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GPT-6.1 Sol vs. GPT-6 Astra: How Much Cheaper Is Sol, and Is Quality Comparable?

GPT-6.1 Sol costs one-fifth as much per token as Astra at standard short-context API rates, but OpenAI’s benchmark results do not prove equal accuracy across tasks.
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GPT-6.1 Sol is not 18% of GPT-6 Astra’s listed API price: at standard short-context rates, it costs 20% as much per input and output token—an 80% reduction. OpenAI says Sol delivers near-Astra performance on selected work, but that does not establish equal accuracy across tasks. The practical choice depends on your workload, quality threshold, and the cost of any extra retries or review.

Are GPT-6.1 Sol and GPT-6 Astra equally accurate?

There is no basis for a blanket claim that the models have the same accuracy. OpenAI characterizes GPT-6.1 Sol as providing near-Astra performance for complex coding, computer use, and professional work, while recommending that users compare the models on their own tasks. That is a task-dependent claim, not a promise of equivalent results for every prompt or workload. OpenAI’s GPT-6.1 Sol documentation and its model-selection guidance describe the intended comparison.

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What OpenAI’s benchmark figures show

For OSWorld 2.0’s offline set, OpenAI reports that Sol came within 2.1 percentage points of Astra at maximum reasoning effort, at roughly one-seventh of Astra’s cost per task. This result applies to that evaluation set and setting; it is not a general accuracy comparison or an independent reproduction. On Terminal-Bench Science 0.1, also at maximum reasoning effort, OpenAI reports average task costs of $5.47 for Sol and $23.80 for Astra. Those are benchmark task-cost estimates, not token rates or a forecast of what an individual API request will cost. See OpenAI’s GPT-6.1 Sol announcement for the reported results.

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How much cheaper is GPT-6.1 Sol?

OpenAI’s standard short-context API prices list Sol at one-fifth of Astra’s rate for both input and output tokens. The ratio is 20% of Astra’s price, which means 80% less—not “18% of the cost.”

Model Input per 1 million tokens Output per 1 million tokens
GPT-6.1 Sol $2 $10
GPT-6 Astra $10 $50

These are the standard short-context API rates listed by OpenAI in 2026; check the current API pricing page for the route, processing mode, and account you plan to use. Token-price savings do not automatically equal the same percentage reduction in total task cost: requests may use different amounts of input and output, and a less successful answer may require retries, correction, or human review.

Which model should you use?

Choose Sol when cost matters and the task is a good fit

Sol is the sensible first option when its performance is adequate on your own coding, computer-use, or professional-work tasks and a lower per-token rate matters. The OSWorld result is a reason to test Sol for computer-use workflows, not proof that every computer-use task will have the same quality gap or cost ratio.

Choose Astra when the task warrants the highest capability

For demanding work where a missed requirement or weak answer is costly, Astra may be worth evaluating first. OpenAI’s reported comparisons do not establish that Sol matches it across all tasks, so measure quality against the failure modes that matter in your workflow rather than assuming the cheaper model is interchangeable.

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Compare the models on your actual workload

  1. Pick representative tasks and define what counts as a correct, acceptable result before comparing outputs.
  2. Run both models with the same inputs and comparable reasoning-effort settings; OpenAI’s cited benchmark comparisons use maximum reasoning effort.
  3. Track quality, token use, retries, and any review or correction needed. Compare cost per acceptable completed task, not just the price of one million tokens.
  4. Use the result to decide where Sol is adequate and where Astra’s additional capability justifies its higher rate. OpenAI’s guidance puts it plainly: “Compare it with Astra on your tasks to assess the tradeoff between quality and cost.”
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Context window, output limit, and access

OpenAI’s GPT-6.1 Sol model page lists a context window of 1,050,000 tokens, a maximum output of 128,000 tokens, and an April 30, 2026 knowledge cutoff. These specifications are for Sol; the cited material here does not provide a matching Astra specification for a like-for-like table comparison. Check the live Sol model page before relying on limits or model availability.

OpenAI documents API access for Sol and describes API and other rollout channels for Astra. Availability and pricing can vary by product, account, region, or processing mode, so verify the official information for the route you intend to use. OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra announcement describes Astra’s rollout.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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