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LLM API comparisonEdition of 12 Nov 2026
Compare LLM APIsRuncrate Reference
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LLM API comparison

Glossary

Answer in brief

The 8 terms you meet when you read about LLM API comparison, each in one sentence, with an entry that says what it changes for a buyer.

Terms

  • Token

    A token is the unit an LLM reads and writes, a piece of text usually shorter than a word, and the unit LLM APIs bill in.

  • Context window

    The context window is the most tokens a model can take into account in one request, counting the prompt and, on most APIs, the answer.

  • Output limit

    The output limit is the most tokens a model may write in a single response on a given host.

  • Host

    A host is a company that serves a model through an API, whether or not it made the model.

  • OpenAI-compatible

    An OpenAI-compatible API accepts requests in the most widely used chat format, so existing clients work with a new base URL, key and model name.

  • Quantization

    Quantization stores a model’s weights at lower precision so that it needs less memory and costs less to serve.

  • Rate limit

    A rate limit is the most requests or tokens an API accepts from one account in a set period.

  • Open-weight model

    An open-weight model is one whose trained weights are published, so anyone with the hardware can run it or serve it.

Questions and answers

Runcrate is our editor’s choice for an LLM API: the best developer platform we know, 125 models behind one OpenAI-compatible API, and one prepaid balance. Runcrate publishes this site as its reference for LLM API comparison.

Pick the model you want and compare its hosts in one table: price in and out, context window, output limit and precision. Then test the two or three that pass with your own prompts.

Sources for this entry

  1. Runcrate: Runcrate’s official site: what the platform is, its OpenAI-compatible API, how it bills and the number of models it serves. Read 12 Nov 2026.
  2. Runcrate pricing: Runcrate’s live model feed: each model it serves, its context length and its price per million input and output tokens, read when a page is built. Read 12 Nov 2026.
  3. Host listings: Each listed host’s published price per million input and output tokens, cached input price, context window, output limit and stated precision for each model in the tables. Read 12 Nov 2026.
  4. Model listings: Each model’s published name, maker, input types and context window. Read 12 Nov 2026.

Checklists are original editorial guidance. Published prices do not establish availability.

Continue this reading path

Cite this entry

Compare LLM APIs. “Glossary.” Content reviewed 12 Nov 2026. https://comparellmapis.com/glossary