What is the cheapest open source LLM API?

The cheapest open source LLM API is Llama 3.1 8B at $0.10/$0.10 per 1M tokens (input/output) via Together.ai. For higher quality, Llama 4 Scout at $0.11/$0.34 and DeepSeek V4 Flash at $0.14/$0.28 offer excellent value with 10M and 1M context windows respectively.

How much does Llama vs DeepSeek cost?

Llama 4 Scout ($0.11/$0.34 per 1M tokens) is cheaper for input than DeepSeek V4 Flash ($0.14/$0.28) but more expensive for output. For balanced workloads, Llama 4 Scout costs ~$0.000425/request vs DeepSeek V4 Flash at ~$0.000330/request for typical 1500 input/400 output tokens.

Are open source LLMs cheaper than GPT-5?

Yes, dramatically. Open source LLMs cost 80-99% less than GPT-5 ($1.25/$10.00 per 1M tokens). Llama 3.1 8B ($0.10/$0.10) is 92% cheaper for input and 99% cheaper for output. Even the most expensive open source model, Mistral Large 3 ($0.50/$1.50), is 60% cheaper for input and 85% cheaper for output.

Open Source LLM Cost Calculator

Compare costs across Llama, DeepSeek, and Mistral — the top open source AI APIs. Find the cheapest model for your workload. From $0.10/1M tokens.

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vs GPT-5 savings -0%

All Open Source Models — Ranked by Cost

Every open source model compared with your current settings. Cheapest first.

Open Source vs Proprietary Models

See how much you save with open source vs commercial alternatives:

Model	Provider	Input/1M	Output/1M	Your Cost/Req	Savings vs GPT-5

Open Source LLM Pricing Explained

Open source LLMs offer 80-99% cost savings compared to proprietary models like GPT-5. The three main open source families are Meta Llama (via Together.ai), DeepSeek (direct API), and Mistral (direct API). All three support self-hosting, but managed APIs are more practical for most teams.

Best Open Source Model by Use Case

Cheapest overall: Llama 3.1 8B ($0.10/$0.10) — ultra-budget for simple tasks
Best value: Llama 4 Scout ($0.11/$0.34) — cheapest with 10M context
Best for code: DeepSeek V4 Pro ($0.44/$0.87) — strong coding performance
Best multilingual: Mistral Large 3 ($0.50/$1.50) — European language specialist
Best context window: Llama 4 Scout/Maverick (10M tokens) — largest available
Best quality: DeepSeek V4 Pro ($0.44/$0.87) — closest to GPT-5 quality

Self-Hosting vs Managed API

Managed API (Together.ai, DeepSeek, Mistral) is best for teams that want zero ops overhead and pay-as-you-go pricing. Self-hosting eliminates per-token costs but requires GPU infrastructure ($0.50-$3/hour for A100/H100). Break-even is typically 500K-1M+ requests/day. For most startups and SMBs, managed API is more cost-effective.

How to Choose Between Open Source Providers

Llama (via Together.ai): Best for teams wanting the cheapest Llama models with managed infrastructure. 10M context windows on Llama 4.
DeepSeek: Best for teams wanting the strongest open source quality. Direct API with competitive pricing.
Mistral: Best for European teams or multilingual workloads. EU data residency available.

How to Reduce Open Source LLM Costs

Route by complexity: Use Scout/8B for simple tasks, Maverick/Pro for complex reasoning. Saves 50%+.
Leverage large context windows: Include all context in one request instead of chunking.
Set token limits: Control output length with max_tokens to avoid verbose responses.
Batch requests: Process multiple items in a single prompt.
Self-host at scale: If you exceed 1M requests/day, self-hosting reduces costs to GPU rental only.

Related Tools

Llama API Cost Calculator — Full Llama pricing breakdown
DeepSeek API Cost Calculator — DeepSeek pricing
Mistral API Cost Calculator — Mistral pricing
Open Source vs Commercial LLM — Head-to-head comparison
Cheapest AI API Finder — Find the absolute cheapest API
Cost Optimizer — Get a personalized optimization report

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Open Source vs Commercial LLM →