataScale hardware. Offers both cloud API access and on-premises deployment for regulated industries.
GPU Inference
When API costs get too high, self-hosting open-source models on dedicated GPUs can dramatically reduce costs for batch and high-volume workloads.
Lambda
GPU cloud for AI training and inference. On-demand and reserved A100/H100 instances with competitive pricing and a developer-friendly API.
CoreWeave
GPU-specialized cloud provider with Kubernetes-native infrastructure. Offers H100 and A100 instances optimized for large-scale inference workloads.
Vast.ai
GPU marketplace connecting renters with providers. Often the cheapest option for batch inference and fine-tuning with spot-like pricing.
Modal
Serverless GPU compute for AI workloads. Pay-per-second pricing, no idle costs, and simple Python-native deployment for inference pipelines.
Developer Tools
IDEs, code assistants, and platforms that speed up AI-powered application development.
Cursor
AI-native code editor built on VS Code. Features inline completions, multi-file editing, and deep codebase understanding. No affiliate program available yet.
GitHub Copilot
AI pair programmer integrated directly into VS Code, JetBrains, and Neovim. Backed by OpenAI models with deep GitHub integration.
Windsurf
AI code editor and Cursor alternative with agentic coding features. Offers a free tier and competitive pricing for individual developers.
Supabase
Open-source Firebase alternative with Postgres, auth, storage, and edge functions. Excellent developer experience and a generous free tier.
Cloud & Infrastructure
Hosting, CDNs, domains, and cloud platforms for deploying AI-powered applications. From simple PaaS to full cloud providers.
Vercel
Frontend cloud and Next.js hosting platform. Zero-config deployments, edge functions, and excellent developer experience. Partner program only.
Render
Simple cloud hosting for web apps, APIs, and databases. Straightforward pricing and easy deployment from Git repositories.
AWS
Amazon Bedrock and SageMaker for enterprise AI workloads. The broadest cloud platform with the most services, but steeper learning curve.
Azure
Azure OpenAI Service for enterprise GPT deployments. Best for organizations already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem.
Google Cloud
Vertex AI for enterprise Gemini deployments. Strong integration with BigQuery, Cloud Run, and other GCP services.
How We Choose Resources
Every tool on this page is something we've evaluated for real-world AI development workflows. We prioritize tools that solve genuine problems: reducing API costs, speeding up development, or simplifying deployment of AI-powered applications.
Our comparison data and calculator results are never influenced by affiliate relationships. The comparison pages use verified pricing from official provider documentation, and model ordering is determined purely by cost at the user's selected parameters.
We include non-affiliate tools alongside affiliate partners because completeness matters more than commission. If OpenAI or Google is the right choice for your workload, we want you to find that answer here — even though we don't earn from those recommendations.
For detailed pricing breakdowns of any AI provider listed here, use the APICents calculator to compare costs at your specific token volume. You can also browse provider pages for model-by-model pricing tables and use case guides for workload-specific recommendations.