OpenAI API Prices, limits and access
OpenAI's general developer API for text, agents, realtime voice, embeddings and more, billed usage-based per token.
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At a Glance
OpenAI API is an AI tool for Agent & RAG frameworks (category: Development & Code). Free access: No free plan published. Documented: 1 plan with prices and limits.
- Category
- Agent & RAG frameworks
- Paid from
- $10 / $50 / per 1M input/output tokens (OpenAI API)
- Free Option
- No free plan published
- Plans
- 1
- Sources
- 13 verified sources
Category: Development & Code · Agent & RAG frameworks
Features
The OpenAI API offers models for text, code, images and audio, plus tools for search, file analysis and agent workflows. Billing depends on the model and usage; tool and storage charges can be added. ChatGPT subscriptions and API billing are separate.
- Access to GPT-6 Astra/Sol/Luna, the GPT-5.6 family, o-models, Whisper, TTS, and embeddings through one REST API
- Customizable Agents SDK with precise handoff rules for multi-step AI agents
- Batch API for up to 50 percent price reduction on async runs
- Responses API with built-in web search, code interpreter, and file search
- Realtime API for low-latency audio in and out
- GPT-6 short-context list prices: Astra $10/$50, Sol $2/$10, Luna $0.10/$0.50 per 1M tokens
- gpt-5.6-sol promo: 4 USD input and 20 USD output per 1M tokens, at least through 2026-11-21
Prices and plans
US dollar prices only
| Tier | Price | Period | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI API | $10 / $50Standard up to 272,000 input tokens. Above that: USD 20 input and USD 75 output per million tokens for the entire request. Other processing tiers and extra tools can incur different costs. | per 1M input/output tokens | Access to the GPT-6 flagship family (Astra, Sol, Luna) and the GPT-5.6 family (Sol/Terra/Luna), Agents SDK, Responses API GPT-6 standard short context per 1M tokens (USD): Astra $10/$50, Sol $2/$10, Luna $0.10/$0.50. Cached: Astra $1, Sol $0.20, Luna $0.01. Long context: Astra $20/$75, Sol $4/$15, Luna $0.20/$0.75. gpt-5.6-sol promo, standard short context: 4 USD input and 20 USD output per 1M tokens. Cached input 0.40 USD. Cache writes 5 USD. Long context: 8 USD input and 30 USD output. Cached long input 0.80 USD. Promo pricing is available at least through 2026-11-21. Decisions API (generally available, POST /v1/decisions) applies only to gpt-6-luna: $0.10 per 1M uncached input tokens and no output charge; cache reads and cache writes are billed at the standard gpt-6-luna prompt-caching rates. Regional processing premiums and long-context multipliers still apply. Realtime voice API, transcription, embeddings, tool calls GPT-Live-1: full-duplex voice API (listens and speaks at the same time) at $0.05 per minute, billed by the second; backend model and tools billed separately Agents API (public beta since September 10, 2026): OpenAI-hosted, managed Codex harness for durable cloud agents with sessions, context compaction, and up to 4 subagents; no separate harness fee, model tokens and tools billed at standard rates, optional hosted sandbox at container rates ($0.03/$0.12/$0.48/$1.92 for 1/4/16/64 GB per 20-minute session); US data residency only, no ZDR gpt-6.1-sol standard short context: 2 USD input and 10 USD output per 1M tokens. Cached short input is 0.10 USD. Long context: 4 USD input and 15 USD output. gpt-6.1-terra (since 2026-10-26) standard short context: 1 USD input, 0.05 USD cached input and 5 USD output per 1M tokens; long context 2 USD / 7.50 USD; Batch and Flex 0.50 USD / 2.50 USD. Ultrafast gpt-6-astra short context: 60 USD input and 300 USD output per 1M tokens. Long context: 120 USD input and 450 USD output. Sol Ultrafast is not in the Ultrafast table. Usage tiers are Free, Build, Launch, and Grow. The tier rises automatically when total credit purchases reach the threshold. Free requires an allowed geography and a monthly usage limit of 100 USD. Build requires 5 USD of total credit purchases and a monthly usage limit of 500 USD. Launch requires 100 USD of total credit purchases and a monthly usage limit of 5000 USD. Grow requires 500 USD of total credit purchases and a monthly usage limit of 200000 USD. Monthly usage limits are separate from spend alerts and hard spend limits. The sample Standard limits differ from Ultrafast. On Build, Astra, Sol, and Terra are 5000 RPM and 1000000 TPM, and Luna is 5000 RPM and 2000000 TPM. On Launch, Astra, Sol, and Terra are 10000 RPM and 4000000 TPM, and Luna is 10000 RPM and 10000000 TPM. On Grow, Astra, Sol, and Terra are 15000 RPM and 40000000 TPM, and Luna is 30000 RPM and 180000000 TPM. Token list prices are unchanged. |
Prices as stated by the provider, usually plus statutory VAT. The final price depends on your country and is shown by the provider.
Prices last checked: 2026-10-23
What does OpenAI API cost?
API for developers
Example: 1,000 requests a month with about 1,000 input tokens and 500 output tokens each cost about 35 USD with GPT-6 Astra.
List price according to openai.com, checked 2026-10-28, before tax. 1,000 tokens are about 750 words.
