NVIDIA NIM API Speed Test — Test 100+ AI Models Live

Test NVIDIA NIM API speed in real-time. Compare 100+ AI models — LLM, code generation, text-to-image, text-to-video, embedding, and more. Measure tokens per second, time to first token (TTFT), and API latency. Free online NVIDIA NIM speed test tool.

Test Models Now Get API Key →

Enter Your NVIDIA NIM API Key

Get your free API key from build.nvidia.com

🔒
Privacy First: Your API key is stored only in your browser's session storage. We never store, transmit, or log your key on our servers. It is automatically cleared when you close the tab. You can revoke it anytime.

Browse & Test NVIDIA NIM Models

Select a category to filter models. Click Test Speed on any model to measure its real-time performance — TTFT, tokens/sec, and total response time.

Loading models...

Enter your API key and click Save to load models

Or models will load automatically if you've saved your key before.


What is NVIDIA NIM API?

NVIDIA NIM (NVIDIA Inference Microservices) is a groundbreaking platform that provides performance-optimized, portable AI inference microservices. Launched by NVIDIA as part of their AI Enterprise platform, NIM API gives developers instant access to over 100 pre-optimized AI models through a simple, OpenAI-compatible API endpoint.

Unlike traditional AI API providers that charge per-token fees, NVIDIA NIM free tier offers generous access to cutting-edge models including Meta Llama, DeepSeek, Qwen, Mistral, Google Gemma, NVIDIA Nemotron, and many more — all without requiring a credit card. The NIM API endpoint at integrate.api.nvidia.com/v1 follows the OpenAI Chat Completions format, making it incredibly easy to migrate existing applications.

The platform runs on NVIDIA DGX Cloud infrastructure, ensuring enterprise-grade reliability and performance. Whether you're building a chatbot, code assistant, image generator, or multimodal AI application, NVIDIA NIM provides the inference backbone. The NIM API supports streaming responses, tool calling, and system prompts — everything modern AI applications need.

For developers looking to test AI model performance before committing to a provider, our NVIDIA NIM speed test tool above lets you benchmark any model in real-time. Measure tokens per second, time to first token, and total API latency to find the perfect model for your use case.


How to Use This NVIDIA NIM Speed Test Tool

Follow these simple steps to test NVIDIA NIM API speed and compare model performance:

  1. Get your NVIDIA NIM API key — Visit build.nvidia.com, create a free account, verify with your phone number, and generate an API key (starts with nvapi-).
  2. Enter your API key — Paste your key in the field above and click Save. Your key is stored only in your browser's session storage and is never sent to our servers.
  3. Browse available models — Once your key is saved, the tool automatically loads all available NVIDIA NIM models. Use the category filters (LLM, Code, Image, Video, Embedding, Multimodal, Healthcare) or search box to find specific models.
  4. Test model speed — Click the Test Speed button on any model card. The tool sends a standardized prompt and measures time to first token (TTFT), tokens per second, and total response time.
  5. Compare results — Test multiple models and compare their performance side by side. Find the fastest NVIDIA NIM model for your specific use case — whether it's real-time chat, code generation, or image creation.

NVIDIA NIM API Features — Why Developers Love It

🔌

OpenAI Compatible

Drop-in replacement for OpenAI API. Change base_url and your existing code works with 100+ models instantly.

🆓

Generous Free Tier

40+ models completely free, no credit card required. ~40 requests per minute — more than enough for development and testing.

Low Latency Inference

Powered by NVIDIA DGX Cloud and TensorRT-LLM. Optimized for speed with streaming support and fast time-to-first-token.

🤖

100+ AI Models

Access Llama, DeepSeek, Qwen, Mistral, Gemma, Nemotron, FLUX, Stable Diffusion, and more — all from one API.

🔒

Enterprise Grade

Built on NVIDIA DGX Cloud infrastructure. Continuous vulnerability fixes, SOC2 compliance, and enterprise support available.

🌍

Global CDN

NIM API endpoints are distributed globally for minimal latency. Test from anywhere in the world with consistent performance.


NVIDIA NIM Models — Complete List 2026

Here's a comprehensive list of popular NVIDIA NIM models available through the API catalog. Use our speed test tool above to benchmark their real-time performance.

