How Much does GPT-4o cost? Everything you need to know

​OpenAI‘s GPT 4o represents a significant advancement in artificial intelligence, offering enhanced capabilities across text, vision, and multimodal tasks. Understanding the cost structure of GPT-4o is crucial for developers and businesses aiming to integrate this model into their applications. This article provides a comprehensive overview of GPT-4o’s pricing, subscription plans, and strategies for cost optimization.

What is GPT-4o?

GPT 4o is OpenAI’s latest AI model, designed to deliver high performance in text generation, image processing, and multimodal reasoning. It boasts a 128K token context window and supports multiple modalities, including text and vision, with plans to incorporate audio and video inputs and outputs in the future. The model’s knowledge base is current up to October 2023.

OpenAI’s GPT 4o has recently undergone significant updates, notably enhancing its image generation capabilities. In late March 2025, OpenAI introduced a feature that allows users to create images directly within ChatGPT, powered by the GPT 4o model. This update has led to a surge in popularity, particularly for generating Studio Ghibli-style images, resulting in record-breaking user engagement.

GPT-4o’s pricing structure

GPT-4o charges based on the number of tokens processed, which are divided into input tokens and output tokens. There is also special pricing for cached input tokens and audio processing.

• Input Tokens Input tokens are the text or audio data you send to the model for processing. The cost varies depending on whether you use standard input tokens or cached input tokens.
• Output Tokens Output tokens are the responses generated by GPT 4o. Pricing varies based on the amount and type of generated content.
• Cached Input Tokens Cached input tokens are cheaper because they refer to previously processed input data, which reduces the computational burden.
• Audio Input and Output For audio-related applications, GPT 4o provides special pricing for input and output tokens in audio format.

What Pricing Models Are Available for GPT-4o Users?

OpenAI has structured GPT 4o’s accessibility through various subscription tiers and API pricing to cater to different user needs.

Subscription Tiers

• ChatGPT Plus: Priced at $20 per month, this tier offers users access to GPT-4o’s advanced features, including enhanced image generation capabilities.
• ChatGPT Pro: At $200 per month, this tier provides comprehensive access to all of GPT-4o’s functionalities, including priority access during peak times and extended usage limits.
• Free Access: OpenAI has made certain features of GPT-4o available to free users with limitations. For instance, free users can generate up to three images per day.

API Pricing

For developers and businesses integrating GPT 4o into their applications, OpenAI offers API access with the following pricing:

• GPT-4o: $2.50 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens.
• GPT-4o Mini: A cost-effective variant priced at $0.15 per million input tokens and $0.60 per million output tokens, making it suitable for applications requiring high-volume API calls.

These pricing structures are designed to accommodate a range of users, from individual enthusiasts to large enterprises.

Introduction of GPT-4o Mini

In July 2024, OpenAI introduced GPT 4o Mini, a streamlined version of GPT 4o designed to be more cost-efficient while maintaining robust performance:

• Pricing:
• Input Tokens: $0.15 per million tokens
• Output Tokens: $0.60 per million tokens

Factors Influencing GPT-4o API Costs

Several factors can impact the overall cost of using the GPT-4o API:

1. Input Length: Longer prompts consume more tokens, increasing costs.​
2. Output Length: Generating longer responses uses more tokens.​
3. Request Frequency: Higher volumes of API calls lead to increased token usage.​
4. Task Complexity: More complex tasks may require longer inputs and outputs, affecting token consumption.​
5. Fine-Tuning: Custom fine-tuned models based on GPT 4o may have different pricing structures.​
6. Multimodal Usage: Incorporating image analysis may have additional costs associated with processing visual data. ​

Strategies for Optimizing GPT-4o API Usage

To manage and reduce costs effectively, consider implementing the following strategies:

1. Efficient Prompting: Craft clear, concise prompts to minimize input tokens while achieving desired outputs.​
2. Output Management: Set appropriate maximum token limits for responses to control costs.​
3. Caching: Implement caching mechanisms for frequently requested information to reduce API calls.​
4. Batching: Batch multiple requests into a single API call to reduce overhead.​
5. Preprocessing: Clean and preprocess input data to remove unnecessary information before sending it to the API.​
6. Model Selection: For simpler tasks, consider using less expensive models like GPT 4o Mini when full GPT-4o capabilities aren’t required.​
7. Monitoring and Analytics: Regularly analyze your API usage to identify optimization opportunities and track costs. ​

Comparing GPT-4o with Other AI Models

Understanding how GPT-4o stacks up against other models can inform decisions about its adoption:

Access GPT-4o API in CometAPI:

CometAPI provides access to over 500 AI models, including open-source and specialized multimodal models for chat, images, code, and more. Its primary strength lies in simplifying the traditionally complex process of AI integration. With it, access to leading AI tools like Claude, OpenAI, Deepseek, and Gemini is available through a single, unified subscription.

You can use the API in CometAPI to create music and artwork, generate videos, and build your own workflows. CometAPI offer a price far lower than the official price to help you integrate GPT-4o API (model name： gpt-4o-all), and you will get $1 in your account after registering and logging in! Welcome to register and experience CometAPI.CometAPI pays as you go,GPT-4o API in CometAPI Pricing is structured as follows:

• Input Tokens: $2 / M tokens
• Output Tokens: $8 / M tokens

Please refer to GPT-4o API and GPT-4.5 API for integration details.

Conclusion

OpenAI’s GPT 4o offers a range of pricing options to accommodate diverse user needs, from individual enthusiasts to large enterprises. With ongoing efforts to enhance cost efficiency and address environmental concerns, GPT 4o remains a compelling choice for those seeking advanced AI capabilities.