I asked OpenAI for you, here is their answer
No, the OpenAI API is not free for ongoing use. It is a paid service that typically requires you to add credits to your account before you can make requests. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Here are the key details regarding costs and access:
- No Automatic Free Credits: In the past, OpenAI gave new users $5–$18 in free trial credits. However, they have largely stopped this practice for most new sign-ups.
- Prepaid Billing: To use the API, you must usually set up a prepaid billing account and purchase a minimum of $5 in credits.
- Pay-As-You-Go: You are billed based on the number of “tokens” (chunks of text) processed. Prices vary by model:
- GPT-4o mini: The most cost-effective option, priced at roughly $0.15 per 1 million input tokens.
- GPT-4o: A more powerful but more expensive model.
- Usage Tiers: Your account is assigned a Usage Tier based on your payment history, which determines your rate limits (how many requests you can make per minute).
- Data Sharing Exception: There is a program where developers can receive complimentary tokens if they agree to share their API data to help OpenAI train and improve its models. [5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]
Note: The API is separate from a ChatGPT Plus subscription ($20/month). Paying for ChatGPT Plus does not grant you free API usage; they are billed entirely separately. [14, 15]
Would you like to know how to generate an API key or see a comparison of prices for different models?
[1] https://distillery.com
[2] https://help.openai.com
[3] https://azure.microsoft.com
[4] https://community.openai.com
[5] https://developers.openai.com
[6] https://community.openai.com
[7] https://community.openai.com
[8] https://community.openai.com
[9] https://inworld.ai
[10] https://www.getmaxim.ai
[11] https://developers.openai.com
[12] https://learn.microsoft.com
[13] https://help.openai.com
[14] https://www.reddit.com
[15] https://www.reddit.com
How to Generate an OpenAI API Key
To access OpenAI’s models programmatically, follow these steps to create your unique secret key:
- Log In: Visit the OpenAI API Dashboard and sign in with your account.
- Navigate to API Keys: Click on the “API Keys” tab in the left-hand sidebar or click your profile icon in the top right and select “View API keys”.
- Create New Key: Click the “+ Create new secret key” button.
- Name & Permissions: (Optional) Give your key a name for easy tracking and set permissions (usually “All” for full access).
- Copy and Save: Immediately copy the key. For security, OpenAI will never show it again once you close the window. Store it in a secure location like a password manager or an environment variable. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
OpenAI API Pricing Comparison (March 2026)
OpenAI uses a pay-as-you-go model based on the number of tokens (text chunks) processed. Prices are typically listed per 1 million tokens. [8, 9, 10, 11]
| Model [12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17] | Input Price (per 1M tokens) | Output Price (per 1M tokens) | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-5-nano | $0.025 | $0.20 | Extremely high-volume, simple tasks |
| GPT-5-mini | $0.125 | $1.00 | High speed and low cost for standard apps |
| GPT-4o mini | $0.15 | $0.60 | Most popular for cost-effective development |
| GPT-4o | $2.50 | $10.00 | Complex reasoning and high-quality creative work |
| o3 / o1 | $1.00 - $7.50 | $4.00 - $30.00 | Advanced STEM reasoning and complex coding |
| o1-pro | $75.00 | $300.00 | Enterprise-level professional reasoning tasks |
- Batch API Discount: You can get a 50% discount on most models by using the Batch API, which processes requests within 24 hours instead of instantly.
- Prompt Caching: If you reuse long instructions or context frequently, cached input tokens are significantly cheaper (up to 90% off for certain models). [18, 19, 20]
[1] https://www.youtube.com
[2] https://developers.openai.com
[3] https://aifreeapi.com
[4] https://elfsight.com
[5] https://medium.com
[6] https://faq.businesstech.fr
[7] https://www.datacamp.com
[8] https://openai.com
[9] https://zuplo.com
[10] https://stripe.com
[11] https://openai.com
[12] https://developers.openai.com
[13] https://developers.openai.com
[14] https://developers.openai.com
[15] https://docsbot.ai
[16] https://artificialanalysis.ai
[17] https://francpetracci.medium.com
[18] https://azure.microsoft.com
[19] https://mobisoftinfotech.com
[20] https://openai.com