GPT-5.6 Luna is $0.05 cheaper per 1M input tokens (20% lower; 1.25x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
🔥GPT-5.6 Luna vs NewBeam 1.0 501B A23B
Pick Beam 1.0 501B A23B for lower cost; pick GPT-5.6 Luna only if the larger context window matters more.
Page updated:
Data confirmed:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick Beam 1.0 501B A23B for lower cost; pick GPT-5.6 Luna only if the larger context window matters more.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Beam 1.0 501B A23B is estimated at $0.75 vs $0.8 for GPT-5.6 Luna, saving $0.05 (6.3% lower).
Cost-first pickBeam 1.0 501B A23B
Context-first pickGPT-5.6 Luna
Sample savings$0.056.3%
10x traffic gap$0.5
GPT-5.6 Luna has more context, but Beam 1.0 501B A23B saves $0.05 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $0.5. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
Cost winner changes by workload shape: input-heavy / RAG favors GPT-5.6 Luna, balanced workload favors Beam 1.0 501B A23B, and output-heavy chatbot favors Beam 1.0 501B A23B.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | GPT-5.6 Luna | Beam 1.0 501B A23B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | GPT-5.6 Luna | $1.6 | $1.75 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | Beam 1.0 501B A23B | $1.4 | $1.25 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | Beam 1.0 501B A23B | $6.2 | $5.25 |
Beam 1.0 501B A23B is $0.2 cheaper per 1M output tokens (16.7% lower; 1.2x difference).
GPT-5.6 Luna has 1.42K more context (1x larger).
Beam 1.0 501B A23B is $0.05 cheaper on the standard workload (6.3% lower).
Estimate your workload cost
Your Workload Cost
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
GPT-5.6 Luna has the lower input price; Beam 1.0 501B A23B has the lower output price; GPT-5.6 Luna offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Beam 1.0 501B A23B is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.8 for GPT-5.6 Luna and $0.75 for Beam 1.0 501B A23B.
Choose GPT-5.6 Luna when you care most about lower input-token price, and larger context window.
Choose Beam 1.0 501B A23B when you care most about lower output-token price.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Beam 1.0 501B A23B is estimated at $0.75 vs $0.8 for GPT-5.6 Luna, saving $0.05 (6.3% lower).
- Beam 1.0 501B A23B is $0.05 cheaper on the standard workload (6.3% lower).
- GPT-5.6 Luna is $0.05 cheaper per 1M input tokens (20% lower; 1.25x difference).
- Beam 1.0 501B A23B is $0.2 cheaper per 1M output tokens (16.7% lower; 1.2x difference).
- GPT-5.6 Luna has 1.42K more context (1x larger).
| Feature | 🔥GPT-5.6 Luna (OpenAI) | NewBeam 1.0 501B A23B (Reflection) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.2 | $0.25 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $1.2 | $1 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0.8 | $0.75 |
| Context Window | 1.05M | 1.05M |
| Release Date | ||
| Popularity | #11 |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | Beam 1.0 501B A23B | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Beam 1.0 501B A23B is estimated at $0.75 vs $0.8 for GPT-5.6 Luna, saving $0.05 (6.3% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | GPT-5.6 Luna | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | Beam 1.0 501B A23B | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | GPT-5.6 Luna | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- gpt-oss-120b (free) can replace GPT-5.6 Luna when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- gpt-oss-20b (free) can replace GPT-5.6 Luna when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- gpt-oss-20b can replace GPT-5.6 Luna when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.06.
- gpt-oss-20b (batch) can replace GPT-5.6 Luna when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.08.
- Llama 4 Scout offers 1.31M context with $0.25 sample workload cost.
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