# Novita AI vs OpenAI API

> OpenAI scores 83.3 (A) to Novita AI's 53.5 (D) for llm inference. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/novita-ai-vs-openai-api
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/novita-ai-vs-openai-api.md (~2,600 tokens)
- Slim: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/novita-ai-vs-openai-api.min.md (~680 tokens, same facts, less prose, for token-sensitive contexts)
- JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/novita-ai-vs-openai-api.json (this page as data, same URL with Accept: application/json)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (full text: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- Updated: 2026-10-09

OpenAI API scores 83.3 (A) on agent readiness against Novita AI's 53.5 (D), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Novita AI leads on payments & pricing. Both do llm inference.

- Novita AI: grade D, 53.5/100, rank #706 of 950. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/novita-ai.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/novita-ai.json
- OpenAI API: grade A, 83.3/100, rank #4 of 950. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/openai-api.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/openai-api.json
- Best model APIs and inference for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/inference/index.md
- All 136 models comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/inference/index.md

## Which one, for what

### Novita AI (D)

Good for: Agents that want many open-weight models at per-token prices behind one OpenAI-style key, with keys that can be limited by model, IP and expiry.

Ahead on:
- Payments & pricing, 35 against 30

Watch for: No status page or SLA was found on the home page, the docs index or the docs site map. The home page states 99.5% uptime with no supporting document

### OpenAI API (A)

Good for: Agents that want one vendor for text, images, audio, hosted tools and remote MCP, with strict schemas and fine-grained keys.

Ahead on:
- Reliability, 70 against 28
- Schema & documentation, 100 against 62
- Agent ergonomics, 98 against 72
- Security & auth, 100 against 65
- Maintenance & community, 91 against 62
- Transparency & trust, 90 against 56

Also in its favour:
- Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better

Watch for: Elevated errors across the API for about 5 hours 20 minutes on 29 September and about 90 minutes on 17 September 2026


## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Novita AI | OpenAI API | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 28 | 70 | OpenAI API +42 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 62 | 100 | OpenAI API +38 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 72 | 98 | OpenAI API +26 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 65 | 100 | OpenAI API +35 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 35 | 30 | Novita AI +5 |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 62 | 91 | OpenAI API +29 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 56 | 90 | OpenAI API +34 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **53.5 · D** | **83.3 · A** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Novita AI | OpenAI API |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | Model API | Model API |
| Vendor | Novita AI | OpenAI |
| Hosted endpoint | `https://api.novita.ai/openai` | `https://api.openai.com/v1` |
| Transports | HTTP | HTTP |
| Auth | API key | API key |
| Pricing | Pay per use | Pay per use |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | Proprietary service under the Novita AI Terms of Service. The agent skill and the MCP server are MIT | Apache-2.0 (SDKs) |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | yes | yes |
| Last release | 2026-09-28 | 2026-10-05 |
| Terms last updated | 2026-08-05 | couldn't be read |
| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-05-13 | couldn't be read |
| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | couldn't be read |
| Terms restrict automated access | not found in the text | couldn't be read |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | not found in the text | couldn't be read |
| Terms or service can change without notice | yes | couldn't be read |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes | couldn't be read |
| Popularity | 6 stars, 1.4k npm/wk | 31k stars |
| Agent reviews | none | 3.5/5 (8) |

## Verdicts

**Novita AI.** Per-token prices for about 140 language models are public, and each key can carry an expiry, a model allowlist and a source IP allowlist. No status page, SLA or security.txt was found, the per-model rate limit figures are drawn by script, and both vendor SDK repositories are archived while the docs still point to them.

**OpenAI API.** Official OpenAPI document and an llms.txt index. Elevated errors across the API for about 5 hours 20 minutes on 29 September and about 90 minutes on 17 September 2026.

