Summary
"Which AI model API is the cheapest?"
AI Model API Pricing Full Comparison 2026: ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini vs DeepSeek vs MiMo [Latest]
"Which AI model API is the cheapest?"
Every developer asks this question at some point. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, and Xiaomi MiMo… With so many choices, it's hard to know which to pick.
The bottom line: As of 2026, the top two for cost-performance are DeepSeek V4 Flash and Xiaomi MiMo-V2.5. Both offer the same incredible pricing, delivering high performance at less than one-tenth the cost of competitors.
This article provides a complete comparison of API pricing across five major providers and recommends the best model for your use case.
What you'll learn:
- Full comparison of 5 providers' API pricing per 1M tokens
- Why DeepSeek V4 Flash is the "cost-performance king"
- How Xiaomi MiMo matches DeepSeek's pricing with multimodal capabilities
- Two ways to fully leverage DeepSeek for $25/month
- How to choose the best model for your needs
The Bottom Line: DeepSeek V4 Flash and MiMo-V2.5 Are the 2026 Cost-Performance Champions
The table below compares API pricing per 1M tokens across major models. Focus on the overwhelming affordability of DeepSeek V4 Flash and MiMo-V2.5.
| Model | Input (Standard) | Output | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| MiMo-V2.5 | $0.14 | $0.28 | ★★★★★ |
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | $0.14 | $0.28 | ★★★★★ |
| OpenAI GPT-5.4 | $2.50 | $15.00 | ★★ |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | $3.00 | $15.00 | ★★ |
| Gemini 3 Flash | $0.50 | $3.00 | ★★★★ |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | $1.00 | $5.00 | ★★★ |
| GPT-5.4-mini | $0.75 | $4.50 | ★★★ |
Both MiMo-V2.5 and DeepSeek V4 Flash have output pricing of $0.28/1M tokens. That's roughly 1/50th the cost of Claude Sonnet 4.6 and 1/50th of GPT-5.4.
What's more, on a cache hit, input drops to $0.0028/1M tokens — practically free.
Detailed Pricing by Provider
DeepSeek — The Secret to Overwhelming Cost-Performance
DeepSeek is a Chinese AI company, but the quality and pricing of its API are world-class. As of 2026, V4 Flash is the flagship model, delivering this pricing with a 1M token context length.
DeepSeek V4 Flash Pricing (per 1M tokens)
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Input (Cache Hit) | $0.0028 |
| Input (Cache Miss) | $0.14 |
| Output | $0.28 |
| Context Length | 1M tokens |
| Max Output | 384K tokens |
V4 Pro costs a bit more — input from $0.435, output $0.87 — but is still far cheaper than competitors.
Xiaomi MiMo — Same Price as DeepSeek, Multimodal Advantage
Xiaomi MiMo is an AI model series developed by Xiaomi. In June 2026, it was updated to the V2.5 series, offering exactly the same pricing as DeepSeek V4 Flash, with the major advantage of native multimodal processing — images, video, and audio.
Notably, it's deployed in a two-tier structure: V2.5 and V2.5-Pro. V2.5 matches DeepSeek V4 Flash's price range, while V2.5-Pro delivers agent performance rivaling Claude Opus 4.6 at an affordable $0.87/output 1M.
MiMo-V2.5 Pricing (per 1M tokens)
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Input (Cache Hit) | $0.0028 |
| Input (Cache Miss) | $0.14 |
| Output | $0.28 |
| Context Length | 1M tokens |
| Strengths | Cross-modal: image, video, audio, text |
MiMo-V2.5-Pro Pricing (per 1M tokens)
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Input (Cache Hit) | $0.0036 |
| Input (Cache Miss) | $0.435 |
| Output | $0.87 |
| Parameters | 1T total · 42B active |
| Performance | Rivals Claude Opus 4.6 |
MiMo-V2.5's biggest strength is its omni-modal design that natively processes images, video, and audio. DeepSeek V4 Flash is primarily text-focused, but MiMo covers image recognition, video understanding, and speech recognition in a single model. If you want to develop multimodal AI agents, MiMo is an extremely compelling choice.
MiMo-V2.5 is also available on OpenCode Go's $10/month plan. If you're subscribed to OpenCode Go, you can use both DeepSeek V4 Flash and MiMo-V2.5 — perfect for those who want cost-performance plus multimodal capabilities.
