OpenAI API cost in 2026 explained
There are three ways to pay OpenAI: a subscription, credits on top of it, or the API per token. Each suits a different workload. Here is how they compare at real volumes, next to open-source models.
What the OpenAI API costs at volume
List prices as of September 2026: GPT-6 Astra at $10 in / $50 out per 1M tokens, GPT-5.6 Terra at $2 / $12. Estimated monthly bills at 75% input / 25% output tokens:
| Model | 1M / day | 10M / day | 100M / day |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-6 Astra | $600 / mo | $6,000 / mo | $60,000 / mo |
| GPT-5.6 Terra | $135 / mo | $1,350 / mo | $13,500 / mo |
| Gonka · MiniMax M2 | $7.50 / mo | $75 / mo | $750 / mo |
Illustrative comparison. Prices change over time for every provider; always check current rates on OpenAI's pricing page and our pricing page.
Check your numbers in the cost calculatorBut there is a $200 subscription
There is, and sometimes it is the best deal on this page. Whether it works for you comes down to three things.
One flat price
$200 a month, about $7 a day, every model included. For a person working interactively all day, very likely a good deal. The fee stays $200 even if all you need is the cheapest model.
Limits bring per-token back
Automation burns through plan limits quickly. Past them, OpenAI sells extra credits, and you are effectively paying per token again.
Products need the API
In most cases, consumer terms rule out reselling, credential sharing, and programmatic access outside official tools. So a product you sell to others runs on the API, per token.
The exact rules are in OpenAI's terms of use.
But they run best-in-class models
Often true. But most volume work never uses that extra intelligence: classifying tickets, extracting fields, summarizing calls, routine agent steps. Strong open-source models handle these well, and they make up most of a pipeline's tokens.
The usual answer is a split: a frontier model where it earns its price, and the high-volume part on cheaper tokens.
OpenAI vs Gonka Broker at a glance
| OpenAI | Gonka Broker | |
|---|---|---|
| Frontier models | Arguably the best in class | Strong open-source models instead |
| Flat monthly price | While within plan limits | Pay per token only |
| Price per 1M tokens | $2-$10 in / $12-$50 out | $0.2-$0.25 in / $0.2-$0.25 out |
| Price locked at top-up | List prices change over time | Locked for your whole balance |
| Usable in products | API only | Built for it |
| Works with OpenAI SDKs | Native |
Paying Anthropic instead? The same breakdown exists for the Claude API cost. OpenAI, ChatGPT, and GPT are trademarks of OpenAI. Gonka Broker is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by OpenAI.
Move the volume, keep the quality
Create an account, top up in USD, and run your automated workloads on open-source models at a locked-in per-token price.
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