OpenAI Announces Dramatic 87% Price Drop for Flagship Reasoning Model Outputs During Transition to o3
What happened
Between the Apr 1, 2025 and Jul 6, 2025 captures of OpenAI's pricing page, Pulse recorded 8 changes: Flagship reasoning model output price decreased from $60.00 to $8.00 per 1M tokens (87% decrease) during OpenAI o1→o3 transition; Flagship reasoning model input price decreased from $15.00 to $2.00 per 1M tokens (87% decrease) during OpenAI o1→o3 transition; Small GPT model output price increased from $0.600 to $1.60 per 1M tokens (167% increase) during GPT-4o mini→GPT-4.1 mini transition; Primary GPT model output price decreased from $10.00 to $8.00 per 1M tokens (20% decrease) during GPT-4o→GPT-4.1 transition; GPT-4.1 nano introduced as new ultra-low-cost model priced at $0.100 input / $0.400 output per 1M tokens, optimized for low-latency tasks; Small GPT model input price increased from $0.150 to $0.40 per 1M tokens (167% increase) during GPT-4o mini→GPT-4.1 mini transition; Primary GPT model input price decreased from $2.50 to $2.00 per 1M tokens (20% decrease) during GPT-4o→GPT-4.1 transition; Image Generation API (GPT-image-1) introduced with text input $5.00/1M tokens, image input $10.00/1M tokens, and image output $40.00/1M tokens. Pulse files it as a pricing change (price decrease, price increase, new plan, new add-on) with a neutral direction. Pulse's latest capture (Oct 18, 2026) lists Go at $8, Plus at $20, Business at $20 and Pro at $100.
OpenAI's previous recorded change was "OpenAI Introduces Tiered Pricing for Web Search Tool Calls, Impacting GPT-4o and GPT-4o Mini Rates" (Mar 2025). OpenAI has been tracked since 2023-11-14.
In the same window Metabase and Anthropic also changed their AI & Machine Learning pricing pages. Those moves are listed further down, and the Pulse Agent can compare them side by side.
- — · Price−87%$60.00$8.00
- — · Price−87%$15.00$2.00
- — · Price+167%$0.600$1.60
- — · Price−20%$10.00$8.00
- — · PlanAddedNo GPT-4.1 nanoGPT-4.1 nano
- — · Price+167%$0.150$0.40
- — · Price−20%$2.50$2.00
- — · Add-onNew add-on
Image Generation API (GPT-image-1) introduced with text input $5.00/1M tokens, image input $10.00/1M tokens, and image output $40.00/1M tokens
| Plan | Field | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Price | $60.00 | $8.00 | −87% |
| — | Price | $15.00 | $2.00 | −87% |
| — | Price | $0.600 | $1.60 | +167% |
| — | Price | $10.00 | $8.00 | −20% |
| — | Plan | No GPT-4.1 nano | GPT-4.1 nano | Added |
| — | Price | $0.150 | $0.40 | +167% |
| — | Price | $2.50 | $2.00 | −20% |
| — | Add-on | Image Generation API (GPT-image-1) introduced with text input $5.00/1M tokens, image input $10.00/1M tokens, and image output $40.00/1M tokens | New add-on | |
Values as written on OpenAI's public pricing page in the two captures Pulse compared; where the page states no number, the cells give the wording before and after.
Evidence
The two captures Pulse comparedFull-page captures of OpenAI's pricing page (openai.com) from Apr 1, 2025 and Jul 6, 2025; the change is marked near the top of the page, where price reads $60.00 and then $8.00.
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The two full-page captures with this change marked up are free with an account.
OpenAI, the last 90 days
Full history- Q4 2025packagingOpenAI Introduces New 'Go' Plan with Expanded Access to GPT-5.2 and Enhanced Features Between Free and Plus Tiers
- Jan 12, 2026packagingOpenAI API Implements 40% Price Increase for GPT-5.2 Output and Input Tokens, Renames GPT-5 to GPT-5.2
- Q3 2025packagingOpenAI API Introduces GPT-5 Mini and Nano Models with Significantly Lower Pricing, Enhancing Accessibility for Users
- Q2 2025packagingOpenAI Announces Dramatic 87% Price Drop for Flagship Reasoning Model Outputs During Transition to o3 · this change
- Mar 2025packagingOpenAI Introduces Tiered Pricing for Web Search Tool Calls, Impacting GPT-4o and GPT-4o Mini Rates
Across AI & Machine Learning in the same window
All AI & Machine Learning changes- MetabaseJan 12Metabase Introduces SCIM Account Provisioning for Pro and Enterprise Plans
- AnthropicJan 10Anthropic API Introduces Tiered Pricing and Prompt Caching for Sonnet 4.5, Restructuring Costs Based on Token Length
- MetabaseJan 12Metabase Unifies Pricing Structure with Monthly/Annual Toggle and 'Save 10%' Offer
- MetabaseJan 12Metabase Cuts Storage Add-On Pricing by 53% for 500K and 1M Rows, Now Just $35 and $70/Month
- MetabaseJan 12Metabase Raises Enterprise Plan Minimum Annual Price by 33% to $20k, Alongside Other Price Increases Across Plans and Add-ons
Questions about this change
Did OpenAI raise prices in July 2025?
No — prices went down. Between Apr 1, 2025 and Jul 6, 2025 OpenAI's pricing page showed 4 price cuts: $60.00 → $8.00 (−87%); $15.00 → $2.00 (−87%); $10.00 → $8.00 (−20%); $2.50 → $2.00 (−20%).
What changed on OpenAI's pricing page between Apr 1, 2025 and Jul 6, 2025?
Price: $60.00 → $8.00 (−87%); price: $15.00 → $2.00 (−87%); price: $0.600 → $1.60 (+167%); price: $10.00 → $8.00 (−20%); plan: No GPT-4.1 nano → GPT-4.1 nano, added; price: $0.150 → $0.40 (+167%); price: $2.50 → $2.00 (−20%); Image Generation API (GPT-image-1) introduced with text input $5.00/1M tokens, image input $10.00/1M tokens, and image output $40.00/1M tokens. Pulse compared the captures it took on Apr 1, 2025 and Jul 6, 2025; the before/after table above lists each item as written on the page.
How often does OpenAI change its pricing?
Pulse recorded 1 other pricing-page change for OpenAI in the 90 days before this one; the previous change was "OpenAI Introduces Tiered Pricing for Web Search Tool Calls, Impacting GPT-4o and GPT-4o Mini Rates" in Mar 2025; OpenAI has been tracked since 2023-11-14.