AI API Pricing Comparison (October 2026)
Per-token prices for 31 models from 8 providers, in US dollars per 1 million tokens. Last updated 2026-10-24.
Quick takeaways
- Lowest combined price: Ministral 3 3B ($0.10 input / $0.10 output).
- Highest combined price: Claude Fable 5.1 ($10.00 input / $50.00 output).
- Want a real number for your usage? Use the AI API Cost Calculator or count your prompt with the AI Token Counter.
Anthropic Claude API pricing
| Model | Input / 1M | Cached input / 1M | Output / 1M | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Fable 5.1 | $10.00 | $0.25 | $50.00 | |
| Claude Opus 5.5 | $4.00 | $0.20 | $20.00 | |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 | $2.00 | $0.10 | $10.00 | |
| Claude Haiku 5.5 | $0.10 | $0.01 | $0.50 | Prompts over 100K tokens cost $0.50 input / $2.50 output. |
| Claude Opus 5 (legacy) | $5.00 | $0.50 | $25.00 | |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 (legacy) | $3.00 | $0.30 | $15.00 | |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 (legacy) | $1.00 | $0.10 | $5.00 |
OpenAI GPT API pricing
| Model | Input / 1M | Cached input / 1M | Output / 1M | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-5.5 | $5.00 | $0.50 | $30.00 | |
| GPT-5.4 | $2.50 | $0.25 | $15.00 | |
| GPT-5.4 mini | $0.75 | $0.075 | $4.50 | |
| GPT-5.4 nano | $0.20 | $0.02 | $1.25 |
Google Gemini API pricing
| Model | Input / 1M | Cached input / 1M | Output / 1M | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 4 Argon | $2.00 | $0.10 | $10.00 | Introductory price through Nov 30, 2026. From 2026-12-01: $4.00 input / $20.00 output. |
| Gemini 3.8 Flash | $0.75 | $0.075 | $3.75 | Introductory price through Dec 31, 2026. From 2027-01-01: $1.50 input / $7.50 output. |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite | $0.30 | $0.03 | $2.50 | |
| Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview | $2.00 | $0.20 | $12.00 | Prompts over 200K tokens cost $4 input / $18 output. |
| Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite | $0.25 | $0.025 | $1.50 |
DeepSeek API pricing
| Model | Input / 1M | Cached input / 1M | Output / 1M | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeepSeek V4.1 Flash | $0.30 | $0.006 | $1.20 | Peak-hour rate shown. Off-peak billing is half this price. |
| DeepSeek V4 Pro | $1.32 | $0.044 | $3.96 | Peak-hour rate shown. Off-peak billing is half this price. |
Moonshot Kimi API pricing
| Model | Input / 1M | Cached input / 1M | Output / 1M | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimi K3 | $3.00 | $0.30 | $15.00 | |
| Kimi K2.6 | $0.95 | $0.16 | $4.00 |
xAI Grok API pricing
| Model | Input / 1M | Cached input / 1M | Output / 1M | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grok 4.7 | $2.00 | $0.50 | $6.00 | Prompts of 200K tokens or more cost double. |
| Grok 4.3 | $1.25 | $0.20 | $2.50 | Prompts of 200K tokens or more cost double. |
Mistral API pricing
| Model | Input / 1M | Cached input / 1M | Output / 1M | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mistral Large 4 | $0.68 | $0.07 | $2.09 | Public-preview launch price. Mistral's published list price afterwards is $1.36 input / $4.18 output (end date not announced). |
| Mistral Medium 3.5 | $1.50 | $0.15 | $7.50 | |
| Mistral Large 3 | $0.50 | - | $1.50 | |
| Mistral Small 4 | $0.15 | $0.015 | $0.60 | |
| Codestral | $0.30 | - | $0.90 | |
| Ministral 3 3B | $0.10 | - | $0.10 |
Alibaba Qwen API pricing
| Model | Input / 1M | Cached input / 1M | Output / 1M | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qwen3.8 Max | $2.00 | $0.25 | $6.00 | |
| Qwen3.8 Flash | $0.15 | - | $0.47 | |
| Qwen3.7 Plus | $0.40 | - | $1.60 | Prompts over 256K tokens cost $1.20 input / $4.80 output. |
Where these prices come from
Prices are collected by hand from each provider's public pricing documentation. Always confirm the current rate at the source before budgeting:
- Anthropic pricing page
- OpenAI pricing page
- Google pricing page
- DeepSeek pricing page
- Moonshot (Kimi) pricing page
- xAI (Grok) pricing page
- Mistral pricing page
- Alibaba (Qwen) pricing page
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest AI API model?
On this list, Ministral 3 3B has the lowest combined price at $0.10 input and $0.10 output per million tokens. Cheapest does not mean best for your task, so test quality as well as cost.
What is the most expensive model on this list?
Claude Fable 5.1 has the highest combined price at $10.00 input and $50.00 output per million tokens.
How are AI API prices measured?
Prices are in US dollars per one million tokens, with separate prices for input (the prompt) and output (the response). Some providers also list a lower price for cached input.
Do these prices include batch discounts, long-prompt surcharges or taxes?
No. These are standard list prices. Batch discounts, surcharges for very long prompts and taxes are not included, but the notes column marks models that have a different price for long prompts or a temporary promotional price.
How often is this page updated?
The date at the top shows the last update. Prices change often, so check the provider's own pricing page before you commit to a budget.
How do I estimate my own monthly cost?
Use the AI API Cost Calculator. Enter your average input and output tokens per request and your monthly request volume, and it shows the cost for every model.