OpenAI — GPT-5.4 Series
In 2026, OpenAI positions GPT-5.5 at the top and the GPT-5.4 series in the mid-range.
Pricing (per 1M tokens, Standard)
| Model | Input | Cached Input | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-5.5 | $5.00 | $0.50 | $30.00 |
| GPT-5.4 | $2.50 | $0.25 | $15.00 |
| GPT-5.4-mini | $0.75 | $0.075 | $4.50 |
| GPT-5.4-nano | $0.20 | $0.02 | $1.25 |
GPT-5.4-nano is relatively cheap, but its performance doesn't match DeepSeek V4 Flash. Trying to get DeepSeek-equivalent performance from GPT-5.4 means a 15x cost difference in output alone.
Claude — Anthropic API
In 2026, Anthropic offers a four-tier lineup: Fable 5 at the top, followed by Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku.
Pricing (per 1M tokens)
| Model | Input | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Fable 5 | $10.00 | $50.00 |
| Opus 4.8 | $5.00 | $25.00 |
| Sonnet 4.6 | $3.00 | $15.00 |
| Haiku 4.5 | $1.00 | $5.00 |
Claude's appeal is its high quality, but if cost-performance is the priority, DeepSeek wins hands down. Sonnet 4.6's output is 53x more expensive than DeepSeek V4 Flash.
Gemini — Google AI
In 2026, Gemini 3.5 Flash is the latest fast model.
Pricing (per 1M tokens, paid tier)
| Model | Input | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | $1.50 | $9.00 |
| Gemini 3 Flash | $0.50 | $3.00 |
| Gemini 3.1 Pro | $2.00 | $12.00 |
| Gemini 2.5 Flash | $0.30 | $2.50 |
| Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite | $0.10 | $0.40 |
Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite is very cheap but limited in functionality. Even Gemini 3.5 Flash at $9.00 output costs 32x more than DeepSeek.
Summary Comparison Table
| サービス | 評価 | 料金 | 速度 | サポート | 特徴 | おすすめ | リンク |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | ★ 5.0 | $0.28/output 1M | ⚡Fast | English docs | 1M context · Cache · Thinking mode | Cost-first · Developers | 詳細を見る → |
| MiMo-V2.5 | ★ 5.0 | $0.28/output 1M | ⚡Fast | English docs | 1M context · Multimodal (image/video/audio) | Multimodal dev · DeepSeek-level value | 詳細を見る → |
| GPT-5.4 | ★ 4.5 | $15/output 1M | ⚡Average | Rich documentation | Codex integration · Broad ecosystem | When OpenAI integration is needed | 詳細を見る → |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | ★ 4.3 | $15/output 1M | ⚡Average | Rich documentation | Long-form processing · Code generation | Quality-focused · Enterprise | 詳細を見る → |
| Gemini 3 Flash | ★ 4.0 | $3/output 1M | ⚡Fast | Google Cloud integration | Google Search integration · Multimodal | Google Cloud users | 詳細を見る → |
※アフィリエイトリンクを含みます
My Real-World Experience: How to Fully Leverage DeepSeek V4 Flash for $25/Month
Here's the setup I actually use.
I use DeepSeek V4 Flash as my main AI model, switching between two access methods.
Method ①: DeepSeek Official API (~$15/month)
This is the approach of getting a DeepSeek official API key and calling the model directly.
- Cost: Around $15 per month
- Pros: Instant access to the latest model, full control
- How to use: OpenAI-compatible endpoint (
https://api.deepseek.com), so it integrates easily with existing tools
The nice thing about this method is pay-as-you-go — you only pay for what you use. Even $15/month gets you pretty heavy usage.
Method ②: OpenCode Go ($10/month, $5 first month)
OpenCode Go is a subscription service at $10/month ($5 first month) that gives access to multiple models including DeepSeek V4 Flash/Pro.
- Cost: $10/month (flat rate)
- Pros: Much higher usage limits than the free tier, near-unlimited at a flat rate
- Included models: DeepSeek V4 Flash/Pro, GLM-5.1, Kimi K2.7 Code, MiMo-V2.5-Pro, Qwen3.7 Max, and more
Unlike API pay-as-you-go, OpenCode Go is ideal for those who want to use a lot at a flat rate.