Calculate it yourself
Independent price alert from AI Compare Ninja
Limits
- Standalone, usage-based price list on platform.openai.com, separate from ChatGPT subscription plans and from the already-listed OpenAI Image API and OpenAI Codex entries, which only cover narrow slices.
- Models, prices, and rate limits vary; full table on the official pricing page.
- gpt-6.1-sol costs 2 USD input and 10 USD output per 1M tokens on standard short context.
- gpt-6.1-terra (since 2026-10-26) standard short context: 1 USD input, 0.05 USD cached input and 5 USD output per 1M tokens; long context 2 USD / 7.50 USD; Batch and Flex 0.50 USD / 2.50 USD.
- Ultrafast gpt-6-astra costs 60 USD input and 300 USD output per 1M tokens on short context.
- gpt-5.6-sol promo, standard short context: 4 USD input and 20 USD output per 1M tokens.
- Cached input 0.40 USD.
- Cache writes 5 USD.
- Long context: 8 USD input and 30 USD output.
- Cached long input 0.80 USD.
- Promo pricing is available at least through 2026-11-21.
- gpt-rosalind-research costs 5 USD input, 0.50 USD cached input and 25 USD output per 1M tokens.
- Cache-write pricing does not apply.
- Billing has been active since 2026-10-05 and applies only to approved internal research in the trusted-access program.
- This is not an open public model.
- Usage tiers are Free, Build, Launch, and Grow.
- The tier rises automatically when total credit purchases reach the threshold.
- Free requires an allowed geography and a monthly usage limit of 100 USD.
- Build requires 5 USD of total credit purchases and a monthly usage limit of 500 USD.
- Launch requires 100 USD of total credit purchases and a monthly usage limit of 5000 USD.
- Grow requires 500 USD of total credit purchases and a monthly usage limit of 200000 USD.
- Monthly usage limits are separate from spend alerts and hard spend limits.
- The sample Standard limits differ from Ultrafast.
- On Build, Astra, Sol, and Terra are 5000 RPM and 1000000 TPM, and Luna is 5000 RPM and 2000000 TPM.
- On Launch, Astra, Sol, and Terra are 10000 RPM and 4000000 TPM, and Luna is 10000 RPM and 10000000 TPM.
- On Grow, Astra, Sol, and Terra are 15000 RPM and 40000000 TPM, and Luna is 30000 RPM and 180000000 TPM.
- Token list prices are unchanged.
How we compare
We compare free access, paid entry, plan limits, features and the listed official sources. Unsourced figures stay marked as not published.
Only confirmed entries appear in the catalog. Prices, plans and limits come from listed official vendor pages. Missing figures stay marked as not published. Search results are ordered by Task match by default; category and task lists are alphabetical. Both can be switched to Free access first; neither is a quality ranking. The vendor page always wins.
Edited and checked by the AI Compare Ninja team
Sources
All details regarding plans, limits, and features are based on official vendor documentation and the primary sources verified below.
- openai.com/api/pricing
- platform.openai.com
- developers.openai.com/api/docs/models/gpt-6-astra
- developers.openai.com/api/docs/pricing
- openai.com/index/introducing-gpt-live-1-in-the-api
- developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/live
- openai.com/index/introducing-the-agents-api
- developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/agents-api/overview
- developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/agents-api/quickstart
- developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/agents
- developers.openai.com/api/docs/models/gpt-5.6-sol
- developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/decisions
- developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/rate-limits
FAQ
Is OpenAI API available for free?
No. No free access is published on the vendor's own pages.
Where is the vendor of OpenAI API based?
OpenAI is based in the USA. Regardless of that location, data processing and privacy terms are governed by the vendor's own contract.
How is OpenAI API billed?
Standalone, usage-based price list on platform.openai.com, separate from the ChatGPT subscription plans and from the already listed entries OpenAI Image API and OpenAI Codex, which cover only parts of it. Models, prices and rate limits vary. Full table on the official pricing page. gpt-6.1-sol in short standard context: USD 2 input and USD 10 output per 1M tokens. gpt-6.1-terra (since 2026-10-26) standard short context: 1 USD input, 0.05 USD cached input and 5 USD output per 1M tokens; long context 2 USD / 7.50 USD; Batch and Flex 0.50 USD / 2.50 USD. Ultrafast gpt-6-astra in short context: USD 60 input and USD 300 output per 1M tokens. gpt-5.6-sol promo, short standard context: USD 4 input and USD 20 output per 1M tokens. Cached input USD 0.40. Cache writes USD 5. Long context: USD 8 input and USD 30 output. Cached long input USD 0.80. The promo applies at least until 2026-11-21.
What is “OpenAI” on my bank or card statement?
According to our catalog data, OpenAI is the company behind OpenAI API, so a charge under this name may come from a subscription or purchase at OpenAI API. The exact wording on a bank or card statement is set by the vendor and its payment provider; it can differ and is not recorded here. The invoices in your OpenAI API account help to match the charge; for an unknown charge, contact your bank.
What plans does OpenAI API offer?
The catalog documents one plan with price, billing period, and included features.
Is OpenAI API currently available?
OpenAI API is active.
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OpenAI API and related names are trademarks or identifiers of their respective owners (OpenAI). They are named solely for descriptive purposes in an independent comparison. AI Compare Ninja has no business relationship, partnership or affiliation with OpenAI.