Comparing 18 Major LLM APIs: Costs Vary by Over 100x for the Same Workload
mentorperplexed · reddit · 2026-08-01
A developer compared standard API pricing across 18 models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and others. Using a consistent workload (100k input / 20k output tokens), the cost difference between the cheapest option (Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite at $0.018) and the most expensive exceeded 100x.
The author notes that the cheapest model isn't always the best fit due to significant differences in reasoning, coding, and tool-use capabilities. Output-heavy applications should carefully monitor output pricing. The most cost-efficient setup often involves model routing: using cheap models for classification/summarization, mid-range models for standard agents, and premium models for complex reasoning.
Related event: API Costs of 18 Major LLMs Vary by Over 100x(2 posts)→
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