AI API pricing varies enormously across providers. Here is a complete comparison of per-token costs for every major AI model in 2026.
Cheapest Models (Input)
Gemini 3.5 Flash at $0.15/M tokens is the cheapest frontier-capable model. DeepSeek V3.2 at $0.5/M offers open-source pricing. GPT-5.6 Luna at $1/M is OpenAI’s most affordable option. Qwen 3 at $0.6/M is the best value for Asian languages.
Premium Pricing
Claude Fable 5 at $10/$50 per million tokens is the most expensive widely available model. GPT-5.6 Sol at $5/$30 sits below Fable 5. Gemini 3.1 Pro at $2/$12 offers competitive pricing for its capability level.
Hidden Costs
Token prices don’t tell the whole story. Consider cost-per-task (some models need fewer calls), caching discounts (many providers offer 50%+ discounts on cached inputs), and batch API pricing (typically 50% off for non-real-time workloads).
Related: Best Free AI Models 2026 · Best Free AI APIs · Free AI Tools Hub
