OpenAI API Pricing History: Latest Model & Seat Rates
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AI Costs & Pricing

OpenAI API Pricing History

By Paige Gilmore, Founder, NetLift· Published July 28, 2026· Updated October 13, 2026
Prices checked October 23, 2026 against official vendor pages

OpenAI pricing as of late 2026 features tiered API rates for the GPT-6 model family and fixed seat costs for ChatGPT Business between $20 and $125 per month.

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OpenAI currently maintains a highly segmented pricing structure for its API and ChatGPT tiers. For procurement and finance leaders, the primary cost drivers are the specific model capabilities—such as the GPT-6 Astra and Luna families—and the volume of tokens processed. ChatGPT Business seats are priced at a fixed monthly or annual rate, while API usage is billed per million tokens.

Recent data shows a clear distinction between "Standard," "Fast," and "Ultrafast" delivery speeds, particularly within the GPT-6 Astra model line. This allows organizations to choose between cost efficiency, with models like Luna starting at $0.10 per million input tokens, and high-performance requirements that can reach $60 per million input tokens.

OpenAI API pricing history

Date Plan Previous price New price
2026-10-10 OpenAI API — gpt-rosalind-research Output $25 $25
2026-10-10 OpenAI API — gpt-rosalind-research $5 $5
2026-10-10 OpenAI API — gpt-5.6-sol Cyber Short context Output $20 $20
2026-10-10 OpenAI API — gpt-5.6-sol Cyber Short context Input $4 $4
2026-10-10 OpenAI API — gpt-5.6-cyber Cyber Short context Input $12.50 $12.50
2026-10-10 ChatGPT — Enterprise Contact sales Contact sales
2026-10-08 OpenAI API — gpt-live-transcribe $0.02 $0.02
2026-10-08 OpenAI API — Web search $10 $10
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — gpt-transcribe $0 $0
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — gpt-realtime-translate $0.03 $0.03
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — gpt-realtime-2.1 - Audio Output $64 $64
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — gpt-realtime-2.1 - Audio Input $32 $32
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — gpt-live-1 voice sessions $0.05 $0.05
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — gpt-image-2.5-sunburst Image output $30 $30
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — gpt-6.1-sol Standard Short context output $10 $10
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — gpt-6.1-sol Standard Short context input $2 $2
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — gpt-6-luna Standard Short context output $0.5 $0.5
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — gpt-6-luna Standard Short context input $0.1 $0.1
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Ultrafast Short context input $60 $60
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Standard Short context output $50 $50
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Standard Short context input $10 $10
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Standard Short context cached input $1 $1
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Standard Short context cache writes $12.50 $12.50
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Standard Long context output $75 $75
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Standard Long context input $20 $20
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Flex Short context input $5 $5
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Fast Short context input $20 $20
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Batch Short context output $25 $25
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Batch Short context input $5 $5
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — Web search preview (non-reasoning models) $25 $25
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — Hosted Shell and Code Interpreter 1 GB $0.03 $0.03
2026-10-02 OpenAI API — File search Tool call $2.50 $2.50
2026-10-02 ChatGPT — Standard seat $25 $25
2026-10-02 ChatGPT — Standard seat $20 $20
2026-10-02 ChatGPT — Premium seat $125 $125
2026-10-02 ChatGPT — Premium seat $100 $100
2026-09-30 OpenAI API — gpt-live-1 voice sessions $0.05 $0.05
2026-09-30 OpenAI API — gpt-image-2.5-sunburst Image output $30 $30
2026-09-30 OpenAI API — gpt-6.1-sol Standard Short context output $10 $10
2026-09-30 OpenAI API — gpt-6.1-sol Standard Short context input $2 $2
2026-09-30 OpenAI API — gpt-6-luna Standard Short context output $0.5 $0.5
2026-09-30 OpenAI API — gpt-6-luna Standard Short context input $0.1 $0.1
2026-09-30 OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Ultrafast Short context input $60 $60
2026-09-30 OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Standard Short context output $50 $50
2026-09-30 OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Standard Short context input $10 $10
2026-09-30 OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Standard Short context cached input $1 $1
2026-09-30 OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Standard Short context cache writes $12.50 $12.50
2026-09-30 OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Standard Long context output $75 $75
2026-09-30 OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Standard Long context input $20 $20
2026-09-30 OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Flex Short context input $5 $5
2026-09-30 OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Fast Short context input $20 $20
2026-09-30 OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Batch Short context output $25 $25
2026-09-30 OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Batch Short context input $5 $5
2026-09-30 OpenAI API — Hosted Shell and Code Interpreter 1 GB $0.03 $0.03
2026-09-30 OpenAI API — File search Tool call $2.50 $2.50
2026-09-28 ChatGPT — Enterprise Contact sales Contact sales
2026-09-11 ChatGPT — Enterprise Contact sales Contact sales
2026-09-10 ChatGPT — ChatGPT Edu Contact sales Contact sales
2026-09-08 ChatGPT — Standard seat $25 $25
2026-09-08 ChatGPT — Standard seat $20 $20
2026-09-08 ChatGPT — Premium seat $125 $125
2026-09-08 ChatGPT — Premium seat $100 $100
2026-09-07 ChatGPT — ChatGPT for Teachers $0 $0
2026-09-07 ChatGPT — ChatGPT Edu Contact sales Contact sales
2026-09-02 ChatGPT — Standard seat $25 $25
2026-09-02 ChatGPT — Standard seat $20 $20
2026-09-02 ChatGPT — Premium seat $125 $125
2026-09-02 ChatGPT — Premium seat $100 $100
2026-09-02 ChatGPT — Enterprise Contact sales Contact sales
2026-08-11 OpenAI API — gpt-transcribe $0 $0
2026-08-11 OpenAI API — gpt-realtime-translate $0.03 $0.03
2026-08-11 OpenAI API — gpt-realtime-2.1 - Audio Output $64 $64
2026-08-11 OpenAI API — gpt-realtime-2.1 - Audio Input $32 $32
2026-08-11 OpenAI API — gpt-4o-transcribe $0.01 $0.01
2026-08-11 OpenAI API — Web search preview (non-reasoning models) $25 $25
2026-08-11 OpenAI API — File search storage $0.1 $0.1
2026-08-11 ChatGPT — ChatGPT for Teachers $0 $0
2026-08-11 ChatGPT — ChatGPT Edu Contact sales Contact sales
2026-08-10 ChatGPT — ChatGPT for Teachers $0 $0
2026-08-10 ChatGPT — ChatGPT Edu Contact sales Contact sales
2026-08-09 ChatGPT — ChatGPT for Teachers Contact sales $0
2026-08-09 ChatGPT — ChatGPT Edu Contact sales Contact sales
2026-08-08 ChatGPT — ChatGPT for Teachers $0 $0
2026-08-08 ChatGPT — ChatGPT Edu Contact sales Contact sales
2026-08-07 ChatGPT — ChatGPT for Teachers $0 $0
2026-08-07 ChatGPT — ChatGPT Edu Contact sales Contact sales

