Models
Cheaper OpenAI API Alternatives
Side-by-side list-price alternatives when you are ready to move a workload off OpenAI — not a general optimization guide. Compare Gemini, Claude Haiku/Sonnet, and similar models against GPT-4o mini on the same sample.
By AI Credits Editorial · Content updated 2026-08-28
When this page applies
Use this page after you have already tried cheaper OpenAI models and spend caps (see Reduce OpenAI API Cost). The job here is cross-provider substitution: pick a non-OpenAI model that can replace a specific OpenAI call path at lower list price without rewriting your whole stack.
How to read the comparison
Every row uses the same sample token mix against an OpenAI GPT-4o mini baseline. Lower total sample cost is necessary but not sufficient — still run your eval suite for latency, tool-calling, and refusal behavior before cutting over production traffic.
What this page is not
It is not a “cheapest model on earth” leaderboard (use Cheapest LLM APIs) and not a token-billing primer (use Token Costs). Free tiers and startup grants can change effective cost — verify programs separately in the credits directory.
OpenAI baseline
GPT-4o mini · $0.225
Sample: 500,000 input + 250,000 output tokens
Google · Gemini 2.5 Flash
Free tier available via AI Studio
$0.225
Free credits →Google · Gemini 2.5 Pro
$3.13
Free credits →Anthropic · Claude Haiku
$0.438
Free credits →Anthropic · Claude Sonnet
$5.25
Free credits →Many alternatives also offer free credits or free tiers — combine cheaper pricing with free API credits to extend your runway.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about credits, eligibility, and how we verify offers.