Understanding Model Costs

Different AI models have varying pricing structures based on their capabilities and computational requirements. Here's a detailed breakdown of the costs for each available model. You'll see that the cost for doing any kind of chat is very, very, low. It is quite difficult to spend more than a few cents per chat, even with the most capable models.

What is Blended Cost?

Blended cost is a simplified metric that represents the average cost per 1 million tokens for a model, taking into account typical usage patterns where conversations include both input (prompt) and output (completion) tokens. This gives you a single number to compare models at a glance, making it easier to choose the most cost-effective option for your needs.

The blended cost is calculated based on realistic conversation patterns where output tokens are typically 3x input tokens, meaning for every word you send to the AI you get three words back on average. This metric helps you understand the practical cost of using each model in real-world scenarios.

Real cost examples

A single, short question for Perplexity Reasoning:

• 363 total tokens
• $0.0005 per message
• $0.0068 total cost

A longer chat with Claude 4 Sonnet to learn about SEO best practices:

• 3,020 total tokens
• $0.05 total cost

Complete Model Pricing Table

The table below shows all available models with their detailed pricing information. The Blended Cost column provides a quick comparison metric for typical usage patterns.

Understanding the Table

• Input/Output costs are per 1 million tokens
• Blended Cost represents typical usage patterns combining input and output
• Additional Fees apply to some models (like Perplexity) on top of token costs
• Models are sorted by blended cost from most affordable to most expensive

Cost Optimization Tips

1. Choose the Right Model: For help selecting the most cost-effective model for your needs, check our model selection guide.
2. Optimize Prompt Length: Since prompt tokens are charged, keep your inputs concise while maintaining clarity.
3. Keep conversations short: This is the most important hack. To create the sense of conversation that ChatGPT pioneered, with every message you sent, the ENTIRE conversation is sent to the model. This means chat cost increases exponentially with the length of the conversation.