NetLift has monitored the official OpenAI API pricing page since 2026-10-10. 86 change(s) recorded so far.

Current verified prices

Plan Price Billing Notes
ChatGPT — Standard seat $20 per seat / month Annual billing rate. For teams of 2–200 employees.
ChatGPT — Standard seat $25 per seat / month Monthly billing rate. For teams of 2–200 employees.
ChatGPT — Premium seat $100 per seat / month Annual billing rate. For teams of 2–200 employees.
ChatGPT — Premium seat $125 per seat / month Monthly billing rate. For teams of 2–200 employees.

Current verified per-token prices

Model / rate Price Unit
OpenAI API — gpt-6-luna Standard Short context input $0.1 per 1M input tokens
OpenAI API — gpt-6-luna Standard Short context output $0.5 per 1M output tokens
OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Standard Short context cached input $1 per 1M input tokens
OpenAI API — gpt-6.1-sol Standard Short context input $2 per 1M input tokens
OpenAI API — gpt-5.6-sol Cyber Short context Input $4 per 1M input tokens
OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Batch Short context input $5 per 1M input tokens
OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Flex Short context input $5 per 1M input tokens
OpenAI API — gpt-rosalind-research $5 per 1M input tokens
OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Standard Short context input $10 per 1M input tokens
OpenAI API — gpt-6.1-sol Standard Short context output $10 per 1M output tokens
OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Standard Short context cache writes $12.50 per 1M input tokens
OpenAI API — gpt-5.6-cyber Cyber Short context Input $12.50 per 1M input tokens
OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Standard Long context input $20 per 1M input tokens
OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Fast Short context input $20 per 1M input tokens
OpenAI API — gpt-5.6-sol Cyber Short context Output $20 per 1M output tokens
OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Batch Short context output $25 per 1M output tokens
OpenAI API — gpt-rosalind-research Output $25 per 1M output tokens
OpenAI API — gpt-image-2.5-sunburst Image output $30 per 1M output tokens
OpenAI API — gpt-realtime-2.1 - Audio Input $32 per 1M input tokens
OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Standard Short context output $50 per 1M output tokens
OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Ultrafast Short context input $60 per 1M input tokens
OpenAI API — gpt-realtime-2.1 - Audio Output $64 per 1M output tokens
OpenAI API — gpt-6-astra Standard Long context output $75 per 1M output tokens

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How does model selection impact API expenditure?

The pricing for the GPT-6 family is dictated by context length and response speed. For example, GPT-6 Astra (Standard Short Context) is priced at $10 for input and $50 for output per million tokens. However, the "Ultrafast" version of the same model increases those costs to $60 and $300, respectively. Choosing the correct model tier is the most significant lever for controlling API spend.

What are the current seat-based costs for teams?

ChatGPT Business seats follow a predictable monthly or annual billing cycle. The Business Standard tier is $25 per month (discounted to $20 for annual billing), while the Business Premium tier is $125 per month (discounted to $100 for annual billing). Educational tiers have seen some shifts, with ChatGPT for Teachers moving from a contact-based model to $0, while ChatGPT Edu and Enterprise still require direct sales engagement.

Determining the return on OpenAI spend requires looking past the per-token cost to the specific time saved by the workforce. Because premium models like GPT-6 Astra Ultrafast carry a high price tag, the output must demonstrate a proportional increase in accuracy or speed compared to the $0.10 Luna baseline. NetLift helps finance teams measure this value by comparing API costs against real-world time-to-completion, ensuring that the adoption of high-performance models actually improves the bottom line.

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Sources

All pricing on this page comes from official vendor pages:

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About the author

Paige Gilmore · Founder, NetLift

Paige Gilmore is the founder of NetLift, the AI Value Management platform that helps organisations measure the cost, savings and return of AI adoption.

Paige Gilmore on LinkedIn

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