AI API Pricing Comparison 2026: The Real Cost of GPT-4.1, Claude Sonnet 4.6, and Gemini 2.5
A data-driven breakdown of what you actually pay for AI API calls across OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, OpenRouter, and LemonData, including the hidden costs nobody talks about.
Why This Comparison Exists
AI API pricing looks simple on the surface: input tokens cost X, output tokens cost Y. But once you factor in prompt caching, minimum deposits, payment friction, and currency conversion losses, the real cost can vary significantly depending on where you buy your tokens.
Here's a side-by-side look at five platforms across the most popular models as of early 2026. All prices are in USD per 1 million tokens unless otherwise noted.
Platforms compared:
- OpenAI (direct): api.openai.com
- Anthropic (direct): api.anthropic.com
- Google (direct): Vertex AI / AI Studio
- OpenRouter: openrouter.ai
- LemonData: api.lemondata.cc
Token Pricing: The Core Numbers
OpenAI Models
| Model | Metric | OpenAI Direct | OpenRouter | LemonData |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-4.1 | Input / 1M tokens | $2.00 | $2.00 | ~$2.00 |
| Output / 1M tokens | $8.00 | $8.00 | ~$8.00 | |
| GPT-4.1-mini | Input / 1M tokens | $0.40 | $0.40 | ~$0.40 |
| Output / 1M tokens | $1.60 | $1.60 | ~$1.60 | |
| GPT-4o | Input / 1M tokens | $2.50 | $2.50 | ~$2.50 |
| Output / 1M tokens | $10.00 | $10.00 | ~$10.00 | |
| o3 | Input / 1M tokens | $2.00 | $2.00 | ~$2.00 |
| Output / 1M tokens | $8.00 | $8.00 | ~$8.00 | |
| o4-mini | Input / 1M tokens | $1.10 | $1.10 | ~$1.10 |
| Output / 1M tokens | $4.40 | $4.40 | ~$4.40 |
Anthropic Models
| Model | Metric | Anthropic Direct | OpenRouter | LemonData |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 4.6 | Input / 1M tokens | $5.00 | $5.00 | ~$5.00 |
| Output / 1M tokens | $25.00 | $25.00 | ~$25.00 | |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Input / 1M tokens | $3.00 | $3.00 | ~$3.00 |
| Output / 1M tokens | $15.00 | $15.00 | ~$15.00 | |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | Input / 1M tokens | $1.00 | $1.00 | ~$1.00 |
| Output / 1M tokens | $5.00 | $5.00 | ~$5.00 |
Google Models
| Model | Metric | Google Direct | OpenRouter | LemonData |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 2.5 Pro | Input / 1M tokens | $1.25 | $1.25 | ~$1.25 |
| Output / 1M tokens | $10.00 | $10.00 | ~$10.00 | |
| Gemini 2.5 Flash | Input / 1M tokens | $0.30 | $0.30 | ~$0.30 |
| Output / 1M tokens | $2.50 | $2.50 | ~$2.50 |
Key observations:
- OpenRouter charges 0% markup on model pricing itself, but applies a 5.5% platform fee on usage. LemonData prices are at or near official rates.
- For high-volume users, the effective cost difference between platforms comes down to payment friction and caching support rather than token prices.
- Google AI Studio offers a generous free tier for Gemini models, worth noting for low-volume users
Prompt Caching: The Overlooked Cost Saver
Prompt caching can reduce costs by 50-90% for repetitive workloads (system prompts, few-shot examples, document analysis). Not all platforms support it equally.
| Model | Cache Write / 1M tokens | Cache Read / 1M tokens | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-4.1 | N/A (automatic) | $1.00 (50% of input) | OpenAI |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | $3.75 | $0.30 | Anthropic |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | $3.75 | $0.30 | LemonData |
| Gemini 2.5 Pro | N/A | $0.125 |
How caching works per provider:
- OpenAI: Automatic prompt caching. No write cost. Cached input tokens are billed at 50% of standard input price. Caching kicks in for prompts > 1024 tokens.
- Anthropic: Explicit caching via
cache_controlbreakpoints. Write cost is 25% higher than standard input. Read cost is 90% cheaper. Cache TTL is 5 minutes (extended on hit). - Google: Context caching available for Gemini models. Pricing varies by model and storage duration.
Bottom line: If your application sends the same system prompt repeatedly, caching alone can cut your bill in half. Make sure your platform of choice passes through caching support. Some aggregators strip cache headers.
LemonData passes through prompt caching parameters for all supported models, including Anthropic's explicit cache_control and OpenAI's automatic caching.
Video Generation: Seedance 2.0
Video generation models use a fundamentally different pricing model: you pay per generation or per second of output, not per token.
| Model | Metric | Official Price | LemonData |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seedance 2.0 | Per 5s video | ~$0.10 | ~$0.10 |
| Per 10s video | ~$0.20 | ~$0.20 |
Notes:
- Seedance 2.0 supports both text-to-video and image-to-video
- Pricing is typically per request, with cost varying by output duration and resolution
- LemonData charges per request for Seedance, with pricing at or near official rates
Beyond Token Prices: The Hidden Costs
Raw token pricing only tells part of the story. Here are the costs that don't show up in pricing tables.
