GPT-6 Astra API Pricing: $10/$50 per 1M, the 272K Repricing Rule, and a 1.05M-Token Context
GPT-6 Astra price, in one paragraph
GPT-6 Astra API pricing is $10 per 1M input tokens and $50 per 1M output tokens on the standard tier, with cached input at $1 per 1M and cache writes at $12.50 per 1M. The cost twist is the context threshold: prompts with more than 272K input tokens are repriced for the entire request at 2x the input and cache rates and 1.5x the output rate — $20 input / $75 output / $2 cached / $25 cache writes per 1M. GPT-6 Astra carries a 1,050,000-token context window (922K max input, 128K max output), which is exactly why the 272K rule matters: this is OpenAI's first model where a single prompt can cross the threshold many times over. It is now a selectable strategy in the AI Agency Pricing Calculator.
The full GPT-6 Astra rate card (re-verified Sept 4, 2026)
All figures are USD per 1M tokens from OpenAI's official model page (gpt-6-astra) and pricing page. "Standard" is the default tier; Batch and Flex are priced at 50% of Standard; Fast mode is 2x the applicable rates.
| Tier | Input | Cached input | Cache writes | Output |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard — up to 272K input tokens | $10.00 | $1.00 | $12.50 | $50.00 |
| Standard — over 272K input tokens | $20.00 | $2.00 | $25.00 | $75.00 |
| Batch / Flex — up to 272K | $5.00 | $0.50 | $6.25 | $25.00 |
| Batch / Flex — over 272K | $10.00 | $1.00 | $12.50 | $37.50 |
| Fast mode — up to 272K | $20.00 | $2.00 | $25.00 | $100.00 |
| Fast mode — over 272K | $40.00 | $4.00 | $50.00 | $150.00 |
Reasoning tokens bill at output rates, so a max-effort Astra run can burn output tokens well beyond the visible answer. Cache writes are billed at 1.25x the uncached input rate, so a prefix you cache but reuse only once is more expensive than fresh input — caching pays only after roughly two reads.
The 272K rule: input doubles, output goes 1.5x — for the whole request
OpenAI's model documentation states it precisely: "Prompts with more than 272K input tokens are priced at 2x input and cache rates and 1.5x output for the full request." Three consequences for agency cost math:
- The threshold is on input tokens, and it reprices everything. Once a prompt exceeds 272K input tokens, the entire request — including the output — bills at the long-context rates, not just the tokens past the threshold.
- Output is 1.5x, not 2x. The "$10/$50 doubles past 272K" shorthand is wrong on output: the verified long-context output rate is $75 per 1M, not $100. Input and cache genuinely double ($10→$20, $1→$2); output rises 50%.
- 1.05M context makes this a real cost cliff, not a footnote. GPT-6 Astra's 922K max input is 3.4x the 272K threshold. Long-document agents, codebase-scale analysis, and research runs that load large contexts can land entirely in the repriced band.
Model details and availability
GPT-6 Astra (gpt-6-astra, default snapshot gpt-6-astra) is OpenAI's most capable model, built for the hardest end-to-end work — complex reasoning, coding, computer use, research, and document creation. It supports text and image input with text output, reasoning.effort from low through max, a 1,050,000-token context window, a 922,000-token maximum input, and a 128,000-token maximum output (knowledge cutoff Apr 30, 2026). It works through Chat Completions, Responses, and Batch APIs (no Realtime, no Assistants, no fine-tuning yet), with prompt caching, structured outputs, function calling, file search, web search, and computer-use tools.
Availability (updated Sept 4, 2026): GPT-6 Astra launched Sept 3, 2026 with first access for enterprises in OpenAI's Trusted Access Program — including organizations in the Daybreak Access cybersecurity program. On Sept 4, OpenAI's developer account confirmed GPT-6 Astra is available in the OpenAI API and in ChatGPT Work and Codex for all Pro, Enterprise, and Business Premium users; the model is documented for the Responses and Chat Completions APIs, and it began appearing in the ChatGPT model picker — as GPT-6 Pro — on Pro and Business plans, with Enterprise access controlled by workspace admins. OpenAI executive Tibor Sottiaux says Pro and Business subscriptions get Astra first in Work/Codex, with Plus chat access to follow. Astra usage is included within existing subscription allowances, and users and businesses can purchase credits for additional usage. (Work and Codex bill Astra against a separate token-based credit meter — 250 credits per 1M input tokens, 25 per 1M cached input, and 1,250 per 1M output tokens; Fast mode runs 2.5x the standard credit rate, versus 2x in the API. Codex CLI users need version 0.153.0 or newer.)
