💰 OpenAI API Cost Calculator

Calculate your exact OpenAI API costs for any model and usage volume. Get per-request, daily, monthly, and annual projections with a full model comparison table.

Model

Avg Input Tokens per Request

Avg Output Tokens per Request

Requests per Day

GPT Model Pricing Comparison

Model	Input / 1M tokens	Output / 1M tokens	Context Window	Best For
GPT-4o	$5.00	$15.00	128K	Complex reasoning, vision
GPT-4o mini	$0.15	$0.60	128K	High-volume, cost-sensitive
GPT-4 Turbo	$10.00	$30.00	128K	Advanced tasks, large context
o1	$15.00	$60.00	200K	Hard reasoning, STEM, code
o1-mini	$3.00	$12.00	128K	Fast reasoning, lower cost

* Prices as of 2025. Check platform.openai.com/pricing for latest rates.

Choosing the Right OpenAI Model

GPT-4o mini for Scale

At $0.15/$0.60 per million tokens, GPT-4o mini is ideal for high-volume applications like chatbots, content moderation, and data extraction where cost matters.

GPT-4o for Quality

GPT-4o offers excellent performance for complex reasoning, multimodal inputs (text + images), and tasks requiring nuanced understanding.

o1 for Hard Problems

The o1 series is built for chain-of-thought reasoning — math, coding, scientific analysis. It is expensive but handles tasks other models fail at.

Mix Models Strategically

Route simple queries to GPT-4o mini and complex ones to GPT-4o or o1. This hybrid approach can cut costs by 80%+ while maintaining quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does OpenAI charge for API usage?

OpenAI charges per token — separately for input (prompt) tokens and output (completion) tokens. Prices are listed per 1 million tokens. You only pay for what you use with no monthly minimums.

Are there rate limits on the OpenAI API?

Yes, rate limits vary by tier and model. Free tier has strict limits. Paid tiers scale with usage. Limits are measured in requests per minute (RPM) and tokens per minute (TPM).

What is the difference between GPT-4o and GPT-4 Turbo?

GPT-4o is OpenAI's latest flagship multimodal model, faster and cheaper than GPT-4 Turbo. GPT-4 Turbo was the previous flagship with a 128K context window. GPT-4o is generally preferred today.

Can I use the OpenAI API for free?

New accounts receive some free credits for testing. After that, usage is billed. There is no ongoing free tier for the API — unlike the ChatGPT web interface which has a free plan.

What are batch API discounts?

OpenAI offers a Batch API with 50% discount for asynchronous requests that don't need immediate responses (processed within 24 hours). Great for data processing pipelines.

Related Calculators

🤖 AI & Tech

AI Token Calculator

Calculate token count and cost for AI language model API calls.

Calculate now

🤖 AI & Tech

Claude Cost Calculator

Calculate monthly API costs for Anthropic Claude models based on your usage.

Calculate now

💻 AI & Tech

API Pricing Calculator

Compare and calculate monthly costs across multiple AI and cloud APIs.

Calculate now