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// AI Tool Radar ·  Compare  ·  claude-api-vs-openai-api

Live · captured 9 days ago

Claude API vs OpenAI API

Anthropic packages Claude as flat-rate plans; OpenAI bills per million tokens. Which model fits your workload — predictability, or pay-as-you-go elasticity?

The two largest frontier-model vendors publish radically different price surfaces. Anthropic ships packaged Claude plans (Free / Pro / Max) with included usage. OpenAI exposes a per-model, per-token grid — every endpoint priced separately at the input / cached / output layer. Comparing them is comparing pricing philosophies as much as numbers.

Anthropic API (Claude) · entry

Free

lowest published amount

Anthropic API (Claude) · peak

$100 / mo

highest published amount

OpenAI API · entry

Usage

lowest published amount

OpenAI API · peak

Usage

highest published amount

// 01 — TLDR

3 signals

The short answer.

  1. Pricing model

    Plans vs tokens

    Anthropic: pick a tier, pay a fixed monthly fee. OpenAI: pay per million tokens across a dozen line-itemed models and modalities.

  2. Predictable bill

    Anthropic wins

    Pro $17/mo or Max $100/mo. Your bill is the plan price — no surprise overage if you don't enable add-ons.

  3. Elasticity & spec breadth

    OpenAI wins

    Per-token pricing scales to zero and to volume; explicit lines for cached input, batch (-50%), priority, and flex processing.

// 02 — Side by side

radar.sqlite · captured 9 days ago

What each vendor publishes today.

Tier names, prices, and feature lines below are pulled verbatim from each vendor’s pricing page on the latest nightly snapshot. Nothing here is paraphrased.

LLM APIs  ·  Anthropic

Anthropic API (Claude)

Tiers, as published

  • FreeFree
  • Pro$17 / mo
  • Max$100 / mo

Features by tier

Free

  • Chat on web, iOS, Android, and desktop
  • Generate code and visualize data
  • Write, edit, and create content
  • Ability to search the web
  • Memory across conversations

Pro

  • More usage
  • Includes Claude Code
  • Includes Claude Cowork
  • Unlimited projects to organize chats and documents
  • Access to Research

Max

  • Choose 5x or 20x more usage than Pro
  • Higher output limits for all tasks
  • Early access to advanced Claude features
  • Priority access at high traffic times

Source anthropic.com/pricing

LLM APIs  ·  OpenAI

OpenAI API

Tiers, as published

  • GPT-5.5Custom
  • GPT-5.4Custom
  • GPT-5.4 miniCustom
  • GPT-Realtime-2Custom
  • GPT-Realtime-TranslateCustom
  • GPT-Realtime-WhisperCustom
  • GPT-Image-2Custom
  • Web searchCustom
  • ContainersCustom
  • Batch APICustom
  • Priority processingCustom
  • Flex processingCustom
  • Enterprise (Scale Tier / Reserved Capacity)Custom

Features by tier

GPT-5.5

  • Input: $5.00 / 1M tokens
  • Cached input: $0.50 / 1M tokens
  • Output: $30.00 / 1M tokens
  • Frontier model for complex multi-step problems
  • Designed for coding and professional work

GPT-5.4

  • Input: $2.50 / 1M tokens
  • Cached input: $0.25 / 1M tokens
  • Output: $15.00 / 1M tokens
  • More affordable model for coding and professional work

GPT-5.4 mini

  • Input: $0.75 / 1M tokens
  • Cached input: $0.075 / 1M tokens
  • Output: $4.50 / 1M tokens
  • Strongest mini model for coding, computer use, and subagents

GPT-Realtime-2

  • Audio input: $32.00 / 1M tokens
  • Audio output: $64.00 / 1M tokens
  • Text input: $4.00 / 1M tokens; output: $24.00 / 1M tokens
  • Image input: $5.00 / 1M tokens
  • Most capable realtime voice model

GPT-Realtime-Translate

  • $0.034 per minute
  • $0.00057 per second
  • Live translation that keeps pace with speaker

GPT-Realtime-Whisper

  • $0.017 per minute
  • $0.00028 per second
  • Streaming speech-to-text transcription

GPT-Image-2

  • Image input: $8.00 / 1M tokens
  • Image output: $30.00 / 1M tokens
  • Cached image input: $2.00 / 1M tokens
  • Text input: $5.00 / 1M tokens
  • State-of-the-art image generation

Web search

  • $10.00 / 1k calls
  • Search content tokens are free
  • Grounds responses with up-to-date web info

Containers

  • 1 GB for $0.03 per container
  • 64 GB for $1.92 per container
  • From March 31, 2026: priced per 20-minute session
  • Secure, scalable code execution

Batch API

  • Save 50% on inputs and outputs
  • Asynchronous tasks run over 24 hours

Priority processing

  • Reliable high-speed performance
  • Pay-as-you-go flexibility

Flex processing

  • Lower cost for slower responses
  • Occasional resource unavailability
  • Ideal for non-production or low priority tasks

Other

  • Enterprise (Scale Tier / Reserved Capacity): Data residency options
  • Enterprise (Scale Tier / Reserved Capacity): Scale Tier for larger workloads
  • Enterprise (Scale Tier / Reserved Capacity): Reserved Capacity for cutting-edge customers
  • Enterprise (Scale Tier / Reserved Capacity): Contact sales for pricing

Source openai.com/api/pricing

// 03 — Movement

2 logged

Every change we've recorded, both tools.

// 04 — Bottom line

The right answer depends on whether your workload's usage is bounded (Anthropic plans amortize) or spiky / production-volume (OpenAI's per-token grid lets you tune cost-per-call). Both vendors' published prices are tracked here on every nightly snapshot.

See each tool standalone  ·  Anthropic API (Claude)OpenAI API

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