Total: Unlimited AI Model Access for $25/Month
I use both together, operating at roughly $25/month total.
| Access Method | Monthly Cost | Features |
|---|---|---|
| DeepSeek Official API | $15 | Pay-as-you-go · Full control |
| OpenCode Go | $10 | Flat rate · Multi-model access |
| Total | $25 |
With this, I get full access to DeepSeek V4 Flash. Honestly, at this quality for this price, all I can say is "highly recommended."
Recommended Models by Use Case
🎯 Cost-Performance First ⇒ DeepSeek V4 Flash or MiMo-V2.5
DeepSeek V4 Flash and MiMo-V2.5 have identical pricing. Best approach: DeepSeek for text processing, MiMo when you need multimodal with images, video, and audio. → Start with DeepSeek Official API or OpenCode Go
🎯 Multimodal AI Development ⇒ MiMo-V2.5
If you want image recognition, video understanding, and audio processing in a single model, MiMo-V2.5 is the best choice. This level of multimodal performance at DeepSeek's price point is astonishing.
🎯 Quality & Stability Focus ⇒ Claude Sonnet 4.6 or GPT-5.4
Claude and GPT-5.4 excel in quality. Especially for enterprise or customer-facing output, they're worth the higher price.
🎯 Google Integration Needed ⇒ Gemini 3.5 Flash
If you need Google Cloud or Google Search integration, Gemini is the only real choice. Pricing is higher than DeepSeek but more reasonable than other competitors.
🎯 Flat-Rate Heavy Usage ⇒ OpenCode Go
Best for those uneasy about API metered billing or who want to switch between multiple models. For $10/month you get DeepSeek plus other major models.
FAQ
Q: Is DeepSeek V4 Flash's performance really on par with competitors?
Yes, it scores comparably to GPT-5.4 and Claude Sonnet 4.6 across many benchmarks. It shows particularly strong performance in coding and logical reasoning tasks. However, in specific domains (e.g., nuanced Japanese understanding), Claude and GPT may still have an edge.
Q: Can I start for free?
DeepSeek API has a free tier and provides some free credits upon registration. OpenCode Go is $5 for the first month, so it's practically free to try.
Q: How do I get an API key?
Simply sign up on DeepSeek's platform (platform.deepseek.com) and an API key is issued. The OpenAI-compatible endpoint means you can use the OpenAI SDK as-is, which is very convenient.
Q: Is there Japanese-language support?
DeepSeek's documentation is primarily in English, but the community is active and information is plentiful. OpenCode Go has a Japanese-language site.
Q: MiMo-V2.5 or DeepSeek V4 Flash — which should I choose?
Choose based on your use case. For text processing and coding as the main focus, go with DeepSeek V4 Flash. If you need multimodal — image recognition, video understanding, audio processing — MiMo-V2.5 is best. Pricing is identical, so I recommend trying both and picking what fits your workflow. If you subscribe to OpenCode Go, you can use both — so if you're unsure, that's the answer.
Summary: Pick DeepSeek V4 Flash or MiMo-V2.5
The 2026 AI model API pricing comparison conclusion:
- Cost-performance champions are DeepSeek V4 Flash and Xiaomi MiMo-V2.5 — DeepSeek for text, MiMo for multimodal
- Two access methods — combining the official API with OpenCode Go is the strongest setup
- $25/month is plenty even for heavy users — I'm running on this combo myself
- MiMo-V2.5 supports image, video, and audio multimodal — at the same price, this is a huge differentiator
I use DeepSeek V4 Flash as my main model at $25/month and have never felt unsatisfied. If you also need multimodal, definitely check out MiMo-V2.5 too.
This article contains affiliate links.
Related Reading
- DS4Flash (DeepSeek V4 Flash) Local Guide 2026: Max Out 96–128GB VRAM
- SWE-1.7 Complete Guide 2026: Devin-Powered AI Engineer Codes at 1000 Tokens/sec, Rivaling Opus 4.8
- Agents-A1 (35B MoE) Guide 2026: Amazing Agent-Specialized Model in a Small Package
- Qwen3.6-35B Genesis Hermes GGUF Complete Guide 2026: Uncensored Multimodal MoE on Your Local PC
- Xiaomi MiMo API Full Guide 2026: Multimodal AI Model at DeepSeek Pricing
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