API cost decision in 10 seconds

NewFlint (free) vs Claude Haiku 5.5 (batch)

Pick Flint (free) for lower cost; pick Claude Haiku 5.5 (batch) 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 Flint (free) for lower cost; pick Claude Haiku 5.5 (batch) only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Flint (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.17 for Claude Haiku 5.5 (batch), saving $0.17 (100% lower).

Cost-first pickFlint (free)
Context-first pickClaude Haiku 5.5 (batch)
Sample savings$0.17100%
10x traffic gap$1.75

Claude Haiku 5.5 (batch) has more context, but Flint (free) saves $0.17 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $1.75. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

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

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickFlint (free)Claude Haiku 5.5 (batch)
Input-heavy / RAG5M input + 500K outputFlint (free)$0$0.38
Balanced workload1M input + 1M outputFlint (free)$0$0.3
Output-heavy chatbot1M input + 5M outputFlint (free)$0$1.3
Cheaper input Flint (free) $0 vs $0.05 / 1M

Flint (free) is free for input tokens while Claude Haiku 5.5 (batch) costs $0.05 per 1M tokens.

Cheaper output Flint (free) $0 vs $0.25 / 1M

Flint (free) is free for output tokens while Claude Haiku 5.5 (batch) costs $0.25 per 1M tokens.

Larger context Claude Haiku 5.5 (batch) 262.14K vs 1M

Claude Haiku 5.5 (batch) has 737.86K more context (3.81x larger).

Sample workload Flint (free) $0 vs $0.17

Flint (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $0.17.

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
Flint (free) Calculating… Estimated API cost
Claude Haiku 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

Flint (free) has the lower input price; Flint (free) has the lower output price; Claude Haiku 5.5 (batch) offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Flint (free) is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0 for Flint (free) and $0.17 for Claude Haiku 5.5 (batch).

Best Fit

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

Choose Claude Haiku 5.5 (batch) when you care most about larger context window.

Decision Notes
  • On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Flint (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.17 for Claude Haiku 5.5 (batch), saving $0.17 (100% lower).
  • Flint (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $0.17.
  • Flint (free) is free for input tokens while Claude Haiku 5.5 (batch) costs $0.05 per 1M tokens.
  • Flint (free) is free for output tokens while Claude Haiku 5.5 (batch) costs $0.25 per 1M tokens.
  • Claude Haiku 5.5 (batch) has 737.86K more context (3.81x larger).
Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureNewFlint (free)
(Recursive)
Claude Haiku 5.5 (batch)
(Anthropic)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M
$0$0.05
Completion Price
per 1M tokens
$0$0.25
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output
$0$0.17
Context Window262.14K1M
Release Date

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionFlint (free)On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Flint (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.17 for Claude Haiku 5.5 (batch), saving $0.17 (100% lower).
High-volume input processingFlint (free)Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsFlint (free)Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workClaude Haiku 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
  • No lower-cost same-provider swap is currently tracked for this pair.

Cheaper alternatives

Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.

Open cheapest models

Larger context alternatives

Find models with larger context windows for RAG, long documents, and codebase review.

Open largest context models

Provider catalogs

Compare models within provider hubs before choosing a final API vendor.

Open provider hubs

Recursive catalog

Review all tracked Recursive models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.

Open Recursive models

Anthropic catalog

Check other Anthropic models with comparable pricing, context, or release timing.

Open Anthropic models
Flint (free)

Flint is an open-weight mixture-of-experts model from Recursive, with about 2.5B active parameters out of 40B total, built by Recursive's autoresearch system Eureka Machine for coding agents. It is suited...

Claude Haiku 5.5 (batch)

Claude Haiku 5.5 is Anthropic's small, fast model for high-volume, cost-sensitive work such as summarization, subagents, and browser use. It succeeds Claude Haiku 4.5 with stronger coding, computer use, and...