A Comparative Analysis of Top AI Models and Pricing in 2025
June 14, 2025•By LLM Hard Drive Store
ChatGPT-4o costGPT-4.5 Preview pricingClaude Opus 4 costDeepSeek-V3 pricingHunyuan Turbos pricingMistral Medium pricingAI model pricing trends 2025llm pricing 2025
The AI industry in 2025 is a dynamic and competitive space, with organizations like Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, and DeepSeek pushing the boundaries of innovation. To help businesses, developers, and enthusiasts make informed decisions, we’ve compiled a detailed comparison of 20 leading AI models based on their rank, organization, license, and pricing for input and output tokens. This analysis highlights key trends, cost considerations, and licensing models shaping the AI ecosystem.
Table of Top AI Models (June 2025)
Below is a ranked list of 20 AI models, showcasing their organization, license type, and pricing per million tokens for input and output:
| Rank | Model | Organization | License | Input Price ($/M Tokens) | Output Price ($/M Tokens) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 06-05 | Proprietary | $1.25 | $10.00 | |
| 2 | OpenAI o3 2025-04-16 | OpenAI | Proprietary | $2.00 | $8.00 |
| 3 | Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 | Proprietary | $1.25 | $10.00 | |
| 4 | ChatGPT-4o Latest 20250326 | OpenAI | Proprietary | $2.50 | $10.00 |
| 5 | GPT-4.5 Preview 2025-02-27 | OpenAI | Proprietary | $75.00 | $150.00 |
| 6 | Claude Opus 4 20250514 | Anthropic | Proprietary | $15.00 | $75.00 |
| 7 | Gemini 2.5 Flash Preview 05-20 | Proprietary | $0.15 | $0.60 (w/ thinking $3.50) | |
| 8 | GPT-4.1 2025-04-14 | OpenAI | Proprietary | $3.00 | $12.00 |
| 9 | Grok-3 Preview 02-24 | xAI | Proprietary | $3.00 | $15.00 |
| 10 | Gemini 2.5 Flash Preview 04-17 | Proprietary | $0.15 | $0.60 (w/ thinking $3.50) | |
| 11 | Claude Sonnet 4 20250514 | Anthropic | Proprietary | $3.00 | $15.00 |
| 12 | OpenAI o4-mini 2025-04-16 | OpenAI | Proprietary | $4.00 | $16.00 |
| 13 | DeepSeek-V3 0324 | DeepSeek | MIT | $0.27 | $1.10 |
| 14 | OpenAI o1 2024-12-17 | OpenAI | Proprietary | $15.00 | $60.00 |
| 15 | DeepSeek-R1 | DeepSeek | MIT | $0.55 | $2.19 |
| 16 | OpenAI o1-preview | OpenAI | Proprietary | $15.00 | $60.00 |
| 17 | Mistral Medium 2505 | Mistral | Proprietary | $0.40 | $2.00 |
| 18 | GPT-4.1 Mini 2025-04-14 | OpenAI | Proprietary | $0.80 | $3.20 |
| 19 | Hunyuan Turbos 20250416 | Tencent | Proprietary | $0.11 | $0.28 |
| 20 | Claude 3.7 Sonnet 20250219 | Anthropic | Proprietary | $3.00 | $15.00 |
Key Insights and Trends
1. Pricing Variability Across Models
- Budget-Friendly Options: Tencent’s Hunyuan Turbos ($0.11 input, $0.28 output) and Google’s Gemini 2.5 Flash Preview ($0.15 input, $0.60 output) offer the lowest prices, ideal for high-volume applications like chatbots or lightweight tasks.
- Premium Models: OpenAI’s GPT-4.5 Preview stands out with the highest pricing at $75.00 for input and $150.00 for output, likely reflecting advanced capabilities for specialized use cases such as complex reasoning or enterprise-grade tasks.
- Thinking Mode Costs: Google’s Gemini 2.5 Flash Preview models include a “thinking” mode that increases output costs to $3.50 per million tokens, suggesting enhanced processing for tasks requiring deeper analysis.
2. Dominance of Proprietary Licenses
- The vast majority (18 out of 20) of models use proprietary licenses, indicating tight control over intellectual property and usage by organizations like Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI.
- Open-Source Exception: DeepSeek’s V3 and R1 models are licensed under MIT, offering flexibility for developers to modify and integrate these models into custom applications. Their low pricing ($0.27–$0.55 input, $1.10–$2.19 output) makes them attractive for open-source enthusiasts.
3. Organizational Leaders
- OpenAI’s Strong Presence: OpenAI dominates with seven models in the top 20, including o3, ChatGPT-4o, and GPT-4.5 Preview. Their pricing spans a wide range, catering to both cost-conscious users (GPT-4.1 Mini at $0.80 input) and those needing premium performance (GPT-4.5 Preview).
- Google’s Competitive Edge: Google’s Gemini 2.5 series, particularly the Flash Preview models, offers some of the lowest prices, positioning them as strong contenders for scalable applications.
- Anthropic’s Niche: Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4 and Sonnet models target high-end use cases, with pricing reflecting their focus on safety and advanced conversational abilities.
- Emerging Players: DeepSeek and Tencent provide cost-effective alternatives, while xAI’s Grok-3 Preview and Mistral’s Mistral Medium indicate growing competition from newer entrants.
4. Input vs. Output Disparity
- Output prices are consistently higher than input prices, often by a factor of 4–5, reflecting the computational intensity of generating responses. For example, Claude Opus 4 charges $15.00 for input but $75.00 for output, a 5x increase.
- This pricing structure suggests that applications with high output demands (e.g., content generation) will face significantly higher costs than those focused on processing input data (e.g., data analysis).
Choosing the Right Model for Your Needs
When selecting an AI model, consider the following factors based on your specific requirements:
- Cost Constraints: For startups or high-volume applications, Hunyuan Turbos, Gemini 2.5 Flash, or DeepSeek-V3 offer low-cost options. For premium performance, GPT-4.5 Preview or Claude Opus 4 may justify their higher costs for complex tasks.
- Licensing Preferences: If open-source is a priority, DeepSeek’s MIT-licensed models are the best choice. For proprietary models, ensure compliance with usage terms aligns with your project’s goals.
- Use Case: Lightweight models like GPT-4.1 Mini or Mistral Medium suit basic chat or automation tasks, while Gemini 2.5 Pro or OpenAI o3 excel in advanced reasoning and Grok-3 may cater to enterprise needs.
- Scalability: Models with flexible pricing (Gemini Flash’s thinking mode) or lower output costs (DeepSeek-V3) are ideal for scaling applications with variable workloads.
Conclusion
The AI model landscape in 2025 is diverse, offering a range of options tailored to different budgets, use cases, and licensing preferences. Google and OpenAI continue to lead with innovative and varied offerings, while Anthropic, DeepSeek, and xAI add valuable competition. By understanding the pricing structures, licensing models, and organizational strengths outlined in this table, you can make an informed choice that balances cost, flexibility, and performance.