Cheapest AI Model for Summarization in 2026
Compare 49 AI models ranked by cost for text and document summarization. Find the cheapest model that meets your quality requirements.
Last updated: Jul 3, 2026 · 49 models · 10 providers
🏆 Top 5 Cheapest Models for Summarization
Ranked by monthly cost: 5,000 documents/day with 13,000 input tokens (document) and 500 output tokens (summary) each.
| # | Model | Tier | Input/1M | Output/1M | Monthly | Savings |
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📊 Calculate Your Summarization Cost
Complete Summarization Cost Ranking
| # | Model | Provider | Tier | Input/1M | Output/1M | Monthly |
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🔄 Switch to a Cheaper Summarization Model
Python — GPT-5.4 → DeepSeek V4 Pro for summarization
⚖️ Summarization Quality by Tier
Budget ($0.08–$0.50/1M input)
Great for meeting notes, article digests, FAQ extraction. Handles straightforward documents well. May miss nuance in legal/medical text.
Mid-Tier ($0.50–$3.00/1M input)
Excellent for most summarization: research papers, reports, long emails. Preserves context and handles complex documents. DeepSeek V4 Pro, GPT-4o, Claude Haiku 4.5.
Premium ($3–$30/1M input)
Best for high-stakes summarization: legal contracts, medical records, financial reports where accuracy is critical. Claude Sonnet 5, GPT-5.4.
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