Astra Pro (the higher Work/Codex tier): Users on Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans also get access to GPT-6 Astra Pro — a higher Astra tier for ChatGPT Work and Codex, priced separately in Work/Codex credits on top of the included allowance. Enterprise administrators can enable Astra for their workspace; access is off by default at launch. OpenAI calls GPT-6 Astra its first model to reach the Critical level of cybersecurity capability under its Preparedness Framework, and it is positioned as a computer-use flagship — "Anything you can do on a computer, Astra can do for you."
What GPT-6 Astra costs per task (worked examples)
The pricing headline understates the real cost question: most agency tasks stay under 272K input tokens, but GPT-6 Astra's reason to exist is the long, tool-driven runs that don't. Two worked examples on official rates:
| Workload | GPT-6 Astra | GPT-5.6 Sol (promo $4/$20) | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10K-in / 2K-out task (sub-272K) | ~$0.20 ($0.10 in + $0.10 out) | ~$0.08 ($0.04 in + $0.04 out) | Astra ~2.5x Sol |
| 300K-in / 5K-out run (past 272K → full request repriced) | ~$6.375 ($6.00 in at $20/1M + $0.375 out at $75/1M) | n/a below — Sol long-context input bills $8/1M → ~$2.50 | ~2.5x Sol; ~2x Astra's own sub-272K price for the same tokens |
The second row is the number to internalize: the same 300K-in / 5K-out request priced at sub-272K rates would cost about $3.25 ($3.00 in at $10/1M + $0.25 out at $50/1M). Crossing 272K pushes it to $6.375 ($6.00 in at $20/1M + $0.375 out at $75/1M) — the input line doubles while the output line rises 50%, a ~96% bill increase on the same tokens. For a fleet of long-context agents, that is a cliff driven entirely by the threshold, which is why the calculator models the sub-272K and above-272K bands separately. (Long-context rates for GPT-5.6 Sol per OpenAI's pricing page: $8 input / $30 output per 1M; illustrative math only — verify before quoting.)
What agencies should do with the GPT-6 Astra price
- Quote Astra only where the capability is worth the premium. At 2.5x Sol's promo on both axes, GPT-6 Astra is a top-tier flagship price. Route short, well-scoped tasks to Sol, mid-tier models, or open-weight APIs; save Astra for computer-use, long-horizon research, and hardest-end-to-end work.
- Budget the 272K cliff explicitly. For any workload that can exceed 272K input tokens, compute the repriced band ($20/$75) — not the headline $10/$50. A retainer priced on standard rates will be underquoted by ~90% on that class of request.
- Cache deliberately. At $1/1M cached input vs $12.50/1M cache writes, a cache prefix needs at least two reads to pay. Reused system prompts and shared context are the win; one-shot writes are a loss.
- Confirm which surface your client actually has before promising delivery. Astra is live in the API and in Work/Codex for Pro, Enterprise, and Business Premium (Sept 4), but access still varies: Enterprise is off by default until an admin enables Astra for the workspace, Plus chat access has not started yet, and Plus/Business Standard accounts get only limited Work/Codex usage (with optional purchased credits). Quote Astra-only stacks only after the target account can actually reach the model.
- Model it in the calculator. GPT-6 Astra is a selectable Model Strategy on the AI Agency Pricing Calculator — the GPT-6 Astra scenario shows sub-272K vs above-272K cost math using OpenAI's exact repricing rule.
