LumeAPIHigh-frequency routing
150M input + 30M output tokens / month
Mini and Flash for classification
- Official (GPT-5.6 Terra)
- $825.00/mo
- LumeAPI
- $247.50/mo
- Monthly savings
- $577.5070% off
Cheap LLM API
Cheap LLM API — Mainstream Models, Up to 70% Off Official
Access recognizable GPT, Claude, and Gemini tiers through one OpenAI-compatible gateway — published catalog rates up to ~70% below common official reference prices.
Unlike obscure budget providers, LumeAPI routes catalog model ids you can audit in Usage logs. For the full cross-provider table, see /ai-api-pricing.
- One API key
- Dozens of models
- Text, image & video
- Up to 70% off
Product promise: Mainstream GPT, Claude, and Gemini on one key — published rates up to ~70% below official reference pricing.
Discounted mainstream model rates
Official reference vs LumeAPI catalog rates. Pricing unit: per 1M input / output tokens. Last updated: 2026-07-22. Source: provider list price.
| Model | Official (in / out) | LumeAPI (in / out) | Savings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-5.6 Solgpt-5.6-sol | $5.00 / $30.00 | $1.50 / $9.00 | 70% off | Details → |
| GPT-5.6 Terragpt-5.6-terra | $2.50 / $15.00 | $0.75 / $4.50 | 70% off | Details → |
| GPT-5.5gpt-5.5 | $5.00 / $30.00 | $1.50 / $9.00 | 70% off | Details → |
| GPT-5.4gpt-5.4 | $2.50 / $15.00 | $0.75 / $4.50 | 70% off | Details → |
| Claude Fable 5claude-fable-5 | $10.00 / $50.00 | $5.00 / $25.00 | 50% off | Details → |
| Claude Opus 4.8claude-opus-4-8 | $5.00 / $25.00 | $2.50 / $12.50 | 50% off | Details → |
| Claude Opus 4.7claude-opus-4-7 | $5.00 / $25.00 | $2.50 / $12.50 | 50% off | Details → |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6claude-sonnet-4-6 | $3.00 / $15.00 | $1.50 / $7.50 | 50% off | Details → |
| Gemini 3.1 Progemini-3.1-pro-preview | $2.00 / $12.00 | $1.00 / $6.00 | 50% off | Details → |
| Grok 4.3grok-4.3 | $1.25 / $2.50 per 1M (in/out) | $1.25 / $2.50 per 1M (in/out) | Official rate | Details → |
| DeepSeek V4 Prodeepseek/deepseek-v4-pro | $0.50 / $0.90 per 1M (in/out) | $0.50 / $0.90 per 1M (in/out) | Official rate | Details → |
| MiMo v2.5 Proxiaomi/mimo-v2.5-pro | $0.50 / $0.90 per 1M (in/out) | $0.50 / $0.90 per 1M (in/out) | Official rate | Details → |
| GPT-5.4 minigpt-5.4-mini | $0.75 / $4.50 | $0.225 / $1.35 | 70% off | Details → |
| Gemini 3.5 Flashgemini-3.5-flash | $1.50 / $9.00 | $0.75 / $4.50 | 50% off | Details → |
| Gemini 3 Flashgemini-3-flash | $0.50 / $3.00 | $0.25 / $1.50 | 50% off | Details → |
| DeepSeek V4 Flashdeepseek/deepseek-v4-flash | $0.10 / $0.20 per 1M (in/out) | $0.10 / $0.20 per 1M (in/out) | Official rate | Details → |
| MiMo v2.5xiaomi/mimo-v2.5 | $0.15 / $0.30 per 1M (in/out) | $0.15 / $0.30 per 1M (in/out) | Official rate | Details → |
Monthly cost examples
Illustrative totals for gpt-5.6-terra using catalog list prices — your actual bill depends on retries, tool loops, and output length.
Balanced production app
25M input + 8M output tokens / month
Sonnet or Terra when quality matters
- Official (GPT-5.6 Terra)
- $182.50/mo
- LumeAPI
- $54.75/mo
- Monthly savings
- $127.7570% off
Why LumeAPI
One key, dozens of models
A single API key calls GPT, Claude, Gemini, and more on one USD wallet — no separate vendor accounts per provider.
Up to 70% below reference
Published catalog rates undercut official list pricing. GPT tiers up to ~70% off; Claude and Gemini 50% off official reference.
Official application channels
Model capacity is sourced through major providers’ authorized application channels — recognizable catalog ids, not opaque repackaged endpoints.
Real-time Usage logs
Every call records model id, token counts, latency, and exact USD cost. Audit any line item in Console — usage and price are traceable.
OpenAI-compatible gateway
Point Cursor, SDKs, and agents at one base URL. Change API key, base URL, and model id — keep your existing integration shape.
Text, image, and video
Chat, image generation, and async video on the same key and wallet when you outgrow text-only workloads.
Get started in three steps
- Create an API key — register and open Console.
- Set the LumeAPI base URL — https://api.lumeapi.site/v1
- Choose a supported model id — from the table above or model catalog.
Migrate in minutes
Three values change: API key, base URL, model id. Everything else stays the same.
Before (official provider)
from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI(api_key="YOUR_OPENAI_API_KEY")
response = client.chat.completions.create(
model="gpt-5.6-terra",
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}],
)After (LumeAPI)
from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI(
api_key="YOUR_LUMEAPI_KEY",
base_url="https://api.lumeapi.site/v1",
)
response = client.chat.completions.create(
model="gpt-5.6-terra",
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}],
)Full step-by-step rollout, streaming checks, and FAQ: Cheapest LLM API 2026 guide →
Application scenarios
Vibe coding
Use Cursor, Windsurf, or other OpenAI-compatible IDEs with LumeAPI — swap base URL and model id, keep your flow, cut token spend on completions.
See details →Local & self-hosted agents
Run LangGraph, OpenClaw, or custom agent loops on your machine. Route cheap steps to mini or Flash and hard reasoning to Sonnet or Terra.
See details →Knowledge base & RAG
Embed documents, retrieve chunks, and answer with Gemini Flash or GPT mini at volume — escalate to Pro or Sonnet for synthesis.
See details →Chatbox & app integration
Plug into LobeChat, Chatbox, LibreChat, or your own UI via standard Chat Completions — streaming supported on text models.
See details →Customer support bots
Handle FAQ volume on Flash or mini; route complex tickets to Sonnet with the same API key and message format.
See details →Batch extraction & content
Classification, summarization, and structured JSON at scale — pick the cheapest model that passes your quality bar per task.
See details →Related guides
Guides in this cluster
Deep dives that link back to this hub — migration, pricing, routing, and production patterns.
FAQ
What is the cheapest LLM API for chat?
Compare GPT-5.4 mini and Gemini Flash for your output ratio.
Is this different from /ai-api-pricing?
Pricing compares all flagship rows. This page curates budget mainstream picks.
Do you offer a discount LLM API?
Yes — published rates below official reference on supported GPT, Claude, and Gemini tiers.
Mix cheap and premium models?
Yes. Same key, different model ids per request.
Silent substitution?
No. Request model id is what runs and bills.
Test before production?
Shadow 5–10% traffic first.
Start with a cheap mainstream model
Create a key and call catalog models through https://api.lumeapi.site/v1. Need help choosing a model? Browse the developer docs or contact support.