Facts read November 7, 2026
Gemini API vs OpenAI API
Gemini API is Cuely's default ai model api pick when your description doesn't favor either one: the cheapest mid-size model of the three at the published profile, with a free tier to prototype on. Pick OpenAI API if you care most about compliance-heavy products.
Side by side
| Fact | Gemini API | OpenAI API |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Google's model API (Gemini Flash and Pro models). | OpenAI's model API (GPT models). |
| Free plan | Free tier with free input and output tokens (rate-limited); free-tier content is used to improve Google's products. | None |
| Paid from | Gemini 3.8 Flash: $0.75 per million input tokens and $3.75 output through December 31, 2026, then $1.50 and $7.50 from January 1, 2027. Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview: $2.00 input, $12.00 output (prompts up to 200k tokens). | gpt-6-luna: $0.10 per million input tokens, $0.50 output. gpt-6.1-sol: $2 input, $10 output. gpt-6-astra: $10 input, $50 output. |
| At 1,000 users | $488/month | $650/month |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Best for | Keeping token cost down; Prototyping on a free tier; Long documents | The most third-party examples and SDK support; A cheap small model for simple requests |
| Watch out | On the free tier, the pricing page says content is used to improve Google's products; on the paid tier it is not. Don't send customer data on the free tier. Gemini 3.8 Flash's price doubles on January 1, 2027 (to $1.50 input and $7.50 output per million tokens). Gemini 3.1 Pro is listed as a preview model. | Model names and prices change often; Cuely's read of the pricing table was partial, so confirm the model you pick on the page. |
Where they differ
The published scores, from −3 to +3, that decide which one Cuely picks for each need.
| Need | Gemini API | OpenAI API |
|---|---|---|
| keep costs as low as possible | +2 Gemini 3.8 Flash is about $488 a month at the profile from January 2027 ($244 until then), the lowest of the three mid-size models. | +1 gpt-6-luna is $0.10 / $0.50 per million tokens, about $33 a month at the profile. |
| answers over the user's own documents | +1 Large context windows make it easy to pass long retrieved passages. | 0 No particular strength here. |
| regulated or compliance-sensitive | −1 The free tier trains on your content; regulated data must stay on the paid tier. | 0 No particular strength here. |
Sources: Gemini API pricing (read November 7, 2026), OpenAI API pricing (read November 7, 2026). No vendor pays for placement.