Cheapest frontier-class LLMs
Claude Opus 5 is the cheapest option at $5.00 per million input tokens. Models scoring in the top tier on published intelligence benchmarks, ranked by price. This is the list for the question that actually matters: the least you can pay for frontier-level capability.
3 models qualify
Ranked by blended cost - input weighted 75%, output 25%.
| # | Model | Blended / 1M | Input / 1M | Output / 1M | Context | Capabilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Claude Opus 5 Anthropic | $10.00 | $5.00 | $25.00 | 1M | ReasoningToolsVision |
| 2 | GPT-6 Astra OpenAI | $20.00 | $10.00 | $50.00 | 1.1M | ReasoningToolsVision |
| 3 | Claude Fable 5.1 Anthropic | $20.00 | $10.00 | $50.00 | 1M | ReasoningToolsVision |
Frequently asked
What is the cheapest LLM for frontier-level capability?
Claude Opus 5 at $5.00 per million input tokens and $25.00 per million output tokens, with a 1M token context window.
How many models qualify for frontier-level capability?
3 of the 340 models tracked here meet the criteria for this list.
How much do prices vary within this category?
By roughly 2.0×, from Claude Opus 5 at the bottom to Claude Fable 5.1 at the top.