Reasoning AI models: they think before answering, and bill for it

Reasoning

Services found: 169

#	AI model	API $/1M (in / out)	Context window	Price / mo	Output $/1M	Overview
61	Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B NVIDIA	$0.05 / $0.2	262.1K tokens	API only	0.2	View
62	Solar Pro 3 Upstage	$0.15 / $0.6	131.1K tokens	API only	0.6	View
63	Ministral 3 14B 2512 Mistral AI	$0.2 / $0.2	262.1K tokens	API only	0.2	View
64	Ministral 3 8B 2512 Mistral AI	$0.15 / $0.15	262.1K tokens	API only	0.15	View
65	Ministral 3 3B 2512 Mistral AI	$0.1 / $0.1	131.1K tokens	API only	0.1	View
66	GPT-5.4 OpenAI	$2.5 / $15	1.05M tokens	API only	15	View
67	GPT-5.3-Codex OpenAI	$1.75 / $14	400K tokens	API only	14	View
68	Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite Google	$0.25 / $1.5	1.05M tokens	API only	1.5	View
69	Grok 4.20 Reasoning xAI	$1.25 / $2.5	1M tokens	API only	2.5	View
70	Grok 4.20 Non-Reasoning xAI	$1.25 / $2.5	1M tokens	API only	2.5	View
71	DeepSeek V4 Pro DeepSeek		1M tokens	API only		View
72	DeepSeek V4 Flash DeepSeek		1M tokens	API only		View
73	Command A+ Cohere	$17.50–$32.50 / hr¹	128K tokens	API only		View
74	Command A Reasoning Cohere			API only		View
75	Command A Vision Cohere		128K tokens	API only		View
76	Command A Translate Cohere			API only		View
77	Jamba2 Mini AI21 Labs		256K tokens	API only		View
78	Jamba2 3B AI21 Labs		256K tokens	API only		View
79	Nova Premier Amazon			API only		View
80	Nova Pro Amazon		300K tokens	API only		View

Browse by need

Reasoning models169 models

Coding assistants17 models

Vision and images156 models

Long context 1M+82 models

Free tier available80 models

Open weights88 models

A reasoning model works through a problem before it answers, generating hidden thinking tokens along the way. Those tokens bill as output, which is why reasoning costs more than plain generation and why the price spread here - $0.25 to $50 per million - matters more than it looks.

169 models expose reasoning, including every current flagship: Claude Fable 5.1, GPT-6 Astra, Claude Opus 5. Use them for maths, multi-step analysis and code review. For lighter tasks a reasoning model is an expensive way to be slow. Filter for Adjustable thinking as well - 72 models let you cap how long the model deliberates.

Thinking bills as outputThe hidden deliberation is charged at the output rate, which is why the same prompt costs more here.

Depth is adjustableMost current reasoning models let you cap how long they think, turning quality into a dial.

Not always betterOn extraction and classification a reasoning model is slower and dearer for identical results.

Models with this capability

The 169 models below all support this capability. Prices are input and output per 1M tokens from the vendor official price list; for dirhams multiply by 3.6725. Tap a card to open the model page.

Claude Fable 5.1

Anthropic

in $10out $501M tokens

GPT-6 Astra

OpenAI

in $10out $501.05M tokens

GPT-6.1 Sol

OpenAI

in $2out $101.05M tokens

GPT-6 Sol

OpenAI

in $2out $101.05M tokens

GPT-6 Luna

OpenAI

in $0.1out $0.51.05M tokens

Claude Opus 5.5

Anthropic

in $4out $201M tokens

Claude Sonnet 5.5

Anthropic

in $2out $101M tokens

Grok 4.7

xAI

in $2out $6500K tokens

How to choose

Use reasoning where the first plausible answer is often wrong: maths, analysis, code review, planning.
Prefer models with an adjustable depth control so you can tune cost per task.
Watch output limits — deliberation plus answer can hit the max output ceiling on long tasks.
Compare on your own hard cases, not on benchmark scores.

Common mistakes

Leaving thinking on maximumDefault depth is rarely optimal. Most tasks finish just as well at a lower setting.

Using reasoning for formattingReshaping text into JSON needs structured output, not deliberation.

Who this suits

AnalystsMulti-step financial and legal reasoning where a missed condition is expensive.

Engineering teamsCode review, migration planning and debugging across many files.

Research workSynthesis across conflicting sources, where the model must weigh rather than summarise.

Related filters

Adjustable thinking79 models with a reasoning depth dial

Frontier tier41 flagship models, the best each vendor sells

Code execution47 models that run code in a sandbox

Tool calling166 models that call your functions

All 239 modelsThe full rating with filters and prices

Frequently asked questions

Why do reasoning models cost more?

They generate hidden thinking tokens before the visible answer, and those tokens bill at the output rate. A hard question can produce several times more billed tokens than its answer suggests.

Can I limit how much a model thinks?

Yes on 72 of them. Claude, Grok, Qwen3 and DeepSeek V4 expose a depth control; DeepSeek switches thinking off entirely.

When is reasoning not worth it?

Classification, routing, extraction and summarising short text. A fast model does these as well for a tenth of the price.

Do reasoning tokens appear in the response?

No — you pay for them but do not see them. Some vendors expose a summary of the reasoning instead.

Is a reasoning model slower?

Noticeably. Expect seconds rather than milliseconds, which rules it out of autocomplete-style features.

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Reasoning AI models: they think before answering, and bill for it

Browse by need

Models with this capability

How to choose

Common mistakes

Who this suits

Related filters

Frequently asked questions

Why do reasoning models cost more?

Can I limit how much a model thinks?

When is reasoning not worth it?

Do reasoning tokens appear in the response?

Is a reasoning model slower?

Frequently searched