LLM API Pricing Comparison 2026
Published September 15, 2026 · Estimated reading: 6 min
With dozens of LLM providers and pricing models, finding the cheapest API for your use case is harder than it should be. This guide compares real rates across major providers — and shows how AI24X managed tiers can save 71-96% vs official pricing.
Official Provider Rates (per million input tokens)
| Provider | Model | Input Cost/M | Output Cost/M |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | GPT-4o | $2.50 | $10.00 |
| OpenAI | GPT-4o-mini | $0.15 | $0.60 |
| Anthropic | Claude Opus | $15.00 | $75.00 |
| Anthropic | Claude Sonnet | $3.00 | $15.00 |
| Anthropic | Claude Haiku | $0.25 | $1.25 |
| Gemini Pro | $1.25 | $5.00 | |
| Gemini Flash | $0.075 | $0.30 | |
| DeepSeek | V4 Flash (peak) | $3.17 | $9.50 |
| DeepSeek | V4 Flash (off-peak) | $1.58 | $4.75 |
| DeepSeek | V4 Pro (peak) | $3.17 | $9.50 |
| Qwen | Qwen Max | $2.00 | $6.00 |
| MiMo | MiMo 2.5 Pro | $1.00 | $2.00 |
AI24X Managed Tier Pricing
| Tier | Cost/M Tokens | Equivalent Model Value | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash | $0.35 | GPT Luna ($1.20) | 71% |
| Pro | $1.05 | GPT Terra ($12.00) | 91% |
| Pro | $1.05 | GPT Sol ($30.00) | 96% |
Cheapest Model for Each Task Type
| Task | Best Value Model | Cost/M Tokens |
|---|---|---|
| Simple classification | AI24X Flash | $0.35 |
| Code generation | AI24X Pro | $1.05 |
| Reasoning | DeepSeek Pro | ~$2.00 |
| Creative writing | Claude Sonnet | $3.00 |
| Vision analysis | GPT-5 | AI24X managed |
How to Switch Between Models
With AI24X, you use the same API key and SDK for all models — just change the model parameter:
curl -X POST "https://api.ai24x.com/v1/chat/completions" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sk-your-key" \
-d '{
"model": "flash",
"messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
}'
Related: AI API Cost Optimization · Best LLM API for Price · Cheaper Alternative to GPT · DeepSeek API Pricing