API cost decision in 10 seconds

NewLaguna XS.2 (free) vs GPT-5.1-Codex-Max

Pick Laguna XS.2 (free) for lower cost; pick GPT-5.1-Codex-Max only if the larger context window matters more.

Page updated: 2026-05-26T10:03:26Z Data confirmed: 2026-05-26T12:43:06Z Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output

Budget verdict

Pick Laguna XS.2 (free) for lower cost; pick GPT-5.1-Codex-Max only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Laguna XS.2 (free) is estimated at $0 vs $6.25 for GPT-5.1-Codex-Max, saving $6.25 (100% lower).

Cost-first pickLaguna XS.2 (free)

Context-first pickGPT-5.1-Codex-Max

Sample savings$6.25100%

10x traffic gap$62.5

GPT-5.1-Codex-Max has more context, but Laguna XS.2 (free) saves $6.25 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $62.5. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

Laguna XS.2 (free) stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shape	Token mix	Better pick	Laguna XS.2 (free)	GPT-5.1-Codex-Max
Input-heavy / RAG	5M input + 500K output	Laguna XS.2 (free)	$0	$11.25
Balanced workload	1M input + 1M output	Laguna XS.2 (free)	$0	$11.25
Output-heavy chatbot	1M input + 5M output	Laguna XS.2 (free)	$0	$51.25

Cheaper input Laguna XS.2 (free) $0 vs $1.25 / 1M

Laguna XS.2 (free) is free for input tokens while GPT-5.1-Codex-Max costs $1.25 per 1M tokens.

Cheaper output Laguna XS.2 (free) $0 vs $10 / 1M

Laguna XS.2 (free) is free for output tokens while GPT-5.1-Codex-Max costs $10 per 1M tokens.

Larger context GPT-5.1-Codex-Max 131.07K vs 400K

GPT-5.1-Codex-Max has 268.93K more context (3.05x larger).

Sample workload Laguna XS.2 (free) $0 vs $6.25

Laguna XS.2 (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $6.25.

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.

Monthly input tokens Monthly output tokens

Laguna XS.2 (free) Calculating… Estimated API cost

GPT-5.1-Codex-Max 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

Laguna XS.2 (free) has the lower input price; Laguna XS.2 (free) has the lower output price; GPT-5.1-Codex-Max offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Laguna XS.2 (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 XS.2 (free) and $6.25 for GPT-5.1-Codex-Max.

Best Fit

Choose Laguna XS.2 (free) when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.

Choose GPT-5.1-Codex-Max when you care most about larger context window.

Decision Notes

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Laguna XS.2 (free) is estimated at $0 vs $6.25 for GPT-5.1-Codex-Max, saving $6.25 (100% lower).
Laguna XS.2 (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $6.25.
Laguna XS.2 (free) is free for input tokens while GPT-5.1-Codex-Max costs $1.25 per 1M tokens.
Laguna XS.2 (free) is free for output tokens while GPT-5.1-Codex-Max costs $10 per 1M tokens.
GPT-5.1-Codex-Max has 268.93K more context (3.05x larger).

Head-to-Head Specs

Feature	NewLaguna XS.2 (free) (Poolside)	GPT-5.1-Codex-Max (OpenAI)
Input Price prompt tokens per 1M	$0	$1.25
Completion Price per 1M tokens	$0	$10
Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output	$0	$6.25
Context Window	131.07K	400K
Release Date	2026-04-28	2025-12-04

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use case	Better pick	Why
Budget-constrained production	Laguna XS.2 (free)	On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Laguna XS.2 (free) is estimated at $0 vs $6.25 for GPT-5.1-Codex-Max, saving $6.25 (100% lower).
High-volume input processing	Laguna XS.2 (free)	Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbots	Laguna XS.2 (free)	Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document work	GPT-5.1-Codex-Max	A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

Same-provider lower-cost swaps

gpt-oss-120b (free) can replace GPT-5.1-Codex-Max when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
gpt-oss-20b (free) can replace GPT-5.1-Codex-Max when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
gpt-oss-20b can replace GPT-5.1-Codex-Max when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.1.
gpt-oss-120b can replace GPT-5.1-Codex-Max when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.13.

Larger context near this budget

Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent offers 2M context with $5 sample workload cost.
Grok 4.20 offers 2M context with $2.5 sample workload cost.
Owl Alpha offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.

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Provider catalogs

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Poolside catalog

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OpenAI catalog

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Laguna XS.2 (free)

Laguna XS.2 is the second-generation model in the XS size class from [Poolside](https://poolside.ai), their efficient coding agent series. It combines tool calling and reasoning capabilities with a compact footprint, offering...

GPT-5.1-Codex-Max

GPT-5.1-Codex-Max is OpenAI’s latest agentic coding model, designed for long-running, high-context software development tasks. It is based on an updated version of the 5.1 reasoning stack and trained on agentic...