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Azure OpenAI vs Vertex AI pricing

Azure OpenAI is cheaper to start: $0.1 per million input tokens, $0.5 per million output, global against $0.75 per million input tokens, $3.75 per million output, introductory until 2027 for Vertex AI. Azure OpenAI has changed its listed prices 4 times since 2023. Vertex AI has changed its listed prices 4 times since 2025.

Azure OpenAI pricingVertex AI pricingAdd a third product

Azure OpenAI vs Vertex AI at a glance

Current list prices as last read from each pricing page.

Azure OpenAI

Full analysis
Starts at
$0.1 per million input tokens, $0.5 per million output, globalGPT-6 Luna, USD per million tokens, standard global deployment (regional and Data Zone before global existed)
Top listed plan
$10 per million input tokens, $50 per million output, globalGPT-6 Astra
Priced by
Usage based
Free plan
Not recorded
Price history
since 2023
Price changes
4

Vertex AI

Full analysis
Starts at
$0.75 per million input tokens, $3.75 per million output, introductory until 2027Gemini 3.8 Flash, USD per million tokens, standard tier, prompts up to 200K tokens, global endpoint
Top listed plan
$2 per million input tokens, $12 per million outputGemini 3.1 Pro Preview
Priced by
Usage based
Free plan
Not recorded
Price history
since 2025
Price changes
4

Azure OpenAI vs Vertex AI price history

Both histories on one chart. The default line is each product's cheapest paid plan.

$0.02$0.05$0.10$0.20$0.50$1$2202420252026$0.75 Vertex AI Gemini Flash tier, input$0.10 Azure OpenAI Cheapest model, input
Azure OpenAI: USD per million tokens, standard global deployment (regional and Data Zone before global existed). Vertex AI: USD per million tokens, standard tier, prompts up to 200K tokens, global endpoint. Click a legend entry to add or hide a plan. Log scale.
Show the data as a table
ObservedAzure OpenAI Cheapest model, inputVertex AI Gemini Flash tier, input
Oct 20, 2023$1.50
Jan 5, 2024$1
May 19, 2024$0.50
Aug 1, 2024$0.15
Mar 2, 2025$0.15
Jun 6, 2025$0.15
Aug 1, 2025$0.05
Sep 2, 2025$0.30
Nov 1, 2025$0.05
Mar 1, 2026$0.50
Apr 1, 2026$0.50
Aug 1, 2026$0.20
Sep 1, 2026$0.10
Oct 3, 2026$0.10$0.75

Plans side by side

Every plan currently listed, with the price it started at where we have it.

Azure OpenAIUSD per million tokens, standard global deployment (regional and Data Zone before global existed)

PlanPriceListed since
Flagship model, input$10was $30 in 2023Oct 2023
Flagship model, output$50was $60 in 2023Oct 2023
Cheapest model, input$0.10was $1.50 in 2023Oct 2023
Cheapest model, output$0.50was $2 in 2023Oct 2023

Vertex AIUSD per million tokens, standard tier, prompts up to 200K tokens, global endpoint

PlanPriceListed since
Gemini Pro tier, input$2was $1.25 in 2025Jun 2025
Gemini Pro tier, output$12was $10 in 2025Jun 2025
Gemini Flash tier, input$0.75was $0.15 in 2025Mar 2025
Gemini Flash tier, output$3.75was $0.60 in 2025Mar 2025

What changed, and when

Every dated price move we have on record for either product, newest first.

