API cost decision in 10 seconds

NewGPT-6 Astra vs Laguna M.1

Pick Laguna M.1 for lower cost; pick GPT-6 Astra only if the larger context window matters more.

Pricing data updated:  Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output

Budget verdict

Pick Laguna M.1 for lower cost; pick GPT-6 Astra only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Laguna M.1 is estimated at $0.4 vs $35 for GPT-6 Astra, saving $34.6 (98.9% lower).

Cost-first pickLaguna M.1
Context-first pickGPT-6 Astra
Sample savings$34.698.9%
10x traffic gap$346

GPT-6 Astra has more context, but Laguna M.1 saves $34.6 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $346. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

Laguna M.1 stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickGPT-6 AstraLaguna M.1
Input-heavy / RAG 5M input + 500K output Laguna M.1 $75 $1.2
Balanced workload 1M input + 1M output Laguna M.1 $60 $0.6
Output-heavy chatbot 1M input + 5M output Laguna M.1 $260 $2.2
Cheaper inputLaguna M.1$10 vs $0.2 / 1M
Cheaper outputLaguna M.1$50 vs $0.4 / 1M
Larger contextGPT-6 Astra1.05M vs 262.14K
Sample workloadLaguna M.1$35 vs $0.4

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
GPT-6 AstraCalculating…Estimated API cost
Laguna M.1Calculating…Estimated API cost
Cheaper for this workloadCalculating…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

Laguna M.1 has the lower input price, Laguna M.1 has the lower output price, and GPT-6 Astra offers the larger context window.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $35 for GPT-6 Astra and $0.4 for Laguna M.1.

Best Fit

Choose GPT-6 Astra when you care most about larger context window.

Choose Laguna M.1 when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.

Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureNewGPT-6 Astra
(OpenAI)		Laguna M.1
(Poolside)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M		$10$0.2
Completion Price
per 1M tokens		$50$0.4
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output		$35$0.4
Context Window1.05M262.14K
Release Date2026-09-042026-04-28
GPT-6 Astra

GPT-6 Astra is OpenAI's flagship model for demanding end-to-end work. It is suited for advanced analysis, software engineering, deep research, scientific work, and document creation, with particular strengths in long-horizon...

Laguna M.1

Laguna M.1 is the flagship coding agent model from [Poolside](https://poolside.ai/), optimized for complex software engineering tasks. Designed for agentic coding workflows, it supports tool calling and reasoning, with a 256K...

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionLaguna M.1On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Laguna M.1 is estimated at $0.4 vs $35 for GPT-6 Astra, saving $34.6 (98.9% lower).
High-volume input processingLaguna M.1Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts or retrieved passages dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsLaguna M.1Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workGPT-6 AstraA larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages and source files.