OpenAI API pricing
For technical teamsOpenAI API is priced per use rather than per month; the rate for each option is in the table below. Checked Nov 10, 2026 against the official pricing page.
Direct API access to OpenAI's models for building custom AI features.
The OpenAI API is the default choice for adding AI features to your own product: broad model range, mature tooling and several service tiers that trade speed for price. It is priced per token, so what it costs depends on your model choice and how much you cache.
Plans and prices
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| API (pay-as-you-go)Our pick | Usage-basedStandard, per 1M tokens (input / cached / output), prompts <=272K: gpt-6-astra $10/$1/$50; gpt-6.1-sol $2/$0.10/$10; gpt-6-sol $2/$0.20/$10; gpt-6.1-terra $1/$0.05/$5; gpt-6-luna $0.10/$0.01/$0.50; gpt-5.6-sol $4/$0.40/$20 (promo through 2026-11-30); gpt-5.6-terra $2/$0.20/$12; gpt-5.5 $5/$0.50/$30; gpt-5.4 $2.50/$0.25/$15; gpt-5.4-mini $0.75/$0.075/$4.50; gpt-5.4-nano $0.20/$0.02/$1.25; chat-latest $5/$0.50/$30; gpt-5.3-codex $1.75/$0.175/$14 (deprecated). Trusted Access / specialist: gpt-6-astra-law $10/$1/$50, gpt-6-rosalind $15/$1.50/$75, gpt-5.6-cyber $12.50/$1.25/$75. Fast = 2x Standard; Ultrafast: gpt-6-astra $60/$6/$300, gpt-6.1-sol $12/$0.60/$60. Batch and Flex 50% off. Over 272K input: 2x input, 1.5x output. gpt-realtime-2.1 audio $32/$0.40/$64, text $4/$0.40/$24. Image: gpt-image-2.6-sunburst / -flare image $8 in / $30 out. | Context: gpt-6.1-sol/terra 1,050,000 tokens, 128K output. Fine-tuning platform winding down for new users (no new jobs after Jan 6 2027).
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Pick this tier: API (pay-as-you-go)
There is one pay-as-you-go account; the saving comes from choosing the smallest model that does the job and using Batch or Flex for anything not user-facing.
What works
- Wide range of model sizes, from low-cost small models to flagships
- Batch and Flex tiers cut cost for work that can wait
- Large discount on cached input
- Mature tool calling and long-context support
What to watch
- Per-token pricing makes monthly cost hard to predict without testing
- Long prompts past the short-context threshold bill at higher rates
- Regional data-residency endpoints cost more
Skip it if
- You want a chat app rather than an API
- Nobody on the team can write code
- You need the lowest possible cost per token above everything else
Best for
OpenAI API pricing questions
- How much does OpenAI API cost in 2026?
- OpenAI API is priced per use rather than per month; the rate for each option is in the table below. Checked Nov 10, 2026 against the official pricing page.
- Is the OpenAI API included with ChatGPT Plus?
- No. The API is billed separately, per token, on its own account. ChatGPT subscriptions do not include API usage.
- How can I lower OpenAI API costs?
- Use the smallest model that works, reuse prompts so cached-input pricing applies, and send non-urgent jobs through the Batch or Flex tiers, which OpenAI prices at roughly half of Standard.
Reviewed Sep 11, 2026 by the Dapols team. Report a price change
Our evidence on this tool
- Catalog status
- Recommended — can be a primary pick in a plan
- Price last checked
- Nov 10, 2026
- Evidence confidence
- Medium — verified, but the vendor changes plans often
Re-checked in batches. We date every check and never take payment for placement. How we rank tools
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