API cost decision in 10 seconds

NewHy4 preview vs GPT-5.6 Terra

Pick Hy4 preview for lower cost; pick GPT-5.6 Terra 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 Hy4 preview for lower cost; pick GPT-5.6 Terra only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Hy4 preview is estimated at $2.08 vs $8 for GPT-5.6 Terra, saving $5.92 (73.9% lower).

Cost-first pickHy4 preview
Context-first pickGPT-5.6 Terra
Sample savings$5.9273.9%
10x traffic gap$59.16

GPT-5.6 Terra has more context, but Hy4 preview saves $5.92 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $59.16. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

Hy4 preview stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickHy4 previewGPT-5.6 Terra
Input-heavy / RAG5M input + 500K outputHy4 preview$5.42$16
Balanced workload1M input + 1M outputHy4 preview$3.33$14
Output-heavy chatbot1M input + 5M outputHy4 preview$13.34$62
Cheaper input Hy4 preview $0.834 vs $2 / 1M

Hy4 preview is $1.17 cheaper per 1M input tokens (58.3% lower; 2.4x difference).

Cheaper output Hy4 preview $2.501 vs $12 / 1M

Hy4 preview is $9.5 cheaper per 1M output tokens (79.2% lower; 4.8x difference).

Larger context GPT-5.6 Terra 1.05M vs 1.05M

GPT-5.6 Terra has 1.42K more context (1x larger).

Sample workload Hy4 preview $2.08 vs $8

Hy4 preview is $5.92 cheaper on the standard workload (73.9% lower).

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
Hy4 preview Calculating… Estimated API cost
GPT-5.6 Terra 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

Hy4 preview has the lower input price; Hy4 preview has the lower output price; GPT-5.6 Terra offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Hy4 preview is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $2.08 for Hy4 preview and $8 for GPT-5.6 Terra.

Best Fit

Choose Hy4 preview when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.

Choose GPT-5.6 Terra when you care most about larger context window.

Decision Notes
  • On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Hy4 preview is estimated at $2.08 vs $8 for GPT-5.6 Terra, saving $5.92 (73.9% lower).
  • Hy4 preview is $5.92 cheaper on the standard workload (73.9% lower).
  • Hy4 preview is $1.17 cheaper per 1M input tokens (58.3% lower; 2.4x difference).
  • Hy4 preview is $9.5 cheaper per 1M output tokens (79.2% lower; 4.8x difference).
  • GPT-5.6 Terra has 1.42K more context (1x larger).
Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureNewHy4 preview
(Tencent)
GPT-5.6 Terra
(OpenAI)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M
$0.834$2
Completion Price
per 1M tokens
$2.501$12
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output
$2.08$8
Context Window1.05M1.05M
Release Date

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionHy4 previewOn the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Hy4 preview is estimated at $2.08 vs $8 for GPT-5.6 Terra, saving $5.92 (73.9% lower).
High-volume input processingHy4 previewLower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsHy4 previewLower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workGPT-5.6 TerraA larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

Same-provider lower-cost swaps
  • Hy3 (free) can replace Hy4 preview when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • Hy-MT2-1.8B can replace Hy4 preview when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.13.
  • Hy-MT2-30B-A3B can replace Hy4 preview when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.22.
  • Hy-MT2-7B can replace Hy4 preview when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.22.

Cheaper alternatives

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Larger context alternatives

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

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Provider catalogs

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

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Tencent catalog

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

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OpenAI catalog

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

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Hy4 preview

Tencent: Hy4 preview is a mixture-of-experts model from Tencent, with 49B active parameters out of 770B total. It is designed for coding agents, complex tool-use workflows, and productivity tasks that...

GPT-5.6 Terra

GPT-5.6 Terra is a balanced model in OpenAI's GPT-5.6 series, positioned between the flagship Sol tier and the cost-efficient Luna tier. It is suited for everyday coding, reasoning, and agentic...