Groq vs OpenAI API: LLM API pricing compared
Updated 2026-11-06 · listed A to Z, not ranked
Groq runs its own LPU inference hardware and sells model access through GroqCloud, an OpenAI-compatible API billed per token (language models), per hour of audio (Whisper) or per character (text to speech).
OpenAI bills its API per token for text models, per token or per minute for voice and transcription, and per call for tools such as web search. Cached input is billed at a lower rate than fresh input.
Listed A to Z, from console.groq.com and openai.com. Every figure below is quoted from those pages.
- Main price table
- GPT OSS 120B (openai/gpt-oss-120b), GPT OSS 20B (openai/gpt-oss-20b), Llama 3.1 8B Instant, Llama 3.3 70B Versatile, Whisper Large V3, Whisper Large V3 Turbo
- Free option
- None in the published plan table
- Published prices
- GPT OSS 120B $0.15 in / $0.60 out per 1M tokens, GPT OSS 20B $0.075 / $0.30, Whisper Large V3 Turbo $0.04 per hour.
- Main price table
- GPT-6 Astra, GPT-6.1 Sol, GPT-6.1 Terra, GPT-6 Luna
- Free option
- None in the published plan table
- Published prices
- GPT-6 Astra, GPT-6.1 Sol and Terra, GPT-6 Luna per 1M tokens, plus image, realtime voice, transcription and web search.
How we checked: Prices quoted from each official pricing page: Groq checked Nov 9, 2026, OpenAI API checked Nov 9, 2026. Taxes, usage overages and promotions can change what you pay; confirm with each provider before you buy.
How they compare
- Main price table. Groq lists 6 entries (GPT OSS 120B (openai/gpt-oss-120b), GPT OSS 20B (openai/gpt-oss-20b), Llama 3.1 8B Instant, Llama 3.3 70B Versatile, Whisper Large V3, Whisper Large V3 Turbo); OpenAI API lists 4 (GPT-6 Astra, GPT-6.1 Sol, GPT-6.1 Terra, GPT-6 Luna).
- Free option. Groq: none in the published plan table. OpenAI API: none in the published plan table.
- How prices are quoted. Groq: “Production models”. OpenAI API: “Text models (per 1M tokens, standard context)”.
Groq plans and prices
| Model | Speed (tokens/sec) | Price | Context window |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT OSS 120B (openai/gpt-oss-120b) | ~500 | $0.15 input / $0.60 output per 1M tokens | 131,072 |
| GPT OSS 20B (openai/gpt-oss-20b) | ~1,000 | $0.075 input / $0.30 output per 1M tokens | 131,072 |
| Llama 3.1 8B Instant | ~560 | Enterprise: contact sales | 131,072 |
| Llama 3.3 70B Versatile | ~280 | Enterprise: contact sales | 131,072 |
| Whisper Large V3 | — | $0.111 per hour of audio | — |
| Whisper Large V3 Turbo | — | $0.04 per hour of audio | — |
Developer plan rate limits on the same page: GPT OSS 120B 250K tokens/min and 1K requests/min; Whisper Large V3 Turbo 400K audio seconds/hour.
| Model | Price |
|---|---|
| Qwen3.8 27B | $0.80 input / $4.00 output per 1M tokens |
| Safety GPT OSS 20B | $0.075 input / $0.30 output per 1M tokens |
| Canopy Labs Orpheus V1 English (TTS) | $22.00 per 1M characters |
| Canopy Labs Orpheus Arabic Saudi (TTS) | $40.00 per 1M characters |
| Llama Prompt Guard 2 22M / 86M | $0.03 / $0.04 per 1M tokens (input and output) |
Groq says preview models may be discontinued at short notice and should not be used in production.
From console.groq.com, checked Nov 9, 2026. Full breakdown: Groq pricing.
OpenAI API plans and prices
| Model | Input | Cached input | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-6 Astra | $10.00 | $1.00 | $50.00 |
| GPT-6.1 Sol | $2.00 | $0.10 | $10.00 |
| GPT-6.1 Terra | $1.00 | $0.05 | $5.00 |
| GPT-6 Luna | $0.10 | $0.01 | $0.50 |
| Model | Price |
|---|---|
| GPT-Live-1 | $0.05 per minute |
| GPT-Realtime-2.1 (audio) | $32 input / $0.40 cached / $64 output per 1M tokens |
| GPT-Realtime-2.1 (text) | $4 / $0.40 / $24 per 1M tokens |
| GPT-Realtime-2.1 mini (audio) | $10 / $0.30 / $20 per 1M tokens |
| GPT-Realtime-2.1 mini (text) | $0.60 / $0.06 / $2.40 per 1M tokens |
| GPT-Live-Transcribe | $0.017 per minute |
| GPT-Transcribe | $0.0045 per minute |
| GPT-Realtime-Translate | $0.034 per minute |
From openai.com, checked Nov 9, 2026. Full breakdown: OpenAI API pricing.
FAQ
How much does Groq cost?
GPT OSS 120B $0.15 in / $0.60 out per 1M tokens, GPT OSS 20B $0.075 / $0.30, Whisper Large V3 Turbo $0.04 per hour. (checked Nov 9, 2026).
How much does OpenAI API cost?
GPT-6 Astra, GPT-6.1 Sol and Terra, GPT-6 Luna per 1M tokens, plus image, realtime voice, transcription and web search. (checked Nov 9, 2026).
Do Groq and OpenAI API have a free option?
Groq: none in the published plan table. OpenAI API: none in the published plan table.
Where do these prices come from?
Each vendor's own pricing page: console.groq.com (checked Nov 9, 2026) and openai.com (checked Nov 9, 2026). Prices change; confirm on the vendor's page before you buy.
Sources (official pages, read 2026-11-06)
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