Quick Answer
OpenAI hasn't priced GPT-6 Astra, but a reasonable read: it will land above GPT-5.6 Sol ($5/$30 per million tokens), and its native multi-agent design may introduce per-agent-call or per-reasoning-step billing on top of raw tokens. Budget takeaway: reserve Astra for critical reasoning, keep cheap tiers for everything else.
The Baseline: GPT-5.6's Three Tiers
| Tier | Input ($/M) | Output ($/M) | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-5.6 Sol | $5 | $30 | Flagship reasoning |
| GPT-5.6 Terra | $2 | $12 | Mid-tier value |
| GPT-5.6 Luna | $0.20 | $1.20 | Lightweight |
Note the spread: Luna to Sol is a 25× output-price gap. Astra, as the next-generation flagship, will most likely open a tier above Sol rather than replace it.
Three Reasons Astra Will Be Expensive
- Flagship positioning — generation-over-generation flagship pricing rarely goes down during a reasoning-paradigm upgrade.
- Compute cost — its 10 math problems cost ~$2,000 in tokens (~$200/problem), showing inference density far beyond normal chat.
- Multi-agent compounding — a native multi-agent model naturally invites per-agent-call billing, inflating the real bill beyond nominal token price.
The Bigger Shift: Billing Method May Change
More important than "what's the price" is how it's priced. Traditional APIs bill input+output tokens, but a multi-agent model's true cost is in internal reasoning steps and agent-to-agent communication. If Astra bills per reasoning step or per agent call:
- The nominal token price may look modest, but complex tasks multiply the real bill.
- "Token usage" no longer equals "cost" — budget by task complexity, not token count.
How to Budget
Use three-layer routing so Astra doesn't eat your whole budget:
| Layer | Model | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Critical reasoning / hard coding | GPT-6 Astra | ~20% |
| Everyday work | GPT-5.6 Terra | ~40% |
| Batch / low-value | GPT-5.6 Luna / DeepSeek | ~40% |
With a multi-model gateway like TeamoRouter, this routing is a model string change — same key, same balance — confining "Astra is too expensive" to the 20% that's worth it.
FAQ
Q: Could Astra be priced equal to or below Sol?
Unlikely. Flagship generations usually raise the top tier. Even "price-cut to democratize" strategies cut Luna/Terra, not the flagship.
Q: Should I pre-buy Astra quota now?
No. The price and billing model are unsettled — prepaying bets on unknown pricing. Use pay-as-you-go once official pricing lands.
Q: Will multi-agent billing make costs unpredictable?
Yes, if you throw every complex task at Astra. Guard it with routing + usage alerts, keeping Astra on the "worth it" 20% of tasks.
Summary
Astra will likely price above Sol with a more complex billing model. Treat it as a "nuclear option for critical reasoning," not daily ammunition. Sign up for TeamoRouter to route by model and lock Astra's cost onto high-value tasks.
Get Started
Create a key at TeamoRouter and start routing tasks across models today.
