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Best AI Model API Pricing 2026: Full Cost Comparison
Best AI Model API Pricing 2026: Full Cost Comparison
AI API prices shift monthly in 2026. Here’s the current per-million-token pricing for every major model, plus a real per-task cost table so you can pick the cheapest option that actually meets your quality bar. Prices verified against vendor pages as of July 2026 — always re-check before committing budget.
Last verified: July 24, 2026
Full Pricing Table (per million tokens)
| Model | Input | Output | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Fable 5 | $10 | $50 | Sub access: Max/Team-Premium only |
| Claude Opus 4.8 | $5 | $25 | Fast Mode $10/$50; batch $2.50/$12.50 |
| Claude Sonnet 5 | $2 | $10 | Intro thru Aug 31, 2026 → then $3/$15 |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | $1 | $5 | Cheapest Claude tier |
| GPT-5.6 Sol | $5 | $30 | Sol Ultra $12.50/$75 |
| GPT-5.6 Terra | $2.50 | $15 | Mid tier |
| GPT-5.6 Luna | $1 | $6 | Value tier |
| Gemini 3.6 Flash | $1.50 | $7.50 | New default; ~65% fewer output tokens |
| Gemini 3.1 Pro | $2 | $12 | |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite | $0.30 | $2.50 | Cheap tier |
| Gemini 3.5 Pro | $15 | $60 | Announced, still not GA |
| Grok 4.5 | $2 | $6 | Strong value |
| Kimi K3 | $3 | $15 | Flat pricing; open weights Jul 27 |
| DeepSeek V4 Pro | $0.435 | $0.87 | Off-peak (2× at peak); cache-hit ~$0.043 |
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | $0.14 | $0.28 | Off-peak (2× at peak); cache-hit $0.0028 |
Real Cost Per Task (30K in / 5K out)
Output tokens usually dominate. For a typical agentic turn (~30K input, ~5K output):
| Model | Approx. cost/task |
|---|---|
| DeepSeek V4 Pro (off-peak) | $0.017 |
| GPT-5.6 Luna | $0.06 |
| Gemini 3.6 Flash | $0.08 |
| Grok 4.5 | $0.09 |
| Claude Sonnet 5 (intro) | $0.11 |
| Claude Opus 4.8 | $0.28 |
| GPT-5.6 Sol | $0.30 |
| GPT-5.6 Sol Ultra | $0.75 |
Formula: cost = (input_tokens/1M × input_price) + (output_tokens/1M × output_price).
How to Choose by Budget
- Rock-bottom cost, high volume: DeepSeek V4 Flash/Pro (schedule off-peak) or Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite.
- Best Western value tier: GPT-5.6 Luna, Grok 4.5, or Gemini 3.6 Flash (fewer output tokens = lower effective cost).
- Balanced frontier quality: Claude Sonnet 5 (grab the intro rate before Aug 31), GPT-5.6 Terra, Gemini 3.1 Pro.
- Hardest reasoning / agents: Claude Opus 4.8, GPT-5.6 Sol, Claude Fable 5.
The Two Footnotes That Trip People Up
- Claude Sonnet 5 intro pricing ($2/$10) ends August 31, 2026 — it reverts to $3/$15. Budget for the jump, and note its tokenizer runs ~1.42× tokens vs Sonnet 4.6.
- DeepSeek uses peak/off-peak surge pricing — output roughly doubles during peak UTC hours. Batch non-interactive jobs off-peak to pay the lower tier.
Bottom Line
The headline rate lies — cost per task is what matters, and it’s driven by output tokens. A “pricier” model that emits fewer tokens (Gemini 3.6 Flash) can beat a “cheaper” one that rambles. Benchmark on your real prompts, not the sticker price.