High-volume, cost-sensitive work
Choose GPT-6 Astra Pro
GPT-6 Astra Pro costs 52% less on a typical mix of three input tokens for every output token ($20.00 against $41.25 per million tokens).
GPT-5 Pro vs GPT-6 Astra Pro: price, context and capabilities
Choose GPT-6 Astra Pro for high-volume, cost-sensitive work, writing and code generation, very long inputs and the latest release; on the other points the two are level or the data is missing.
In short
- GPT-6 Astra Pro is 52% cheaper than GPT-5 Pro at the headline price ($20.00 / 1M tokens vs $41.25 / 1M tokens).
- GPT-6 Astra Pro reads more per request: 1.05M tokens against 400k.
- GPT-6 Astra Pro is the newer model (Sep 4, 2026, against Oct 6, 2025).
- Only GPT-5 Pro offers batch api.
- Only GPT-6 Astra Pro offers prompt caching.
Which should you choose?
Each answer below comes straight from the published prices, specifications and independent benchmark results.
Writing and code generation
Choose GPT-6 Astra Pro
GPT-6 Astra Pro charges $50.00 per million output tokens, against $120.00 for GPT-5 Pro. Output dominates the bill when answers are long.
Very long inputs
Choose GPT-6 Astra Pro
GPT-6 Astra Pro reads up to 1.05M tokens per request, against 400k for GPT-5 Pro.
Latest release
Choose GPT-6 Astra Pro
GPT-6 Astra Pro is the newer release (Sep 4, 2026, against Oct 6, 2025 for GPT-5 Pro).
Monthly cost at three volumes
| Volume | GPT-5 Pro | GPT-6 Astra Pro | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prototype: 1M input, 250K output tokens | $45.00 | $22.50 | GPT-6 Astra Pro, $22.50 less |
| Production: 20M input, 5M output tokens | $900.00 | $450.00 | GPT-6 Astra Pro, $450.00 less |
| Scale: 500M input, 100M output tokens | $19,500 | $10,000 | GPT-6 Astra Pro, $9,500 less |
Standard rates, without caching or batch discounts. Volumes are per month.
Specifications side by side
| GPT-5 Pro | GPT-6 Astra Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | OpenAI |
| Category | Language models | Language models |
| Status | Legacy | Generally available |
| Headline price | $41.25 / 1M tokens | $20.00 / 1M tokens |
| Input | $15.00 / 1M tokens | $10.00 / 1M tokens |
| Output | $120 / 1M tokens | $50.00 / 1M tokens |
| Cached input | No data | $1.00 / 1M tokens |
| Context window | 400k | 1.05M |
| Max output | 272k | 128k |
| Released | Oct 6, 2025 | Sep 4, 2026 |
| Knowledge cutoff | September 2024 | No data |
| Licence | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Capabilities | Vision, Reasoning, Tool calling, Structured output, Batch API | Vision, Reasoning, Tool calling, Structured output, Prompt caching |
| API model id | gpt-5-pro | gpt-6-astra-pro |
Frequently asked questions
Should I choose GPT-5 Pro or GPT-6 Astra Pro?
Choose GPT-6 Astra Pro for high-volume, cost-sensitive work, writing and code generation, very long inputs and the latest release; on the other points the two are level or the data is missing.
Which is cheaper, GPT-5 Pro or GPT-6 Astra Pro?
GPT-6 Astra Pro is 52% cheaper than GPT-5 Pro at the headline price ($20.00 / 1M tokens vs $41.25 / 1M tokens).
Which has the larger context window, GPT-5 Pro or GPT-6 Astra Pro?
GPT-6 Astra Pro reads more per request: 1.05M tokens against 400k.
What is the difference between GPT-5 Pro and GPT-6 Astra Pro?
GPT-5 Pro is made by OpenAI and GPT-6 Astra Pro by OpenAI. GPT-6 Astra Pro is 52% cheaper than GPT-5 Pro at the headline price ($20.00 / 1M tokens vs $41.25 / 1M tokens). GPT-6 Astra Pro reads more per request: 1.05M tokens against 400k. GPT-6 Astra Pro is the newer model (Sep 4, 2026, against Oct 6, 2025). Only GPT-5 Pro offers batch api. Only GPT-6 Astra Pro offers prompt caching.
How much do GPT-5 Pro and GPT-6 Astra Pro cost per month?
At 20 million input and 5 million output tokens a month, GPT-5 Pro costs $900.00 and GPT-6 Astra Pro costs $450.00, at standard rates.
Which is newer, GPT-5 Pro or GPT-6 Astra Pro?
GPT-6 Astra Pro was released on Sep 4, 2026 and GPT-5 Pro on Oct 6, 2025.