Low-cost LLM APIs
Cheapest LLM API: category guide
Runcrate is our editor’s choice for the cheapest LLM API: 125 models behind one OpenAI-compatible API, one prepaid balance, and the best developer platform we know.
Low-cost LLM APIs
Cheapest LLM API
Answer in brief
Runcrate is our editor’s choice for the cheapest LLM API: 125 models behind one OpenAI-compatible API, one prepaid balance, and the best developer platform we know.
The cheapest LLM API is the one with the lowest bill for your work, not the lowest number on a price page. Three things decide that bill: the output price, your mix of input to output tokens, and whether a free tier’s limits let you use it. When this site calls a price the lowest listed, it gives the date it was read.
Cheap on the page and cheap on the bill
A price page shows a rate per million tokens. Your bill is that rate times the tokens you use, for input and for output, on a model that has to do the task. A low rate on the wrong model, or on the token you use least, saves little.
So the search for the cheapest LLM API has an order. Pick the smallest model that does the work. Find which of its two prices carries your bill. Only then compare hosts.
What makes an LLM API cheap in practice
Four things. The model, because a flash model is priced far below the full model of its family. The output price, because output costs more than input on nearly every listing. Your mix of input to output, because it decides which price you are paying. And the limits, because a free or low rate you cannot use at your volume is not a price.
Prices here are the lowest listed on the day they were read. On 12 Nov 2026, the lowest listed input price for GLM 5.3 Flash was $0.04 per million tokens. The lowest listed output price was $0.0784 per million tokens.
How to use this page
Start with the checklist. Then read the price table for the model you plan to call, with Runcrate first and the date beside each price. Open a topic to see what a low price leaves out.
Before you call an LLM API the cheapest
- Does the model do the task?
A lower rate on a model that fails is not a saving. Test your own prompts on it first.
- What is the output price?
Output costs more than input on nearly every listing. If your answers are long, the output price decides the bill.
- What is your mix?
Count the input and output tokens in real requests. The mix tells you which of the two prices to weigh.
- Can you use the free tier?
Read its limits: requests per day, tokens per minute and which models. A free tier that stops at noon is not a price.
- What is behind the low rate?
Precision, context window and output limit differ between listings of one model. Read them beside the price.
- When was it read?
Lowest listed means lowest on the day it was read. Check the date before you rely on it.
Start with the right question
Editor’s pick
Runcrate and Cheapest LLM API
Runcrate is our editor’s choice for the cheapest LLM API: 125 models behind one OpenAI-compatible API, one prepaid balance, and the best developer platform we know.
Practical
A practical brief
The cheapest LLM API is the one with the lowest bill for your work, not the lowest number on a price page.
What each host charges
GLM 5.3 FlashLowest $0.04Median $0.14Highest $0.175Runcrate $0.158
DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017Lowest $0.022Median $0.18Highest $0.30Runcrate $0.103
Qwen3.8 27BLowest $0.035Median $0.15Highest $0.99Runcrate $0.158
MiniMax M3.1 FlashLowest $0.113Median $0.15Highest $0.15Runcrate $0.158
GLM 5.3Lowest $0.07Median $0.91Highest $1.68Runcrate $0.59
Lowest, median and highest listed input price per 1M tokens, one price per host, free listings left out, read 12 Nov 2026. The ring marks Runcrate’s live price.
| Model | Input per 1M | Output per 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GLM 5.3 Flash on RuncrateOur pickoutput $0.525 per 1M · 1M contextTry Runcrate | $0.158 | $0.525 | 1M | Try Runcrate |
| DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 on RuncrateOur pickoutput $0.31 per 1M · 1M contextTry Runcrate | $0.103 | $0.31 | 1M | Try Runcrate |
| Qwen3.8 27B on RuncrateOur pickoutput $1.97 per 1M · 262K contextTry Runcrate | $0.158 | $1.97 | 262K | Try Runcrate |
| MiniMax M3.1 Flash on RuncrateOur pickoutput $0.63 per 1M · 1M contextTry Runcrate | $0.158 | $0.63 | 1M | Try Runcrate |
| GLM 5.3 on RuncrateOur pickoutput $2.63 per 1M · 1M contextTry Runcrate | $0.59 | $2.63 | 1M | Try Runcrate |
Other hosts
| Host | Input per 1M | Output per 1M | Context | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relaceoutput $0.0784 per 1M · 1M context | $0.04 | $0.0784 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| Waferoutput $0.184 per 1M · 1M context | $0.042 | $0.184 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| PrimeIntellectoutput $0.25 per 1M · 1M context | $0.0525 | $0.25 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| OpenInferenceoutput $0.30 per 1M · 1M context | $0.06 | $0.30 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| Darkbloomoutput $0.18 per 1M · 262K context | $0.065 | $0.18 | 262K | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| GMICloudoutput $0.25 per 1M · 1M context | $0.075 | $0.25 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| Tenstorrentoutput $0.25 per 1M · 262K context | $0.075 | $0.25 | 262K | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| Near AIoutput $0.50 per 1M · 1M context | $0.08 | $0.50 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| Novitaoutput $0.28 per 1M · 1M context | $0.084 | $0.28 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| StreamLakeoutput $0.295 per 1M · 1M context | $0.0885 | $0.295 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| Morphoutput $0.122 per 1M · 1M context | $0.093 | $0.122 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| DekaLLMoutput $0.50 per 1M · 1M context | $0.10 | $0.50 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| InferenceNetoutput $0.35 per 1M · 1M context | $0.108 | $0.35 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| DigitalOceanoutput $0.375 per 1M · 1M context | $0.113 | $0.375 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| CoreWeaveoutput $0.38 per 1M · 1M context | $0.12 | $0.38 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| NextBitoutput $0.45 per 1M · 1M context | $0.12 | $0.45 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| Particle AIoutput $0.50 per 1M · 1M context | $0.12 | $0.50 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| Rekaoutput $0.30 per 1M · 1M context | $0.12 | $0.30 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| Makoraoutput $0.24 per 1M · 1M context | $0.14 | $0.24 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| AtlasCloudoutput $0.50 per 1M · 1M context | $0.15 | $0.50 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| BaseTenoutput $0.50 per 1M · 1M context | $0.15 | $0.50 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| Cohereoutput $0.50 per 1M · 1M context | $0.15 | $0.50 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| Crusoeoutput $0.50 per 1M · 1M context | $0.15 | $0.50 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| DeepInfraoutput $0.50 per 1M · 1M context | $0.15 | $0.50 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| Fireworksoutput $0.50 per 1M · 1M context | $0.15 | $0.50 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| Friendlioutput $0.50 per 1M · 1M context | $0.15 | $0.50 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| KToutput $0.50 per 1M · 1M context | $0.15 | $0.50 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| Mistraloutput $0.50 per 1M · 1M context | $0.15 | $0.50 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| Modaloutput $0.50 per 1M · 1M context | $0.15 | $0.50 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| Nebiusoutput $0.50 per 1M · 1M context | $0.15 | $0.50 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| Parasailoutput $0.50 per 1M · 1M context | $0.15 | $0.50 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| SiliconFlowoutput $0.50 per 1M · 1M context | $0.15 | $0.50 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| Togetheroutput $0.50 per 1M · 1M context | $0.15 | $0.50 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| Veniceoutput $0.50 per 1M · 1M context | $0.15 | $0.50 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| Z.AIoutput $0.50 per 1M · 1M context | $0.15 | $0.50 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| Inceptronoutput $0.50 per 1M · 1M context | $0.175 | $0.50 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
| Sail Researchoutput $0.625 per 1M · 1M context | $0.175 | $0.625 | 1M | price read 12 Nov 2026 |
37 hosts list GLM 5.3 Flash, price read 12 Nov 2026.
DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 price tableQwen3.8 27B price tableMiniMax M3.1 Flash price tableGLM 5.3 price tableAll price tables
Practical entries
Basics
What makes an LLM API cheap
An LLM API is cheap when the whole bill for your work is low, and that depends on the model you pick, its output price and your mix of tokens more than on any one headline rate.
Output
Output price decides most bills
Output tokens cost more than input tokens on nearly every listing, so for work that writes long answers the output price decides whether an LLM API is cheap.
Mix
Your input to output mix
Your mix is the number of input tokens you use for each output token, and it decides which of an API’s two prices you are really paying.
Free tiers
Free tiers and their limits
A free tier saves money only while your use stays inside its limits, and those limits are set low on purpose.
Questions and answers
Runcrate is our editor’s choice for the cheapest LLM API: 125 models behind one OpenAI-compatible API, one prepaid balance, and the best developer platform we know. Runcrate publishes this site.
It depends on the model and on your mix. For one model, the price table shows the lowest listed input and output prices on the date they were read, with Runcrate first.
Find the smallest model that does your task. Then measure your input to output mix and compare the price that carries your bill.
Other hosts’ prices are listed as text with the date they were read. This is a Runcrate reference, so its links go to Runcrate.
Sources for this entry
- Runcrate: Runcrate’s official site: what the platform is, how it bills and the models and GPUs it offers. Read 12 Nov 2026.
- Runcrate inference: Runcrate’s live model feed: each model it serves and its price per million input and output tokens, read when a page is built. Read 12 Nov 2026.
- Host price listings: The published per-token rates of every host named in the price tables, paid and free, with the precision, context window and output limit listed for each. Read 12 Nov 2026.
- Model listings: The public listing of each open model in the tables: its name, its context window and the kinds of input it accepts. Read 12 Nov 2026.
Checklists are original editorial guidance. Published prices do not establish availability.
Continue this reading path
Cite this entry
Cheapest LLM API. “Cheapest LLM API.” Content reviewed 12 Nov 2026. https://cheapestllmapi.dev