ModelProviderCategoryDescription
meta/llama-3.3-70b-instructMetaLLM70B parameter flagship instruct model
meta/llama-4-maverick-17b-128e-instructMetaMultimodalLatest Llama 4 with vision capabilities
deepseek-ai/deepseek-v4-proDeepSeekLLM1M-token context window MoE model
nvidia/llama-3.1-nemotron-ultra-253b-v1NVIDIALLM253B parameter reasoning model
qwen/qwen3-coder-480b-a35b-instructQwenCode480B MoE code generation model
qwen/qwq-32bQwenLLM32B reasoning model
mistralai/mistral-nemotronMistralLLMMistral-NVIDIA collaboration model
google/gemma-4-31b-itGoogleLLMLatest Gemma instruction-tuned model
black-forest-labs/flux.1-devBlack Forest LabsImageHigh-quality text-to-image generation
stabilityai/stable-diffusion-xlStability AIImageSDXL text-to-image model
stabilityai/stable-video-diffusionStability AIVideoImage-to-video generation
nvidia/cosmos-predict1-7bNVIDIAVideoWorld model for video prediction
nvidia/nv-embedqa-e5-v5NVIDIAEmbeddingText embedding for RAG and search
baai/bge-m3BAAIEmbeddingMulti-lingual embedding model
nvidia/llama-3.2-11b-vision-instructMetaMultimodalVision-language model
microsoft/phi-4-multimodal-instructMicrosoftMultimodalSmall multimodal instruct model
openai/gpt-oss-120bOpenAILLMOpen-source 120B parameter model
nvidia/nemotron-mini-4b-instructNVIDIALLMCompact 4B instruction model
moonshotai/kimi-k2-instructMoonshot AILLMMoonshot's instruction-tuned model
arc/evo2-40bArcHealthcareDNA sequence generation model

NVIDIA NIM API Pricing — Free vs Paid

Understanding NVIDIA NIM pricing helps you choose the right tier for your project. Here's a detailed comparison of the NIM free tier vs paid offerings.

FeatureNIM Free TierNIM Paid (DGX Cloud)
PriceFree foreverPay-per-use (varies by model)
Models Available40+ models100+ models
Rate Limit~40 requests/minCustom (higher limits)
Credit Card RequiredNoYes
SLA GuaranteeNoneYes (99.9%+ uptime)
SupportCommunityPriority enterprise support
Production ReadyDev/testing onlyYes
Fine-tuningNot availableAvailable
API FormatOpenAI-compatibleOpenAI-compatible
Best ForPrototyping, learning, personal projectsProduction apps, enterprise, high-scale

Pro tip: Start with the NVIDIA NIM free tier to prototype and benchmark. Use our speed test tool above to find the fastest model for your use case, then upgrade to paid when you need production reliability.


How to Get Your NVIDIA NIM API Key

Getting a NVIDIA NIM API key is free and takes less than 2 minutes. Follow these steps to start building with 100+ AI models:

  1. Visit build.nvidia.com — Go to build.nvidia.com/explore/discover and explore the model catalog.
  2. Create an account — Click "Get API Key" and sign up for a free NVIDIA Developer account. You can use your email or sign in with Google/GitHub.
  3. Verify your identity — NVIDIA requires phone number verification for API access. Enter your phone number and confirm with the SMS code sent to you.
  4. Generate your API key — Once verified, navigate to the "API Keys" section in the dashboard. Click "Create API Key" and copy it immediately — it's only shown once.
  5. Start testing — Paste your API key (starts with nvapi-) in our speed test tool above and start benchmarking models instantly!

Important: Your NVIDIA NIM API key provides access to the free tier with ~40 requests per minute. No credit card is required. The key works with the OpenAI Python SDK, JavaScript SDK, curl, and any HTTP client.


Why Test NVIDIA NIM API Speed?

Testing NVIDIA NIM API speed before deploying is critical for building responsive AI applications. Our speed test tool measures three key metrics that directly impact user experience:

Time to First Token (TTFT) — This measures how quickly the API starts streaming a response. For chat applications, a low TTFT (under 500ms) creates the feeling of instant responsiveness. Large models like Llama 3.3 70B may have higher TTFT due to model initialization, while smaller models like Nemotron Mini 4B respond almost instantly.

