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OpenAI API vs xAI API pricing

OpenAI API is cheaper to start: $0.1 per million input tokens, $0.5 per million output against $1 per million input tokens, $2 per million output for xAI API. OpenAI API has changed its listed prices 4 times since 2021. xAI API has changed its listed prices 2 times since 2026.

OpenAI API pricingxAI API pricingAdd a third product

OpenAI API vs xAI API at a glance

Current list prices as last read from each pricing page.

OpenAI API

Full analysis
Starts at
$0.1 per million input tokens, $0.5 per million outputgpt-6-luna, USD per million tokens, standard processing
Top listed plan
$10 per million input tokens, $50 per million outputgpt-6-astra
Priced by
Usage based
Free plan
Not recorded
Price history
since 2021
Price changes
4

xAI API

Full analysis
Starts at
$1 per million input tokens, $2 per million outputgrok-build-0.1, USD per million tokens, prompts under 200K tokens
Top listed plan
$2 per million input tokens, $6 per million outputgrok-4.6
Priced by
Usage based
Free plan
Not recorded
Price history
since 2026
Price changes
2

OpenAI API vs xAI API 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$220222023202420252026$1.25 xAI API grok-4.3, input$0.10 OpenAI API Cheapest model, input
OpenAI API: USD per million tokens, standard processing. xAI API: USD per million tokens, prompts under 200K tokens. Click a legend entry to add or hide a plan. Log scale.
Show the data as a table
ObservedOpenAI API Cheapest model, inputxAI API grok-4.3, input
Nov 20, 2021$0.80
Nov 3, 2022$0.40
May 2, 2024$0.50
Nov 12, 2024$0.15
Nov 11, 2025$0.05
Sep 21, 2026$0.20$1.25
Oct 3, 2026$0.10$1.25

Plans side by side

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

OpenAI APIUSD per million tokens, standard processing

PlanPriceListed since
Flagship model, input$10was $60 in 2021Nov 2021
Flagship model, output$50was $60 in 2021Nov 2021
Cheapest model, input$0.10was $0.80 in 2021Nov 2021
Cheapest model, output$0.50was $0.80 in 2021Nov 2021

xAI APIUSD per million tokens, prompts under 200K tokens

PlanPriceListed since
grok-4.6, input$2Sep 2026
grok-4.6, output$6Sep 2026
grok-4.3, input$1.25Sep 2026
grok-4.3, output$2.50Sep 2026
grok-4.7, input$2Oct 2026
grok-4.7, output$6Oct 2026

What changed, and when

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

  1. Oct 2026OpenAI API cut the Cheapest model input and output prices. Cheapest model, input went from $0.20 to $0.10 (-50%). Cheapest model, output went from $1.20 to $0.50 (-58%).
  2. Oct 2026xAI API added the grok-4.7 input and output plans. grok-4.7, input listed at $2. grok-4.7, output listed at $6.
  3. Sep 2026OpenAI API raised the Flagship model input and output and Cheapest model input and output prices. Flagship model, input went from $5 to $10 (+100%). Flagship model, output went from $30 to $50 (+67%). Cheapest model, input went from $0.05 to $0.20 (+300%). Cheapest model, output went from $0.40 to $1.20 (+200%).
  4. May 2026OpenAI API raised the Flagship model input and output prices. Flagship model, input went from $1.25 to $5 (+300%). Flagship model, output went from $10 to $30 (+200%).
  5. Nov 2025OpenAI API 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%).
  6. Nov 2024OpenAI API cut the Flagship model input and output and Cheapest model input and output prices. Flagship model, input went from $10 to $2.50 (-75%). Flagship model, output went from $30 to $10 (-67%). Cheapest model, input went from $0.50 to $0.15 (-70%). Cheapest model, output went from $1.50 to $0.60 (-60%).
  7. May 2024OpenAI API changed its plans and prices. Flagship model, input went from $20 to $10 (-50%). Flagship model, output went from $20 to $30 (+50%). Cheapest model, input went from $0.40 to $0.50 (+25%). Cheapest model, output went from $0.40 to $1.50 (+275%).
  8. Nov 2022OpenAI API cut the Flagship model input and output and Cheapest model input and output prices. Flagship model, input went from $60 to $20 (-67%). Flagship model, output went from $60 to $20 (-67%). Cheapest model, input went from $0.80 to $0.40 (-50%). Cheapest model, output went from $0.80 to $0.40 (-50%).

OpenAI API vs xAI API pricing questions

Is OpenAI API or xAI API cheaper?
OpenAI API starts lower at $0.1 per million input tokens, $0.5 per million output, xAI API at $1 per million input tokens, $2 per million output. Prices are as shown on each pricing page when it was last read.
Has OpenAI API or xAI API raised prices?
OpenAI API: Flagship model, input has been listed since Nov 2021, starting at $60. It came down to $20 by Nov 2022 (-67%), then came down to $10 by May 2024 (-50%), then came down to $2.50 by Nov 2024 (-75%), then came down to $1.25 by Nov 2025 (-50%), then went up to $5 by May 2026 (+300%), and finally went up to $10 by Sep 2026 (+100%). Flagship model, output has been listed since Nov 2021, starting at $60. It came down to $20 by Nov 2022 (-67%), then went up to $30 by May 2024 (+50%), then came down to $10 by Nov 2024 (-67%), then went up to $30 by May 2026 (+200%), and finally went up to $50 by Sep 2026 (+67%). Cheapest model, input has been listed since Nov 2021, starting at $0.80. It came down to $0.40 by Nov 2022 (-50%), then went up to $0.50 by May 2024 (+25%), then came down to $0.15 by Nov 2024 (-70%), then came down to $0.05 by Nov 2025 (-67%), then went up to $0.20 by Sep 2026 (+300%), and finally came down to $0.10 by Oct 2026 (-50%). Cheapest model, output has been listed since Nov 2021, starting at $0.80. It came down to $0.40 by Nov 2022 (-50%), then went up to $1.50 by May 2024 (+275%), then came down to $0.60 by Nov 2024 (-60%), then came down to $0.40 by Nov 2025 (-33%), then went up to $1.20 by Sep 2026 (+200%), and finally came down to $0.50 by Oct 2026 (-58%). xAI API: grok-4.7, input appeared by Oct 2026 at $2. grok-4.7, output appeared by Oct 2026 at $6.
How are OpenAI API and xAI API priced?
OpenAI API: usage based, USD per million tokens, standard processing. xAI API: usage based, USD per million tokens, prompts under 200K tokens.

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