Compare · 2026
ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini
ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are product names; this table compares API tiers at standard short-context rates. GPT-6 Astra is $10 in / $50 out; Claude Opus 5.5 is $4 / $20; Gemini 3.8 Flash is $0.75 / $3.75. GPT-6 Luna is a lower-cost OpenAI API path at $0.10 / $0.50. Flash/Luna tiers can suit volume work when they meet the workload’s quality bar; compare the full price schedule before budgeting. Unverified fields stay labelled.
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| Product family | Catalog row | Tier | API price / 1M | DeepSWE | Input context / max output |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI API (ChatGPT brand) |  GPT-6 Astra | Frontier | $10 in / $50 out Standard $10/$50 per MTok (≤272K input); above 272K the full request bills $20/$75. Cached input $1/$2 and cache writes $12.50/$25 for short/long context. Batch/Flex are half Standard; Fast is 2x. Ultrafast is 6x: $60/$300 short, $120/$450 long, through Responses with global/US processing; no EU or other regional inference residency. Regional/FedRAMP processing adds 10% where eligible. Knowledge cutoff Apr 30 2026. Enterprise model access is disabled by default. | 74.1% · $4.43/task · xhigh effort | 1.05M context · 128K max out |
| OpenAI API (ChatGPT brand) | GPT-6 Luna | Budget | $0.10 in / $0.50 out Standard $0.10/$0.50 per MTok, compared with GPT-5.6 Luna’s $0.20/$1.20. Cached input $0.01 and cache writes $0.125. Above 272K the full request bills $0.20/$0.75, cached $0.02 and cache writes $0.25. Batch/Flex are half Standard; Fast is 2x. Regional/FedRAMP processing adds 10% where eligible. Knowledge cutoff May 18 2026. | Not on board yet | 1.05M context · 128K max out |
| Claude |  Claude Opus 5.5 | Frontier | $4 in / $20 out Standard $4/$20 per MTok with no long-context surcharge. Cache reads $0.20; 5-minute writes $5 and 1-hour writes $8. Batch $2/$10. Fast research preview $8/$40 on the first-party Claude API only, not Batch. US-only inference adds 10% to all token categories where supported. Batch supports 300K output with output-300k-2026-03-24; standard output stays 128K. Knowledge cutoff Jun 2026; retirement not sooner than September 22, 2027. | Not on board yet | 1M context · 128K max out |
| Gemini |  Gemini 3.8 Flash | Balanced | $0.75 in / $3.75 out Intro Standard $0.75/$3.75 per MTok through December 31, 2026; $1.50/$7.50 from January 1, 2027. Output includes thinking tokens. Cached input $0.075, rising to $0.15; storage $0.50/MTok-hour, rising to $1. Batch/Flex input/output are $0.375/$1.875, rising to $0.75/$3.75. Priority $1.35/$6.75, rising to $2.70/$13.50. Grounding tools have separate charges and quotas; free-tier limits differ from paid. | 73.8% · $2.36/task · high effort | 1.05M context · 66K max out |
| Gemini | Gemini 3.1 Pro | Frontier | $2 in / $12 out The current Gemini developer guide lists $2/$12 per MTok below 200K input and $4/$18 above 200K, including thinking output. It leaves the exact 200K boundary unspecified; confirm that boundary and other processing/cache tiers before budgeting. The exact API ID remains gemini-3.1-pro-preview. Restricted Gemini 4 Argon is a separate preview and does not make this endpoint stable. | 11.7% · $2.14/task · high effort | 1.05M context · 66K max out |
Rates are standard short-context USD per million input/output tokens; cache and batch discounts are excluded. Long-context tiers and dated promotions can change the billed rate; see each profile before budgeting. ChatGPT Plus / Pro subscription prices are separate from this API catalog. Gemini 3.8 Flash: Intro Standard $0.75/$3.75 per MTok through December 31, 2026; $1.50/$7.50 from January 1, 2027. Output includes thinking tokens. Cached input $0.075, rising to $0.15; storage $0.50/MTok-hour, rising to $1. Batch/Flex input/output are $0.375/$1.875, rising to $0.75/$3.75. Priority $1.35/$6.75, rising to $2.70/$13.50. Grounding tools have separate charges and quotas; free-tier limits differ from paid.
When the cheaper one wins
GPT-6 Luna is cheaper on output at $0.50 per million tokens against $50 for GPT-6 Astra — about 100×. Use the cheaper tier for classification, extraction, summarisation, and any task where the expensive model’s extra score does not change the accepted output. The expensive one only pays if your hardest task actually fails on the cheap tier. This compares standard short-context token rates, not total cost per accepted task. Include input, cache, context tiers, schedules, retries and review in your pilot.
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ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini
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