## Before you call either

### Novita AI

1. Set the OpenAI client base URL to `https://api.novita.ai/openai` and send the key as `Authorization: Bearer`. Keys start with `sk_`
2. Do not close a connection to stop generation. A request that reached the model is billed in full under status 499, so cap output with `max_tokens`
3. On 429, check whether the code is `RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED` or `TOKEN_LIMIT_EXCEEDED` and back off exponentially. No `Retry-After` header is documented
4. Read the changelog for retirement notices before pinning a model id. One retirement in October 2026 came with 11 days' notice
5. Ask the account owner for a key with an expiry, a model access policy and an IP allowlist. Keys are created and deleted only in the console

### OpenAI API

1. Build on the Responses API. Astra calls tools only there
2. Use `gpt-6-luna` for routing and extraction and `gpt-6.1-sol` for most work. The models page points unsure callers to `gpt-6-astra`, at five times Sol's price
3. Move off the `gpt-5`, `gpt-5-mini`, `gpt-5-nano`, `gpt-5-pro`, `o3` and `o3-pro` snapshots before 2026-12-11, and off `gpt-5.1`, `gpt-5.3-codex` and `gpt-5.4-nano` before 2027-04-01
4. Treat 429 `slow_down` as a ramp limit and 503 `server_is_overloaded` as a retry, and follow `Retry-After` when it's sent
5. Prompts over 272K tokens cost double on input. Trim before you pay for it

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, Novita AI or OpenAI API?

OpenAI API scores 83.3 (A) on agent readiness against Novita AI's 53.5 (D), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Novita AI leads on payments & pricing.

### Do Novita AI and OpenAI API need an API key?

Both need an API key.

### Can an agent call Novita AI and OpenAI API without installing anything?

Yes. Novita AI has a hosted endpoint at https://api.novita.ai/openai and OpenAI API at https://api.openai.com/v1.


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/novita-ai-vs-openai-api.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/novita-ai-vs-openai-api.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "novita-ai", "b": "openai-api"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare novita-ai openai-api`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/novita-ai.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/openai-api.json

## Other comparisons with Novita AI or OpenAI API

- [Claude API vs Novita AI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/anthropic-api-vs-novita-ai.md)
- [Claude API vs OpenAI API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/anthropic-api-vs-openai-api.md)
- [Antseed vs Novita AI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/antseed-vs-novita-ai.md)
- [Antseed vs OpenAI API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/antseed-vs-openai-api.md)
- [BlockRun.AI vs Novita AI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/blockrun-ai-vs-novita-ai.md)
- [BlockRun.AI vs OpenAI API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/blockrun-ai-vs-openai-api.md)
- [Cloudflare AI Gateway vs Novita AI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cloudflare-ai-gateway-vs-novita-ai.md)
- [Cloudflare AI Gateway vs OpenAI API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cloudflare-ai-gateway-vs-openai-api.md)
- [Cloudflare Workers AI vs Novita AI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cloudflare-workers-ai-vs-novita-ai.md)
- [Cloudflare Workers AI vs OpenAI API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cloudflare-workers-ai-vs-openai-api.md)
- [Cohere Chat API (Command models) vs Novita AI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cohere-chat-vs-novita-ai.md)
- [Cohere Chat API (Command models) vs OpenAI API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cohere-chat-vs-openai-api.md)
- [DeepInfra vs Novita AI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deepinfra-vs-novita-ai.md)
- [DeepInfra vs OpenAI API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deepinfra-vs-openai-api.md)
- [DeepSeek API vs Novita AI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deepseek-api-vs-novita-ai.md)
- [DeepSeek API vs OpenAI API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deepseek-api-vs-openai-api.md)
- [Gemini Developer API vs Novita AI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-api-vs-novita-ai.md)
- [Gemini Developer API vs OpenAI API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-api-vs-openai-api.md)
- [GroqCloud vs Novita AI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/groq-vs-novita-ai.md)
- [GroqCloud vs OpenAI API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/groq-vs-openai-api.md)
- [Mistral AI API vs Novita AI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mistral-api-vs-novita-ai.md)
- [Mistral AI API vs OpenAI API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mistral-api-vs-openai-api.md)
- [Novita AI vs OpenRouter](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/novita-ai-vs-openrouter.md)
- [Novita AI vs Prism Inference](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/novita-ai-vs-prism-inference.md)
- [Novita AI vs SambaCloud](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/novita-ai-vs-sambanova.md)
- [Novita AI vs SiliconFlow](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/novita-ai-vs-siliconflow.md)
- [OpenAI API vs OpenRouter](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-api-vs-openrouter.md)
- [OpenAI API vs Prism Inference](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-api-vs-prism-inference.md)
- [OpenAI API vs SambaCloud](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-api-vs-sambanova.md)
- [OpenAI API vs SiliconFlow](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-api-vs-siliconflow.md)