OpenAI's GPT-6 Sol and Luna cut prices in half but barely move the needle on performance
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OpenAI has released GPT-6 Sol and Luna, two new models that cut prices by 50% compared to their GPT-5.6 predecessors while aiming to maintain comparable performance levels. GPT-6 Sol is priced at $2 per million input tokens and $10 per output tokens, targeting complex recurring tasks like coding and debugging. The cheaper GPT-6 Luna costs $0.10 for input and $0.50 for output, designed for high-volume, well-defined tasks such as summarization. OpenAI highlights significant improvements in prompt caching, offering a 90% discount on cached inputs to further reduce costs. Benchmarks suggest these models rival Anthropic's expensive Claude Opus 5 at roughly 80% lower cost, with Sol performing similarly to Fable 5.1 in coding tests despite the price difference. However, independent analysis by Artificial Analysis indicates that intelligence scores have barely moved, with some regressions observed in knowledge-work benchmarks. Critics note that OpenAI’s benchmark selection appears cherry-picked, omitting certain metrics while highlighting favorable comparisons against competitors. Ultimately, the launch represents a strategic bet on price-to-performance rather than significant leaps in raw AI capability.
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