1. Minimum Deposits and Prepayment
| Platform | Minimum Deposit | Free Tier |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | $5 minimum top-up | New accounts get limited free credits |
| Anthropic | $5 minimum top-up | New accounts get limited free credits |
| Google AI Studio | None (free tier available) | Generous free tier for Gemini models |
| OpenRouter | $5 minimum purchase | Free tier: 25+ models, 50 requests/day |
| LemonData | $5 minimum top-up | $1 free credits on signup |
2. Payment Method Friction
This matters more than most people think, especially for developers outside the US/EU.
| Platform | Payment Methods | Non-USD Friction |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | Visa/Mastercard/Amex | ~1-3% FX fee on non-USD cards |
| Anthropic | Visa/Mastercard | ~1-3% FX fee on non-USD cards |
| Google Cloud billing | Varies by region | |
| OpenRouter | Crypto, credit card | Crypto has no FX fee; cards vary |
| LemonData | WeChat Pay, Alipay, card | Native CNY, zero FX loss for Chinese users |
For developers in China: The FX friction is real. A Chinese developer paying OpenAI with a Visa card loses roughly 1-3% on currency conversion, plus potential foreign transaction fees. Over a year of moderate usage ($50-100/month), that adds up to $10-30 in pure waste. LemonData accepts WeChat/Alipay in CNY, eliminating this entirely.
3. Subscription Waste
Many developers conflate API access with subscription products:
| Product | Cost | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT Plus | $20/month | Chat interface, GPT-4o access, limited GPT-4.1 |
| Claude Pro | $20/month | Chat interface, higher usage limits |
| API (pay-as-you-go) | $0/month + usage | Programmatic access, any model |
If you use less than ~$20 worth of API calls per month, the subscription is more expensive. For reference, $20 buys you roughly:
- ~50 million GPT-4.1-mini input tokens
- ~20 million Claude Haiku 4.5 input tokens
- ~2,000-3,000 typical GPT-4.1 conversations (assuming ~2K input + 1K output per conversation)
Most individual developers and small projects fall well under $20/month in API usage.
Cost Scenarios: What Real Usage Looks Like
Scenario 1: Indie Developer, AI-Powered Feature
- 500 API calls/day, average 1K input + 500 output tokens per call
- Model: GPT-4.1-mini
| Platform | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| OpenAI Direct | ~$18/mo |
| LemonData | ~$18-20/mo |
Scenario 2: Startup, Customer Support Bot
- 5,000 API calls/day, average 2K input + 1K output tokens
- Model: Claude Sonnet 4.6
- Heavy system prompt reuse (caching applicable)
| Platform | Monthly Cost (no cache) | Monthly Cost (with cache) |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropic Direct | ~$3,150/mo | ~$2,502/mo |
| LemonData | ~$3,150/mo | ~$2,502/mo |
Scenario 3: AI Coding Tool, Multi-Model
- 2,000 calls/day split across GPT-4.1 (40%), Claude Sonnet 4.6 (40%), Gemini 2.5 Pro (20%)
- Average 3K input + 2K output tokens
| Platform | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| Multiple direct APIs | ~$1,749/mo (sum of 3 providers) |
| OpenRouter | ~$1,840/mo |
| LemonData | ~$1,749-1,800/mo |
Note: Using multiple direct APIs means managing 3 separate accounts, billing systems, and API keys. Aggregators simplify this to a single account. OpenRouter's ~$1,840 figure reflects their 5.5% platform fee on top of base model pricing.
Platform Feature Comparison
Beyond pricing, platform capabilities matter for production use.
| Feature | OpenAI | Anthropic | OpenRouter | LemonData | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Models available | OpenAI only | Anthropic only | Google only | 400+ | 300+ |
| OpenAI-compatible API | Yes | No (own format) | No (own format) | Yes | Yes |
| Streaming | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Prompt caching | Automatic | Explicit | Context caching | Passthrough | Passthrough |
| Function calling | Yes | Yes (tools) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Vision | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Video generation | Sora | No | Veo | Via providers | Seedance 2.0 + others |
| Rate limits | Tier-based | Tier-based | Quota-based | Credit-based | Role-based |
| CNY payment | No | No | No | No | Yes |
Recommendations
Choose direct APIs if:
- You need guaranteed SLA and direct vendor support
- You're processing highly sensitive data under strict compliance requirements
- You only use one provider's models
Choose an aggregator (OpenRouter / LemonData) if:
- You want access to multiple providers through one API
- You're in a region where direct API access is difficult (payment, network)
- You want to switch models without changing your integration
- You're building a product that needs model flexibility
Choose LemonData specifically if:
- You're based in China and want native CNY payment
- You need direct network access without VPN
- You want 300+ models including Chinese providers (Qwen, DeepSeek, etc.)
Methodology and Disclaimers
- All prices reflect early 2026 pricing as published on official pricing pages
- Prices change frequently. Always check the provider's official pricing page for the most current rates
- Aggregator pricing includes their margin; direct API pricing does not include payment processing fees
- "Hidden costs" calculations assume typical non-US developer payment scenarios
- Scenario calculations use simplified token counts; real-world usage varies
Price sources to verify:
- OpenAI: https://openai.com/api/pricing
- Anthropic: https://www.anthropic.com/pricing
- Google: https://ai.google.dev/pricing
- OpenRouter: https://openrouter.ai/models
- LemonData: https://docs.lemondata.cc/pricing
Last updated: February 2026. Prices in this article are approximate and subject to change. Always check the provider's official pricing page for the most current rates.
Try LemonData: lemondata.cc