Tokens per Second — This determines how fast the full response streams in. Higher tokens/sec means users see the complete answer faster. This metric is crucial for code generation, long-form writing, and any application where response length matters. Our tool measures this in real-time using the NIM streaming API.

Total Response Time — The complete end-to-end latency from request to final token. This is the "wall clock time" users actually experience. By benchmarking NIM API response time across different models, you can find the optimal balance between model capability and speed for your specific use case.

Different NVIDIA NIM models have vastly different performance characteristics. A 70B parameter model produces higher quality outputs but runs slower than a 7B model. Our NVIDIA NIM benchmark tool helps you make data-driven decisions about which model to use, saving development time and ensuring the best user experience for your AI-powered application.


Frequently Asked Questions About NVIDIA NIM API

What is NVIDIA NIM API and how does it work?
NVIDIA NIM (NVIDIA Inference Microservices) is a platform that provides optimized AI model inference through an OpenAI-compatible API. It offers 100+ pre-optimized models hosted on NVIDIA DGX Cloud infrastructure. You send requests to https://integrate.api.nvidia.com/v1 with your API key, and NIM returns model responses. It supports chat completions, text completions, streaming, and tool calling — just like OpenAI's API.
Is NVIDIA NIM API really free?
Yes! NVIDIA NIM offers a genuinely free tier with 40+ models, no credit card required. You get approximately 40 requests per minute, which is generous for development, testing, and personal projects. For production workloads requiring higher rate limits and SLA guarantees, NVIDIA offers paid tiers through DGX Cloud. See our pricing comparison above for details.
How do I get a NVIDIA NIM API key?
Visit build.nvidia.com, create a free NVIDIA Developer account, verify your phone number, then navigate to the API Keys section and click "Create API Key". Your key starts with nvapi- and is displayed only once — copy it immediately. See our step-by-step guide above for detailed instructions.
How fast is NVIDIA NIM API compared to OpenAI?
NVIDIA NIM API performance is competitive with OpenAI, especially for open-source models. Smaller models (1B-8B parameters) achieve 100+ tokens/sec, while larger models (70B+) deliver 30-60 tokens/sec. TTFT is typically 200ms-2s depending on model size and load. Our speed test tool lets you benchmark both and compare directly.
What programming languages work with NVIDIA NIM?
Since NVIDIA NIM uses an OpenAI-compatible API, any language that works with the OpenAI API works with NIM. Official SDKs are available for Python and JavaScript/TypeScript. You can also use curl, Go, Rust, Java, or any HTTP client. Simply change the base URL to https://integrate.api.nvidia.com/v1 and use your NVIDIA API key for authentication.
Can I use NVIDIA NIM for code generation?
Absolutely! NVIDIA NIM offers several excellent code generation models including Qwen Qwen3 Coder 480B (one of the largest code models available), Qwen 2.5 Coder 32B, Google CodeGemma 7B, and NVIDIA's own code-specialized models. Use our speed test tool to benchmark code generation speed and find the best model for your coding assistant.
What are the rate limits for NVIDIA NIM free tier?
The free tier provides approximately 40 requests per minute per API key. This is suitable for interactive use, development, and testing. Automated pipelines may need to implement backoff logic for 429 (Too Many Requests) errors. Production tiers offer significantly higher rate limits with guaranteed SLAs.
Is my API key safe when using this speed test tool?
Yes. Your API key is stored only in your browser's sessionStorage and is never transmitted to our servers. All API calls go through a lightweight Cloudflare Pages Function proxy that forwards your request directly to NVIDIA's servers. The proxy does not log, store, or inspect your API key. When you close the tab or click "Revoke Key", the key is completely removed.
Which NVIDIA NIM model is the fastest?
Speed depends on model size. The fastest models are smaller ones: NVIDIA Nemotron Mini 4B, Meta Llama 3.2 1B, and Google Gemma 2B achieve 100+ tokens/sec. Mid-size models (8B-14B) typically deliver 60-100 tokens/sec. Larger models (70B+) trade speed for quality at 30-60 tokens/sec. Use our speed test to find the best speed/quality tradeoff for your needs.