Choosing an AI model is not just about quality – it is about total cost over time.

Most LLM providers price their APIs per input and output tokens. To compare models fairly, you should:

1. Estimate how many requests your product will make per month.
2. Estimate average input and output token counts per request.
3. Multiply by the provider’s per‑token prices, then compare monthly totals, not just price per 1M tokens.

Static comparison sites like TopAIModels help you quickly spot the cheapest options, but always confirm pricing in the official docs before going to production.