THE TICKER · OPENAI · CHECKED DAILY · LAST CHANGE 2026-08-04
OPENAI API PRICING
One lineup from Mini to 5.6 — output at 6x, Mini is the trap.
OpenAI runs the widest lineup on the board: four models, all at a 6x output multiple, all with automatic prompt caching (no markers, no code). The trap is GPT-5 Mini: $0.25 input is cheap enough that nobody routes away from it, and expensive enough that a fleet of 100 mini-agents on autopilot lands as a line item that dwarfs your flagship spend. Cached reads on GPT-5.5 drop to $0.50/MTok — the largest absolute cache discount on the board.
THE OPENAI LINEUP
USD PER MILLION TOKENS · 2026-08-04| Model | Input / MTok | Output / MTok | Multiple | Cached read | Cache write |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-5.6 | $5.00 | $30.00 | 6.0x | $0.500 | $6.25 |
| GPT-5.5 | $5.00 | $30.00 | 6.0x | $0.500 | — |
| GPT-5.4 | $2.50 | $15.00 | 6.0x | $0.250 | — |
| GPT-5 Mini | $0.250 | $2.00 | 8.0x | $0.025 | — |
Source: platform.openai.com/docs/pricing · last confirmed against the daily source on 2026-08-12 · effective public price, promos included.
ONE JOB ACROSS THE OPENAI LINEUP
Estimates, not invoices.
OPENAI CHANGELOG
GPT-5 Mini joins the board at $0.25 in / $2.00 out per MTok.
GPT-5.6 joins the board at $5.00 in / $30.00 out per MTok.