For developers
API pricing: the real bill, per million tokens.
Consumer plans are flat-rate; the API is metered. Rates below are per million tokens (≈750k words), input / output, sorted cheap to expensive. Verified August 2026 — these change often.
| Provider | Model | Input /1M | Output /1M | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | GPT-5.4 nano Fastest, cheapest | $0.05 | $0.40 | 272K |
| DeepSeek | V4-Flash Fast, cheap reasoning | $0.14 | $0.28 | 1M |
| Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite Cheap, fast, multimodal | $0.25 | $1.50 | 1M | |
| DeepSeek | V4-Pro Top reasoning, cheap | $0.43 | $0.87 | 1M |
| Anthropic | Claude Haiku 4.5 Fast, near-Sonnet quality | $1.00 | $5.00 | 200K |
| xAI | Grok 4.5 Opus-class flagship | $2.00 | $6.00 | 500K |
| Gemini 3.1 Pro Frontier multimodal | $2.00 | $12.00 | 1M | |
| OpenAI | GPT-5.6 Terra Balanced flagship tier | $2.50 | $15.00 | 1M |
| Anthropic | Claude Sonnet 5 New Sonnet flagship | $3.00 | $15.00 | 1M |
| Anthropic | Claude Opus 4.8 Opus flagship | $5.00 | $25.00 | 1M |
| OpenAI | GPT-5.6 Sol New flagship (Jul 2026) | $5.00 | $30.00 | 1M |
| Anthropic | Claude Opus 5 Most powerful Claude | $10.00 | $50.00 | 1M |
| OpenAI | GPT-5.5 pro Most capable overall | $30.00 | $180.00 | 1M |
Worked example: a 2,500-word essay (≈6,700 tokens, half in/half out)
GPT-5.4 nano ≈ $0.002 · DeepSeek V4-Flash ≈ $0.002 · Claude Haiku 4.5 ≈ $0.02 · Claude Sonnet 5 ≈ $0.06 · Claude Opus 4.8 ≈ $0.10 · GPT-5.5 pro ≈ $0.45. The cheapest model is usually 95% as good for simple tasks — start cheap, escalate on failure.
Building for a team instead of an app? Multi-model access without writing code is what workspaces like AI bundles are for — and its Enterprise tier supports bring-your-own API keys if you want metered billing with a managed UI.
FAQ
API questions.
How do API prices work?
You pay per million tokens — roughly 750,000 words. Output tokens typically cost 3–6× input tokens. A 2,500-word translation costs anywhere from under a cent (mini models) to ~$0.45 (top reasoning models).
Which API is the best value in 2026?
For cheap capable output: DeepSeek V4-Flash ($0.14/$0.28) and GPT-5.4 nano ($0.05/$0.40). For quality-per-dollar in the mid tier: Claude Haiku 4.5 and Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite. Start cheap and upgrade only when output quality actually fails.
Do I need the API or a subscription?
If you chat with AI, subscribe. The API is for developers building products — and for chat, subscriptions are almost always cheaper than paying per token at the flagship rates.
Sources
Where these prices come from.
Every price on this page was checked against the provider's official pricing page on 2026-08-29. Prices are USD, before local tax, and change often — the official page always wins. See how we verify prices.