What happened
What happened: OpenAI published GPT-6.1 Sol API list rates — Input $2 / Cached input $0.10 / Cache writes $2.50 / Output $10 per 1M tokens, with ~1.05M context and 128K max output — positioned as near-Astra capability at a cheaper API SKU. Tool impact: ChatGPT/Codex product seats stay separate; for bulk API and agent loops, Sol becomes the default meter while Astra stays a critical-path A/B. Long prompts (>~272K input) and Fast mode multiply spend; Batch/Flex remain the cheaper queues when latency allows.
Switch or not?
As of 1 Oct 2026: default Sol for bulk API/agent loops; A/B Astra only on critical paths where finish quality or latency justifies the premium.
Money / risk
Context over ~272K input and Fast mode multiply the bill; cache writes are not free. Prefer Batch/Flex when overnight latency is fine.
Sources (multi-channel)
GitHub, docs, blogs, video — not a single-platform dump.
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docs
OpenAI API docs — GPT-6.1 Sol model page
Official input/cached/cache-write/output rates + context limits.
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blog
OpenAI — Introducing GPT-6.1 Sol
Product framing vs Astra; verify rates on the model/pricing docs.
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docs
OpenAI API docs — Pricing
Cross-check Batch/Flex and Fast multipliers against Sol list rates.
Source
OpenAI API docs — GPT-6.1 Sol · verify independently