LLM prices / Cheapest / Vision
AI API prices · 28 models fit · checked Oct 23, 2026
Cheapest vision LLM API
Short answerClaude Haiku 5.5 and GPT-6 Luna tie for the cheapest current model for a image question at $0.28 per 1,000, standard price. At 10,000 a month that is $2.80. Next: GPT-5.6 Luna at $0.62 and DeepSeek Flash at $0.75 per 1,000. 28 of 29 current models fit this job; 1 are left out because they lack image input. Ranked by cost only; we don't score quality.
Every model that fits, cheapest first
One image question = one image counted as 1,000 input tokens plus a 300-token question, and a 300-token answer. Providers count image tokens differently, so treat vision costs as a rough guide. Each model is billed the cheapest way its price list allows.
| # | Model | Per 1,000 | 10,000 a month | 100,000 a month | Billed | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Claude Haiku 5.5Anthropic | $0.28 | $2.80 | $28.00 | standard | 1M |
| 2 | GPT-6 LunaOpenAI | $0.28 | $2.80 | $28.00 | standard | 1.05M |
| 3 | GPT-5.6 LunaOpenAI | $0.62 | $6.20 | $62.00 | standard | 1.05M |
| 4 | DeepSeek FlashDeepSeek | $0.75 | $7.50 | $75.00 | standard | 1M |
| 5 | Gemini 3.1 Flash-LiteGoogle | $0.78 | $7.75 | $77.50 | standard | 1.05M |
| 6 | Gemini 3.5 Flash-LiteGoogle | $1.14 | $11.40 | $114 | standard | 1.05M |
| 7 | Gemini 3 Flash PreviewpreviewGoogle | $1.55 | $15.50 | $155 | standard | 1.05M |
| 8 | Gemini 3.8 FlashGoogle | $2.10 | $21.00 | $210 | standard | 1.05M |
| 9 | Gemini 3.6 FlashGoogle | $2.10 | $21.00 | $210 | standard | 1.05M |
| 10 | GPT-5.4 miniOpenAI | $2.32 | $23.25 | $232 | standard | 400K |
| 11 | Claude Sonnet 5.5Anthropic | $5.60 | $56.00 | $560 | standard | 1M |
| 12 | GPT-6.1 SolOpenAI | $5.60 | $56.00 | $560 | standard | 1.05M |
| 13 | GPT-6 SolOpenAI | $5.60 | $56.00 | $560 | standard | 1.05M |
| 14 | Gemini 4 ArgonGoogle | $5.60 | $56.00 | $560 | standard | 1.05M |
| 15 | GPT-5.6 TerraOpenAI | $6.20 | $62.00 | $620 | standard | 1.05M |
| 16 | Gemini 3.1 Pro PreviewpreviewGoogle | $6.20 | $62.00 | $620 | standard | 1.05M |
| 17 | GPT-5.2OpenAI | $6.47 | $64.75 | $648 | standard | 400K |
| 18 | GPT-5.4OpenAI | $7.75 | $77.50 | $775 | standard | 1.05M |
| 19 | Claude Opus 5.5Anthropic | $11.20 | $112 | $1,120 | standard | 1M |
| 20 | GPT-5.6 SolOpenAI | $11.20 | $112 | $1,120 | standard | 1.05M |
| 21 | GPT-5.5OpenAI | $15.50 | $155 | $1,550 | standard | 1.05M |
| 22 | chat-latestOpenAI | $15.50 | $155 | $1,550 | standard | 400K |
| 23 | Claude Fable 5.1Anthropic | $28.00 | $280 | $2,800 | standard | 1M |
| 24 | GPT-6 AstraOpenAI | $28.00 | $280 | $2,800 | standard | 1.05M |
| 25 | GPT-5.6 CyberOpenAI | $38.75 | $388 | $3,875 | standard | 400K |
| 26 | GPT-5.2 ProOpenAI | $77.70 | $777 | $7,770 | standard | 400K |
| 27 | GPT-5.5 ProOpenAI | $93.00 | $930 | $9,300 | standard | 1.05M |
| 28 | GPT-5.4 ProOpenAI | $93.00 | $930 | $9,300 | standard | 1.05M |
What moves the answer
- Input price matters most here. The job reads 4x more than it writes, so the input (and cache-read) price drives the bill.
- Watch long prompts. 13 of these models charge more once a prompt passes a size threshold (for example Claude Haiku 5.5 above 100,000 tokens); this job stays under it, a bigger one may not.
- Image tokens vary. Each provider turns an image into a different number of tokens depending on its size; we count 1,000 per image. Check the provider's image-token rules for your sizes before you trust the order of close entries.
Method
Prices: each provider's own pricing page, checked Oct 23, 2026. Fits: current on the provider's model page (not deprecated, legacy or shut down), takes image input, and a context window that holds the request; checked Oct 24, 2026. Cache writes are not counted. This page ranks price only; quality on your task is a separate test. People search for this: Google suggests "cheapest vision llm api".