Price comparison

Claudech next to Claude, GPT and Gemini.

Our per-token prices beside each vendor's list prices on the same workload, with the date checked and a source link. Across the models below, Claudech is typically 90% cheaper.

Claudech is an independent service. Claudech models are our own; they are not Claude, GPT or Gemini, and we are not affiliated with Anthropic, OpenAI or Google. Vendor names are used only to identify what is being compared.

Biggest saving: 96%; Claude Fable 5.1 vs GPT-6 Astra
Typical saving: 90%; median across 9 comparisons
Prices checked: 2026-09-29; vendor list prices, per 1M tokens

Anthropic

Claudech vs Anthropic

Anthropic list prices as published on 2026-09-29 · source

USD per 1M tokens

Anthropic model	Claudech model	Input	Cached input	Output	Reference workload
Claude Opus 5 1000K context · Standard API tier; batch discounts and long-context surcharges not included.	Claude Opus 5 claude-opus-5 · 1000K context	$5.00 Claudech $0.50	$0.500 Claudech $0.010	$25.00 Claudech $1.90	92% less $0.82 vs $9.90
Claude Sonnet 5 1000K context · Standard API tier.	Claude Sonnet 5 claude-sonnet-5-5 · 1000K context	$2.00 Claudech $0.50	$0.200 Claudech $0.010	$10.00 Claudech $1.90	79% less $0.82 vs $3.96
Claude Fable 5.1 1000K context · Vendor list price, checked separately from Claudech rates.	Claude Fable 5.1 claude-fable-5-1 · 1000K context	$10.00 Claudech $0.50	$0.250 Claudech $0.010	$50.00 Claudech $1.90	96% less $0.82 vs $19.57
Claude Opus 5.5 1000K context · Vendor list price, checked separately from Claudech rates.	Claude Opus 5.5 claude-opus-5-5 · 1000K context	$4.00 Claudech $0.50	$0.200 Claudech $0.010	$20.00 Claudech $1.90	89% less $0.82 vs $7.86

OpenAI

Claudech vs OpenAI

OpenAI list prices as published on 2026-09-29 · source

USD per 1M tokens

OpenAI model	Claudech model	Input	Cached input	Output	Reference workload
GPT-6 Astra 400K context · Standard tier, prompts in the short-context band; long-context prompts cost more.	Claude Fable 5.1 claude-fable-5-1 · 1000K context	$10.00 Claudech $0.50	$1.000 Claudech $0.010	$50.00 Claudech $1.90	96% less $0.82 vs $19.80

Google

Claudech vs Google

Google list prices as published on 2026-09-29 · source

USD per 1M tokens

Google model	Claudech model	Input	Cached input	Output	Reference workload
Gemini 3.8 Flash 1049K context · Introductory rate through 2026-12-31 (doubles from 2027-01-01). Output includes thinking tokens.	Claude Sonnet 5 claude-sonnet-5-5 · 1000K context	$0.75 Claudech $0.50	$0.075 Claudech $0.010	$3.75 Claudech $1.90	44% less $0.82 vs $1.48

Reference workload: 1.00M input tokens with a 30% cache hit rate and 250.0K output tokens. Grey figures under each price are the Claudech rate. Where a vendor is cheaper we say so.

Your workload

See your own bill side by side

Put in your own monthly volume and compare the cost. The cost calculator page explains the method with a worked example.

Claudech model

Input tokens / month (millions)

Output tokens / month (millions)

Cache hit rate: 40%

Share of input served from prompt cache.

Model	Monthly cost	vs Claudech
Claude Opus 5 claude-opus-5	$77.90	—
Claude Opus 5 Anthropic list price, checked 2026-09-29	$945	Claudech is 92% cheaper save $867 / month
GPT-5.6 Terra OpenAI list price, checked 2026-09-29	$428	Claudech is 82% cheaper save $350 / month

Estimate based on published per-token list prices. Cached input is billed at each vendor's cache-read rate when one is published, otherwise at the full input rate. Vendor batch discounts, long-context surcharges, tier minimums and taxes are not included.

Beyond the price

What changes what you actually pay

And the ways you can pay it.

Pay in crypto, no KYC

BTC, ETH, BNB, USDT and USDC (ERC-20, TRC-20, BEP-20) and more across Ethereum, Tron, BSC, Base, Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon and Avalanche, credited automatically when the transaction confirms. No identity checks, no billing account to be approved.

One balance, every model

Everything is billed in Claudech tokens worth $0.50 per million, so you can switch models without opening a new account or moving credit around.

No minimums, no expiry

Purchased tokens never expire and start at $5. There are no monthly minimums, tier gates or prepaid commitments to reach a price.

Drop-in compatible API

OpenAI Chat Completions and Anthropic Messages request formats, with streaming and tool use. Change the base URL and key; your existing client code keeps working.

Chat and API together

Web chat, the playground and the API draw from one balance. No separate seat licence for the chat app and no separate billing account for the API.

Free tokens for following along

50.0K tokens for confirming the newsletter, and more for joining us on Telegram, YouTube and X.

Earn 20% by referring

Every account has a referral link. Purchases by people you refer pay you a commission, settled automatically in stablecoins or tokens.

How to read this page

Vendor figures are the standard pay-as-you-go list prices from each vendor's public pricing page on the date shown. They exclude batch discounts, long-context surcharges, enterprise contracts and taxes, and they may have changed since we last checked.
Claudech figures are the prices currently published on our pricing page and are exactly what your account is billed.
Models are paired by role (flagship, everyday, reasoning, fast), not by identity. Capabilities, quality and speed differ between vendors; price is only one input to the decision. The smallest token package lets you test every model before buying more.
Claudech purchases are paid with crypto. There is no free API tier, only 50,000 free chat tokens for new accounts: what keeps prices low is that we do not carry unpaid API trial usage, KYC overhead or crypto chargebacks, and we pass that on.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is Claudech cheaper than Claude, GPT and Gemini?

On the reference workload, Claudech is typically 90% cheaper than the vendor list prices on this page, and up to 96% cheaper for Claude Fable 5.1 vs GPT-6 Astra. Where a vendor is cheaper, the tables say so.

Are Claudech models the same as Claude, GPT or Gemini?

No. Claudech models are our own; they are not Claude, GPT or Gemini, and Claudech is not affiliated with Anthropic, OpenAI or Google. Models are paired by role (flagship, everyday, reasoning, fast), not by identity.

Where do the vendor prices come from?

They are the standard pay-as-you-go list prices from each vendor’s public pricing page, on the date shown with a source link. They exclude batch discounts, long-context surcharges, enterprise contracts and taxes.

Can I keep my existing OpenAI or Anthropic code?

Yes. The API accepts the OpenAI Chat Completions and Anthropic Messages request formats, with streaming and tool use. Change the base URL and key, and your existing client code keeps working.

How do I estimate my own monthly cost?

Put your own monthly volume into the calculator on this page to see both bills side by side. The AI API cost calculator page explains the method with a worked example.

Pay less for every token

Create an account with just an email address and test every model with the smallest token package.

Create an account Full pricing