GPT-5.4 ProOpenAI · since Apr '26
$30 input$180 output
LLM API Pricing Trends
Track how LLM API costs have evolved since GPT-4's launch in March 2023. The update ledger records changes between pricing snapshots; the charts show the longer trend.
Data from public pricing pages and announcements. Last updated: August 15, 2026.
As of August 15, 2026, the frontier token price index is 12, or 88% below its March 2023 base. The latest snapshot includes 2 model entries, exits, or price changes; the observation date is not a claim that every provider changed its rate that day.
Biggest Price Drop
GPT-4 Output: $60 → $10
83% drop via GPT-4o replacement
Cheapest Frontier
DeepSeek V3
$1.1/1M output · DeepSeek
Price Index
100 → 12
88% drop since March 2023
Latest LLM pricing updates
These rows changed between the previous generated price-index snapshot and the August 15, 2026snapshot. “Entered” and “exited” describe index membership. Price changes use the index's blended rate: three parts input to one part output.
| Model | Tier | Snapshot update |
|---|---|---|
| Claude 3.5 Sonnet | mid | Entered at $6.00/1M blended |
| Gemini 1.5 Pro | frontier | Entered at $2.19/1M blended |
Snapshot changes can include a corrected registry value or cohort change. Check the live LLM API pricing comparison before changing a production budget.
LLM Price Index (March 2023 = 100)
Median blended token price across active frontier models, normalized to GPT-4 launch pricing. Lower means cheaper.
Output Price History by Model
Output price per million tokens over time. Toggle models to compare.
OpenAIAnthropicGoogleDeepSeekMistralxAI
Radar markers identify recorded price changes in this dated history; they do not represent measured alert lead time or provider announcement timestamps. Radar events attach the published provider source when the change is confirmed.
Current LLM API prices
Per million tokens, highest output price first
Model / providerInput / output
Claude 3 OpusAnthropic · since Mar '24
$15 input$75 output
GPT-4OpenAI · since Mar '23
$30 input$60 output
o1OpenAI · since Sep '24
$15 input$60 output
GPT-4 TurboOpenAI · since Nov '23
$10 input$30 output
Claude Opus 4.6Anthropic · since Feb '26
$5 input$25 output
GPT-5.4OpenAI · since Apr '26
$2.5 input$15 output
Claude 3 SonnetAnthropic · since Mar '24
$3 input$15 output
Claude 3.5 SonnetAnthropic · since Jun '24
$3 input$15 output
Claude Sonnet 4.5Anthropic · since Sep '25
$3 input$15 output
Claude Sonnet 4.6Anthropic · since Feb '26
$3 input$15 output
Grok 4.1xAI · since Feb '26
$3 input$15 output
GPT-5.2OpenAI · since Feb '26
$1.75 input$14 output
Gemini 3.1 ProGoogle · since Apr '26
$2 input$12 output
GPT-4oOpenAI · since May '24
$2.5 input$10 output
GPT-5.1OpenAI · since Sep '25
$1.25 input$10 output
Gemini 2.5 ProGoogle · since Jun '25
$1.25 input$10 output
o3OpenAI · since Apr '25
$2 input$8 output
GPT-4.1OpenAI · since Apr '25
$2 input$8 output
Claude Haiku 4.5Anthropic · since Sep '25
$1 input$5 output
Gemini 1.5 ProGoogle · since May '24
$1.25 input$5 output
GPT-5.4 miniOpenAI · since Apr '26
$0.75 input$4.5 output
o3-miniOpenAI · since Apr '25
$1.1 input$4.4 output
Gemini 3 FlashGoogle · since Dec '25
$0.5 input$3 output
Gemini 2.5 FlashGoogle · since Dec '24
$0.3 input$2.5 output
DeepSeek R1DeepSeek · since Jan '25
$0.55 input$2.19 output
GPT-4.1 miniOpenAI · since Apr '25
$0.4 input$1.6 output
Mistral Large 3Mistral · since Feb '25
$0.5 input$1.5 output
Claude 3 HaikuAnthropic · since Mar '24
$0.25 input$1.25 output
DeepSeek V3DeepSeek · since Jan '25
$0.27 input$1.1 output
GPT-4o miniOpenAI · since Jul '24
$0.15 input$0.6 output
Grok 3 MinixAI · since Apr '25
$0.3 input$0.5 output
GPT-4.1 nanoOpenAI · since Apr '25
$0.1 input$0.4 output
Gemini 1.5 FlashGoogle · since May '24
$0.075 input$0.3 output
Prices per million tokens from official API pricing. Does not include batch, cached, or volume discounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much have LLM API prices dropped?
The frontier LLM token price index is 12 as of August 15, 2026, which is 88% below its March 2023 base of 100. The index uses a 3:1 input-to-output blend and the median price across active frontier models, so it measures the cohort rather than one provider's cheapest SKU.
Which LLM provider is cheapest right now?
DeepSeek V3 from DeepSeek has the lowest current output rate in this page's selected frontier history set at $1.1/1M tokens. That is not a universal cheapest-model verdict: the live comparison includes more models, while this history page keeps only rows with usable dated snapshots.
Why do reasoning models cost more?
Reasoning models like o1, o3, and DeepSeek R1 generate internal chain-of-thought tokens before producing the final answer. These thinking tokens consume compute but are billed as output tokens, making the effective cost per useful output token significantly higher.
Will LLM prices keep dropping?
There is no guarantee of a straight decline. Frontier token prices remain 88% below March 2023, but the current index moved down 3.2% month over month as the active model mix and published rates changed. Use the monthly series instead of assuming every new model will be cheaper.
Get the weekly price-change file
Material API price moves, new model rates, and the pricing changes worth adding to your next review.
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