Sources
- OpenAI developer docs — GPT-6 Astra model page (model ID, context window, max input/output, pricing note, endpoints, tools): developers.openai.com/api/docs/models/gpt-6-astra
- OpenAI developer docs — pricing page (Standard/Batch/Flex/Fast tables incl. gpt-6-astra long-context rates): developers.openai.com/api/docs/pricing
- OpenAI — safety overview for GPT-6 Astra (Critical-tier cyber capability, rollout framing): openai.com/index/safety-overview-gpt-6-astra
- OpenAI X post (Sept 3, 2026 launch announcement): x.com/OpenAI/status/2095968413646737608
- OpenAI developer account (Sept 4, 2026) — "available in the API and in ChatGPT Work and Codex for all Pro, Enterprise, and Business Premium users," via HuggingNews roundup: huggingnews.com — OpenAI Extends GPT-6 Astra to API, ChatGPT Work and Codex for Pro, Enterprise and Business Premium Users
- 9to5Mac (Sept 4, 2026) — ChatGPT/Codex upgrade details; OpenAI quote on GPT-6 Astra Pro and Enterprise off-by-default: 9to5mac.com
- kingy.ai (Sept 4, 2026) — GPT-6 Astra access matrix, plan entitlements, Work/Codex credit rates: kingy.ai/news/gpt-6-astra-access-chatgpt-api-daybreak
- Coverage used for context only (not pricing): CNBC (Sept 3, 2026), VentureBeat, WIRED
Accuracy note: All token prices, the 272K repricing rule, cache-write rate, context window (1,050,000), max input (922,000), and max output (128,000) verified against OpenAI's official model documentation and pricing page on Sept 3, 2026 and re-verified Sept 4, 2026. Batch/Flex = 50% of Standard and Fast mode = 2x per the same pricing page. Availability and Astra Pro tier per OpenAI's developer account (Sept 4, 2026) as relayed by HuggingNews, OpenAI's statement quoted in 9to5Mac (Sept 4, 2026), and kingy.ai's Sept 4 access matrix (Work/Codex credit rates: 250/25/1,250 per 1M tokens; Fast 2.5x in Work/Codex; Codex CLI 0.153.0+). Note: press coverage commonly rounds Astra's 1,050,000-token context to "about 1.1M tokens"; OpenAI's official figure is 1,050,000. No benchmark scores are asserted on this page — pricing and availability only. 2026 API pricing moves quickly; re-verify OpenAI's pricing page before quoting.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does GPT-6 Astra cost per 1M tokens?
$10 per 1M input / $50 per 1M output / $1 cached input / $12.50 cache writes on the standard tier (≤272K input). Batch and Flex are 50% of standard; Fast mode is 2x.
Does GPT-6 Astra pricing double past 272K tokens?
Input and cache rates double ($10→$20, $1→$2) but output goes 1.5x ($50→$75) — and the whole request is repriced once the 272K input threshold is crossed. The "$10/$50 doubles" shorthand is wrong on output.
What is the GPT-6 Astra context window?
1,050,000 tokens per OpenAI's official model docs (922K max input, 128K max output). Press coverage commonly rounds it to about 1.1M tokens.
When is GPT-6 Astra available?
GPT-6 Astra is live in the OpenAI API and in ChatGPT Work and Codex as of Sept 4, 2026 — OpenAI's developer account confirmed availability for all Pro, Enterprise, and Business Premium users. It appears in the ChatGPT model picker as "GPT-6 Pro" and is showing up on Pro and Business plans first, with Plus chat access to follow. Enterprise admins control access for their workspace (off by default at launch). Astra usage is included in existing subscription allowances, with purchasable credits for more.
What is GPT-6 Astra Pro and who gets it?
GPT-6 Astra Pro is a higher Astra tier for ChatGPT Work and Codex. Users on Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans also get access to it, priced separately in Work/Codex credits on top of the included allowance. Enterprise administrators can enable Astra for their workspace — access is off by default at launch. Codex CLI users need version 0.153.0 or newer for Astra.
How does GPT-6 Astra compare to GPT-5.6 Sol on cost?
At standard rates Astra is 2.5x Sol's promotional $4/$20 on both axes (~$0.20 vs ~$0.08 on a 10K-in/2K-out task). Past 272K input the repricing rule widens the gap — the calculator models both bands.
Where does GPT-6 Astra show up in the pricing calculator?
It is a selectable Model Strategy on the homepage calculator, modeled as the premium OpenAI flagship tier, plus a GPT-6 Astra long-context scenario that applies the 272K repricing rule to sub- and above-272K workloads.