Comparing 18 Major LLM API Prices: 100x Cost Difference for Same Workload
mentorperplexed · reddit · 2026-08-01
A developer conducted a detailed comparison of standard API prices across 18 major models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, xAI, DeepSeek, and Mistral.
By calculating the cost of an identical workload (100k input tokens + 20k output tokens), the analysis reveals a massive gap: the cheapest option, Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite ($0.018), is over 100 times less expensive than the priciest, Claude Fable 5 ($2.00). The author notes that cheapest isn't always best, suggesting that model routing is the most cost-efficient setup—using cheap models for classification, mid-range for standard agents, and premium models only for complex reasoning. Output-heavy applications should also be wary of output token pricing.
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