API cost decision in 10 seconds

Aion-3.0 vs GPT-5.5 (batch)

Pick Aion-3.0 for lower cost; pick GPT-5.5 (batch) only if the larger context window matters more.

Page updated: 2026-08-06T14:08:16Z Data confirmed: 2026-08-23T12:07:48Z Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output

Budget verdict

Pick Aion-3.0 for lower cost; pick GPT-5.5 (batch) only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Aion-3.0 is estimated at $6 vs $10 for GPT-5.5 (batch), saving $4 (40% lower).

Cost-first pickAion-3.0

Context-first pickGPT-5.5 (batch)

Sample savings$440%

10x traffic gap$40

GPT-5.5 (batch) has more context, but Aion-3.0 saves $4 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $40. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

Aion-3.0 stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shape	Token mix	Better pick	Aion-3.0	GPT-5.5 (batch)
Input-heavy / RAG	5M input + 500K output	Aion-3.0	$18	$20
Balanced workload	1M input + 1M output	Aion-3.0	$9	$17.5
Output-heavy chatbot	1M input + 5M output	Aion-3.0	$33	$77.5

Cheaper input GPT-5.5 (batch) $3 vs $2.5 / 1M

GPT-5.5 (batch) is $0.5 cheaper per 1M input tokens (16.7% lower; 1.2x difference).

Cheaper output Aion-3.0 $6 vs $15 / 1M

Aion-3.0 is $9 cheaper per 1M output tokens (60% lower; 2.5x difference).

Larger context GPT-5.5 (batch) 131.07K vs 1.05M

GPT-5.5 (batch) has 918.93K more context (8.01x larger).

Sample workload Aion-3.0 $6 vs $10

Aion-3.0 is $4 cheaper on the standard workload (40% lower).

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.

Monthly input tokens Monthly output tokens

Aion-3.0 Calculating… Estimated API cost

GPT-5.5 (batch) Calculating… Estimated API cost

Cheaper for this workload Calculating… Difference: calculating…

This estimate uses normalized public API pricing per 1M tokens. It is a planning aid, not a billing quote. Verify provider pricing, limits, and terms before production use.

Quick Decision

Verdict

GPT-5.5 (batch) has the lower input price; Aion-3.0 has the lower output price; GPT-5.5 (batch) offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Aion-3.0 is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $6 for Aion-3.0 and $10 for GPT-5.5 (batch).

Best Fit

Choose Aion-3.0 when you care most about lower output-token price.

Choose GPT-5.5 (batch) when you care most about lower input-token price, and larger context window.

Decision Notes

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Aion-3.0 is estimated at $6 vs $10 for GPT-5.5 (batch), saving $4 (40% lower).
Aion-3.0 is $4 cheaper on the standard workload (40% lower).
GPT-5.5 (batch) is $0.5 cheaper per 1M input tokens (16.7% lower; 1.2x difference).
Aion-3.0 is $9 cheaper per 1M output tokens (60% lower; 2.5x difference).
GPT-5.5 (batch) has 918.93K more context (8.01x larger).

Head-to-Head Specs

Feature	Aion-3.0 (AionLabs)	GPT-5.5 (batch) (OpenAI)
Input Price prompt tokens per 1M	$3	$2.5
Completion Price per 1M tokens	$6	$15
Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output	$6	$10
Context Window	131.07K	1.05M
Release Date	2026-07-07	2026-04-24

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use case	Better pick	Why
Budget-constrained production	Aion-3.0	On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Aion-3.0 is estimated at $6 vs $10 for GPT-5.5 (batch), saving $4 (40% lower).
High-volume input processing	GPT-5.5 (batch)	Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbots	Aion-3.0	Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document work	GPT-5.5 (batch)	A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

Same-provider lower-cost swaps

Aion-3.0-Mini can replace Aion-3.0 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $1.4.
Aion-1.0-Mini can replace Aion-3.0 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $1.4.
Aion-2.0 can replace Aion-3.0 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $1.6.
Aion-RP 1.0 (8B) can replace Aion-3.0 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $1.6.

Larger context near this budget

Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent offers 2M context with $2.5 sample workload cost.
Grok 4.20 offers 2M context with $2.5 sample workload cost.
DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 offers 1.31M context with $0.17 sample workload cost.
DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest offers 1.31M context with $0.11 sample workload cost.

Popular competitors

DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 · DeepSeek · #1
MiMo-V2.5 · Xiaomi · #2
Hy3 · Tencent · #3
Ox Alpha · stealth · #4

Cheaper alternatives

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Larger context alternatives

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Provider catalogs

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AionLabs catalog

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OpenAI catalog

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Aion-3.0

Aion-3.0 is a multi-model roleplaying and storytelling system from AionLabs, built on the GLM family of models. It uses a collaborative generation process in which multiple specialized models each contribute...

GPT-5.5 (batch)

GPT-5.5 is OpenAI’s frontier model designed for complex professional workloads, building on GPT-5.4 with stronger reasoning, higher reliability, and improved token efficiency on hard tasks. It features a 1M+ token...