openai token cost calculator
DeepSeek vs OpenAI for RAG Cost
DeepSeek vs OpenAI for RAG cost must include embeddings, retrieval volume, and generation. This brief focuses on the generation-side vendor choice and links to the RAG Cost Estimator for the full stack envelope.
Last checked 2026-08-16
Editorial note
This brief models deepseek-chat and gpt-4o-mini and gpt-4o on the same workload so finance and engineering can argue from one spreadsheet row. List prices change; the point is relative ordering and sensitivity to output length. Pair the mini calculator below with your own prompt logs, then export a fuller scenario from the LLM Cost Calculator before you commit spend. Updated 2026-08-16.
- Retrieval size usually dwarfs the user question.
- Try multiple context sizes in the calculator.
- Premium GPT-4o may be reserved for final synthesis only.
- Re-run after prompt changes — output length shifts monthly $ fast.
Do not ignore embedding spend
Corpus re-embeds and per-query embedding can rival chat generation when documents are large or refresh often. Run RAG Cost Estimator with your chunk sizes before declaring a winner.
Generation choice
Once retrieval is fixed, compare DeepSeek and OpenAI generators on the same top-K context length. Longer contexts amplify input token cost even when output is short.
How OmniKit estimates these costs
OmniKit tokenizes representative prompts locally when possible and multiplies by versioned list prices (per million input/output tokens). Traffic is modeled from requests per second and days per month so you can compare vendors on the same workload. Cache write fees, batch multipliers, and enterprise discounts are not assumed unless you set them in the related savings tools.
Use this page for directional planning, then confirm with your provider invoice and a quality eval on your domain. For a full planning path, see the LLM cost planning guide. Last verified against catalog v2026-09-11 (page checked 2026-08-16).
Sources
Vendor list pages can change without notice. OmniKit’s calculator uses a dated catalog; these links are the public originals.
- OpenAI API pricing · checked 2026-09-11
- Anthropic Claude API pricing · checked 2026-09-11
- Google Gemini developer pricing · checked 2026-09-11
- DeepSeek API pricing · checked 2026-09-11
FAQ
Should embeddings be included?
Track them separately; this tool prices chat/completion tokens.
How many chunks is too many?
When incremental answer quality flattens — measure with evals, then price the token cliff.
Which OpenAI SKU for RAG?
Many teams draft on mini and escalate hard queries to GPT-4o.
Can I mix vendors for embed vs generate?
Yes. Many stacks embed with one provider and generate with another — model each line separately.
Related comparisons
Go deeper in the full calculator
Add more models, tune prompts, and export CSV for finance reviews.
Open LLM Cost Calculator