OpenAI vs Vertex AI: Pricing Comparison 2026
Side-by-side pricing comparison of OpenAI and Vertex AI. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.
Bottom line: OpenAI starts at $0.2/mo, making it $2/mo cheaper than Vertex AI ($2/mo). Neither offers a free plan.
Last updated: March 16, 2026
OpenAI vs Vertex AI: Quick Pricing Facts
| Feature | OpenAI | Vertex AI |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0.2/mo | $2/mo |
| Number of Plans | 14 | 12 |
| Free Tier | No | No |
| Pricing Model | usage-based | usage-based |
| Annual Discount | N/A | N/A |
OpenAI is the more affordable option, starting at $0.2/mo compared to Vertex AI's $2/mo. Both are AI & ML tools with 26 combined pricing plans and 0 features compared.
Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your AI & ML needs.
| Pricing Plans |  OpenAI Try it free |  Vertex AI Try it free |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | GPT-5.4 $3/monthCheapest | cached Custom pricing |
| Tier 2 | GPT-5 mini $0/monthCheapest | $14 per 1,000 search queries $14/month |
| Tier 3 | GPT-4.1 $3/monthCheapest | $14 per 1,000 queries $14/month |
| Tier 4 | GPT-4.1 mini $1/monthCheapest | Gemini 2.0 Flash $2/month |
| Tier 5 | GPT-4.1 nano $0/monthCheapest | $45 per 1,000 grounded prompts $45/month |
| Tier 6 | o4-mini $4/monthCheapest | $25 per 1,000 grounded prompts $25/month |
| Tier 7 | Realtime API $2/monthCheapest | Gemini Flash Custom pricing |
| Tier 8 | Sora Video API Custom pricing | $35 per 1,000 grounded prompts $35/monthCheapest |
| Tier 9 | Image Generation API $2/monthCheapest | Model Custom pricing |
| Tier 10 | Responses API Custom pricing | Open Source Model Custom pricing |
| Tier 11 | Chat Completions API Custom pricing | Duration Custom pricing |
| Tier 12 | Assistants API Custom pricing | $10 per 1000 searches $10/monthCheapest |
| Tier 13 | Built-in tools Custom pricing | — |
| Tier 14 | AgentKit Custom pricing | — |
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What Reviewers Say
OpenAI
OpenAI starts at $1.8/mo lower ($0.2/mo vs $2/mo), offers 14 tiers vs 12.
Based on pricing data only. Review the full comparison below for your specific needs.
Best value: OpenAI
Try OpenAI freeWhich Should You Choose?
Choose OpenAI if:
- •You want lower per-user costs—OpenAI starts at $0.2/mo, saving $1.8/mo compared to Vertex AI at $2/mo
- •You need 14 pricing tiers for flexible team sizing—more options mean less overpaying for features you don't need
- •You prioritize OpenAI's user experience and interface over price (both tools are similarly priced)
Choose Vertex AI if:
- •You prioritize Vertex AI's user experience and interface over price (both tools are similarly priced)
- •You prefer Vertex AI's usage-based model with its 12-tier structure
- •Vertex AI's focused feature set keeps your team in control without tool bloat
OpenAI is the more affordable choice [1], starting at $0.2/mo compared to Vertex AI's $2/mo. For a 50-person team on paid plans, this translates to OpenAI saving approximately $90/month. OpenAI offers 14 pricing tiers compared to Vertex AI's 12, giving you more granular control over scaling costs as your team grows. If controlling SaaS spend is a priority, OpenAI offers the better cost-to-value ratio. Consider Vertex AI only if its unique capabilities directly address a gap OpenAI cannot fill.
Frequently Asked Questions: OpenAI vs Vertex AI
Which is cheaper, OpenAI or Vertex AI?
How many pricing plans does OpenAI have vs Vertex AI?
Does OpenAI or Vertex AI offer custom enterprise pricing?
How do OpenAI and Vertex AI compare for AI & ML?
Sources
- OpenAI Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page
- Vertex AI Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page
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