Gemini 4 Argon
Batch API: input $1.00 and output $5.00 per 1M tokens.
Gemini 4 Argon vs Claude Opus 5.5 API Pricing
Compare verified published API prices for Gemini 4 Argon and Claude Opus 5.5. This page compares price, not output quality.
Verified Oct 14, 2026, Gemini 4 Argon lists input at $2.00 and output at $10.00 per 1M tokens, while Claude Opus 5.5 lists $4.00 input and $20.00 output. Gemini 4 Argon is 50% cheaper on input. Gemini 4 Argon is 50% cheaper on output. This is a comparison of published prices only, not output quality.
| Model | Input $/1M | Cached input $/1M | Output $/1M | Source | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 4 Argon | $2.00 | $0.10 | $10.00 | Official source | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Claude Opus 5.5 | $4.00 | $0.20 | $20.00 | Official source | Sep 23, 2026 |
Prices from official provider pages, verified on the date shown.
Published rates
Side-by-side API pricing
| Field | Gemini 4 Argon | Claude Opus 5.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Anthropic | |
| Input / 1M | $2.00 | $4.00 |
| Cached input / 1M | $0.10 | $0.20 |
| Output / 1M | $10.00 | $20.00 |
| Batch input / 1M | $1.00 | Not listed |
| Batch output / 1M | $5.00 | Not listed |
| Context window | Not verified in V2 projection | 1M |
| Release date | Oct 13, 2026 | Sep 22, 2026 |
| Official source | Google pricing ↗ | Anthropic pricing ↗ |
Standard token prices
Which is cheaper depends on your input:output ratio
Costs below allocate 1M total tokens across each input:output ratio. They use standard prices only, without cache or Batch discounts.
| Input:output ratio | Gemini 4 Argon | Claude Opus 5.5 | Cheaper published price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:1 (RAG / long context) | $2.73 | $5.45 | Gemini 4 Argon by 50% |
| 3:1 (chat) | $4.00 | $8.00 | Gemini 4 Argon by 50% |
| 1:1 | $6.00 | $12.00 | Gemini 4 Argon by 50% |
| 1:3 (long generation) | $8.00 | $16.00 | Gemini 4 Argon by 50% |
Computed examples
Monthly cost for real workloads
| Workload | Assumed volume | Gemini 4 Argon | Claude Opus 5.5 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side project | 10,000 requests/month | $46.00 | $92.00 | Gemini 4 Argon by $46.00 (50%) |
| Customer support chatbot | 10,000 conversations/month | $351.30 | $702.60 | Gemini 4 Argon by $351.30 (50%) |
| Agent task | 1,000 tasks/month | $56.00 | $112.00 | Gemini 4 Argon by $56.00 (50%) |
Assumptions
- Side project: 10,000 requests per month, with 800 input and 300 output tokens per request.
- Customer support chatbot: 10,000 conversations, with 6 replies per conversation, 600 system tokens, 90 user-message tokens, 1,000 retrieved-context tokens, 180 output tokens per reply, and 50% history carry.
- Agent task: 1,000 tasks, with 8 calls per task and 1,500 input plus 400 output tokens per call.
- All three rows use standard non-cached, non-batch prices and exclude retries, tools, storage, and taxes.
Provider conditions
Pricing rules that can change the answer
Claude Opus 5.5
Verified changes
Price history
On Oct 13, 2026, Google Gemini added Gemini 4 Argon with published input $2.00 and output $10.00 per 1M tokens.
View this update in the price monitorOn Sep 22, 2026, Anthropic replaced Claude Opus 5 with Claude Opus 5.5: input $5.00 → $4.00 (−20%) and output $25.00 → $20.00 (−20%) per 1M tokens.
View this update in the price monitor
Operational costs
Cheaper per token is not always cheaper per task
Retries, failed calls, fallback requests, and longer outputs can raise the cost of completing a task even when the published token price is lower. Model the effect with the LLM Retry & Fallback Cost Calculator, read the cost-per-successful-task guide, or estimate a migration with the Model Switch Cost Calculator.
Primary evidence and next steps
Related
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Is Gemini 4 Argon cheaper than Claude Opus 5.5?
Gemini 4 Argon is 50% cheaper on input. Gemini 4 Argon is 50% cheaper on output. This compares published list prices, not output quality.
How much do Gemini 4 Argon and Claude Opus 5.5 cost for 10,000 requests a month?
At 800 input and 300 output tokens per request, Gemini 4 Argon costs about $46.00 and Claude Opus 5.5 costs about $92.00 at standard list prices.
Which is cheaper for input-heavy workloads like RAG?
At a 10:1 input-to-output token ratio, Gemini 4 Argon costs $2.73 and Claude Opus 5.5 costs $5.45 per 1M total tokens. Gemini 4 Argon by 50%.
Where do these prices come from?
The prices come from Google and Anthropic official pricing sources, verified on Oct 14, 2026 and Sep 23, 2026, respectively. See the AI API pricing dataset.