  1. Oct 2026Vertex AI raised the Gemini Flash tier input and output prices. Gemini Flash tier, input went from $0.50 to $0.75 (+50%). Gemini Flash tier, output went from $3 to $3.75 (+25%).
  2. Sep 2026Azure OpenAI changed its plans and prices. Flagship model, input went from $5 to $10 (+100%). Flagship model, output went from $30 to $50 (+67%). Cheapest model, input went from $0.20 to $0.10 (-50%). Cheapest model, output went from $1.20 to $0.50 (-58%).
  3. Aug 2026Azure OpenAI raised the Cheapest model input and output prices. Cheapest model, input went from $0.05 to $0.20 (+300%). Cheapest model, output went from $0.40 to $1.20 (+200%).
  4. May 2026Azure OpenAI raised the Flagship model input and output prices. Flagship model, input went from $1.75 to $5 (+186%). Flagship model, output went from $14 to $30 (+114%).
  5. Mar 2026Vertex AI raised the Gemini Flash tier input and output prices. Gemini Flash tier, input went from $0.30 to $0.50 (+67%). Gemini Flash tier, output went from $2.50 to $3 (+20%).
  6. Dec 2025Vertex AI raised the Gemini Pro tier input and output prices. Gemini Pro tier, input went from $1.25 to $2 (+60%). Gemini Pro tier, output went from $10 to $12 (+20%).
  7. Dec 2025Azure OpenAI raised the Flagship model input and output prices. Flagship model, input went from $1.25 to $1.75 (+40%). Flagship model, output went from $10 to $14 (+40%).
  8. Sep 2025Vertex AI raised the Gemini Flash tier input and output prices. Gemini Flash tier, input went from $0.15 to $0.30 (+100%). Gemini Flash tier, output went from $0.60 to $2.50 (+317%).
  9. Aug 2025Azure OpenAI cut the Flagship model input and Cheapest model input and output prices. Flagship model, input went from $2.50 to $1.25 (-50%). Cheapest model, input went from $0.15 to $0.05 (-67%). Cheapest model, output went from $0.60 to $0.40 (-33%).
  10. Jun 2025Vertex AI added the Gemini Pro tier input and output plans. Gemini Pro tier, input listed at $1.25. Gemini Pro tier, output listed at $10.
  11. Nov 2024Azure OpenAI cut the Flagship model input and output prices. Flagship model, input went from $5 to $2.50 (-50%). Flagship model, output went from $15 to $10 (-33%).
  12. Aug 2024Azure OpenAI cut the Flagship model input and output and Cheapest model input and output prices. Flagship model, input went from $10 to $5 (-50%). Flagship model, output went from $30 to $15 (-50%). Cheapest model, input went from $0.50 to $0.15 (-70%). Cheapest model, output went from $1.50 to $0.60 (-60%).
  13. May 2024Azure OpenAI cut the Cheapest model input and output prices. Cheapest model, input went from $1 to $0.50 (-50%). Cheapest model, output went from $2 to $1.50 (-25%).
  14. Jan 2024Azure OpenAI cut the Flagship model input and output and Cheapest model input prices. Flagship model, input went from $30 to $10 (-67%). Flagship model, output went from $60 to $30 (-50%). Cheapest model, input went from $1.50 to $1 (-33%).

Azure OpenAI vs Vertex AI pricing questions

Is Azure OpenAI or Vertex AI cheaper?
Azure OpenAI starts lower at $0.1 per million input tokens, $0.5 per million output, global, Vertex AI at $0.75 per million input tokens, $3.75 per million output, introductory until 2027. Prices are as shown on each pricing page when it was last read.
Has Azure OpenAI or Vertex AI raised prices?
Azure OpenAI: Flagship model, input has been listed since Oct 2023, starting at $30. It came down to $10 by Jan 2024 (-67%), then came down to $5 by Aug 2024 (-50%), then came down to $2.50 by Nov 2024 (-50%), then came down to $1.25 by Aug 2025 (-50%), then went up to $1.75 by Dec 2025 (+40%), then went up to $5 by May 2026 (+186%), and finally went up to $10 by Sep 2026 (+100%). Flagship model, output has been listed since Oct 2023, starting at $60. It came down to $30 by Jan 2024 (-50%), then came down to $15 by Aug 2024 (-50%), then came down to $10 by Nov 2024 (-33%), then went up to $14 by Dec 2025 (+40%), then went up to $30 by May 2026 (+114%), and finally went up to $50 by Sep 2026 (+67%). Cheapest model, input has been listed since Oct 2023, starting at $1.50. It came down to $1 by Jan 2024 (-33%), then came down to $0.50 by May 2024 (-50%), then came down to $0.15 by Aug 2024 (-70%), then came down to $0.05 by Aug 2025 (-67%), then went up to $0.20 by Aug 2026 (+300%), and finally came down to $0.10 by Sep 2026 (-50%). Cheapest model, output has been listed since Oct 2023, starting at $2. It came down to $1.50 by May 2024 (-25%), then came down to $0.60 by Aug 2024 (-60%), then came down to $0.40 by Aug 2025 (-33%), then went up to $1.20 by Aug 2026 (+200%), and finally came down to $0.50 by Sep 2026 (-58%). Vertex AI: Gemini Pro tier, input appeared by Jun 2025 at $1.25. It went up to $2 by Dec 2025 (+60%). Gemini Pro tier, output appeared by Jun 2025 at $10. It went up to $12 by Dec 2025 (+20%). Gemini Flash tier, input has been listed since Mar 2025, starting at $0.15. It went up to $0.30 by Sep 2025 (+100%), then went up to $0.50 by Mar 2026 (+67%), and finally went up to $0.75 by Oct 2026 (+50%). Gemini Flash tier, output has been listed since Mar 2025, starting at $0.60. It went up to $2.50 by Sep 2025 (+317%), then went up to $3 by Mar 2026 (+20%), and finally went up to $3.75 by Oct 2026 (+25%).
How are Azure OpenAI and Vertex AI priced?
Azure OpenAI: usage based, USD per million tokens, standard global deployment (regional and Data Zone before global existed). Vertex AI: usage based, USD per million tokens, standard tier, prompts up to 200K tokens, global endpoint.

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