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OpenAI vs Anthropic Cost Comparison

Plug in your monthly token volume, pick a model from each provider, see which is cheaper for your workload and by how much. Includes a Gemini 2.5 Pro reference row. Browser-only, no signup, rates as of 2026-05.

Your monthly workload

Verdict
Pick models and click Compare cost
Provider Model Monthly cost vs cheapest
OpenAI $0/mo
Anthropic $0/mo
Google Gemini 2.5 Pro $0/mo

List-price math only. Prompt caching and batch discounts can shift the verdict — workload-specific. The deep audit models your real bill with discounts included.

Published rates compared (as of 2026-05)

Sources: openai.com/api/pricing, anthropic.com/pricing, ai.google.dev/pricing
Model Input ($/MTok) Output ($/MTok) Tier
GPT-4o-mini$0.15$0.60Cheap, classification
Claude Haiku 4.5$1.00$5.00Cheap, structured extraction
Gemini 2.5 Pro$1.25$5.00Mid, huge context
GPT-4o$2.50$10.00Mid, general agent
Claude Sonnet 4$3.00$15.00Mid, general agent
o1-mini$3.00$12.00Mid, reasoning
o1$15.00$60.00Top, hard reasoning
Claude Opus 4.1$15.00$75.00Top, hard reasoning

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How the math works

For each model: monthly_cost = (input_tokens × input_rate / 1,000,000) + (output_tokens × output_rate / 1,000,000)

Example: 10 million input + 2 million output tokens compared across the three providers' mid-tier models —

For this workload, GPT-4o is 33% cheaper than Sonnet, and Gemini 2.5 Pro is 63% cheaper than GPT-4o. The verdict flips with different input/output ratios — output-heavy workloads tilt toward whichever provider has cheaper output tokens at your tier.

The 2x2 decision matrix

Frequently Asked Questions

Is OpenAI cheaper than Anthropic in 2026?

It depends on which models. Cheap tier: GPT-4o-mini ($0.15/$0.60) is cheaper than Claude Haiku 4.5 ($1/$5). Mid tier: GPT-4o ($2.50/$10) is roughly comparable to Claude Sonnet 4 ($3/$15). Top tier: Claude Opus 4.1 ($15/$75) is more expensive than o1. The right answer is workload-specific — run your real input/output token ratio through this calculator.

Doesn't model quality matter more than cost?

Yes, until cost dominates. For most 2026 production agents, Sonnet 4 and GPT-4o are interchangeable on common workloads — the cheaper call wins. The cheap-tier models are NOT interchangeable: Haiku is better at structured extraction with long context, GPT-4o-mini wins on raw speed and price. Test on your own evals first.

Why include Gemini 2.5 Pro as a reference row?

Because the OpenAI-vs-Anthropic frame leaves money on the table. Gemini 2.5 Pro is competitive at the mid tier and serious for high-context workloads (2M token context, 10x the others). We don't recommend it for every workload, but a 3-way comparison gives you the floor on what "best price for this workload" actually means.

Should I run multi-provider?

Often yes. Cost-optimized 2026 stacks use 2-3 providers: GPT-4o-mini or Haiku 4.5 for cheap high-volume tasks, Sonnet 4 or GPT-4o for the main agent loop, Opus 4.1 or o1 only for the hardest reasoning. The infrastructure cost of multi-provider routing (LiteLLM, OpenRouter) is rounding error against the 30-60% bill reduction it typically delivers.

Is my data sent anywhere?

No. Token volumes, model picks, and rate math run locally in your browser. The page fires an anonymous pageview beacon and CTA-click events — no inputs, no email (unless you submit one to the cheat-sheet form), no raw IP stored.

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