Laguna M.1 (free) is free for input tokens while GPT-5 Mini costs $0.25 per 1M tokens.
API cost decision in 10 seconds
NewLaguna M.1 (free) vs GPT-5 Mini
Pick Laguna M.1 (free) for lower cost; pick GPT-5 Mini only if the larger context window matters more.
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Data confirmed:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick Laguna M.1 (free) for lower cost; pick GPT-5 Mini only if the larger context window matters more.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Laguna M.1 (free) is estimated at $0 vs $1.25 for GPT-5 Mini, saving $1.25 (100% lower).
Cost-first pickLaguna M.1 (free)
Context-first pickGPT-5 Mini
Sample savings$1.25100%
10x traffic gap$12.5
GPT-5 Mini has more context, but Laguna M.1 (free) saves $1.25 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $12.5. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
Laguna M.1 (free) stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | Laguna M.1 (free) | GPT-5 Mini |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | Laguna M.1 (free) | $0 | $2.25 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | Laguna M.1 (free) | $0 | $2.25 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | Laguna M.1 (free) | $0 | $10.25 |
Laguna M.1 (free) is free for output tokens while GPT-5 Mini costs $2 per 1M tokens.
GPT-5 Mini has 137.86K more context (1.53x larger).
Laguna M.1 (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $1.25.
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
Laguna M.1 (free) has the lower input price; Laguna M.1 (free) has the lower output price; GPT-5 Mini offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Laguna M.1 (free) is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0 for Laguna M.1 (free) and $1.25 for GPT-5 Mini.
Choose Laguna M.1 (free) when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.
Choose GPT-5 Mini when you care most about larger context window.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Laguna M.1 (free) is estimated at $0 vs $1.25 for GPT-5 Mini, saving $1.25 (100% lower).
- Laguna M.1 (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $1.25.
- Laguna M.1 (free) is free for input tokens while GPT-5 Mini costs $0.25 per 1M tokens.
- Laguna M.1 (free) is free for output tokens while GPT-5 Mini costs $2 per 1M tokens.
- GPT-5 Mini has 137.86K more context (1.53x larger).
| Feature | NewLaguna M.1 (free) (Poolside) | GPT-5 Mini (OpenAI) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0 | $0.25 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $0 | $2 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0 | $1.25 |
| Context Window | 262.14K | 400K |
| Release Date | ||
| Popularity | #21 | #33 |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | Laguna M.1 (free) | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Laguna M.1 (free) is estimated at $0 vs $1.25 for GPT-5 Mini, saving $1.25 (100% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | Laguna M.1 (free) | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | Laguna M.1 (free) | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | GPT-5 Mini | 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 Mini when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- gpt-oss-20b (free) can replace GPT-5 Mini when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- gpt-oss-20b can replace GPT-5 Mini when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.1.
- gpt-oss-120b can replace GPT-5 Mini when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.13.
- Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
- Owl Alpha offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash offers 1.05M context with $0.2 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Pro offers 1.05M context with $0.87 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash · DeepSeek · #1
- Hy3 preview · Tencent · #2
- Claude Opus 4.7 · Anthropic · #3
- Claude Sonnet 4.6 · Anthropic · #4
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