Azure OpenAI alternatives: API choices

Choose Vertex AI with GPT-OSS 120B for the lowest listed alternative request example ($0.00126); direct OpenAI GPT-6.1 Sol costs $0.03 in the same token scenario.

Updated · 6 sources · Methodology

NeedPickWhy
Lowest alternative example costVertex AI · GPT-OSS 120B$0.001264
Direct GPT-6.1 Sol accessOpenAI · GPT-6.1 Sol$0.032
Claude model accessAnthropic · Claude Opus 5.51M-token context and $4/$20 input/output per 1M tokens3

Models, deployment and account boundaries

ProviderAPI and model IDDocumented context capacity
Azure OpenAI · GPT-6.1 Sol1Azure-hosted model, billed through the Azure subscription1,050,0001
Vertex AI · GPT-OSS 120B4Provider-operated API account131,0724
Novita AI · DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 10175Provider-operated API account1,048,5765
OpenAI · GPT-6.1 Sol2Provider-operated API account1,050,0002
Anthropic · Claude Opus 5.53Provider-operated API account1,000,0003

The Novita AI DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 endpoint lists a 393,216-token maximum output.5

Prices and request cost

ProviderInput / 1M tokensOutput / 1M tokens
Azure OpenAI · GPT-6.1 Sol6Azure tariff for the selected deployment, region and context categoryAzure tariff for the selected deployment, region and context category
Vertex AI · GPT-OSS 120B4$0.09$0.36
Novita AI · DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 10175$0.3$1.2
OpenAI · GPT-6.1 Sol2$2$10
Anthropic · Claude Opus 5.53$4$20
API documentationNovita AI · Chat API
Cost example: 10,000 input + 1,000 billed output tokens
Vertex AI · GPT-OSS 120B$0.00126
Novita AI · DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017$0.0042
OpenAI · GPT-6.1 Sol$0.03
Anthropic · Claude Opus 5.5$0.06

Options, strengths and limitations

  1. Vertex AI · GPT-OSS 120B

    Vertex AI · GPT-OSS 120B has a $0.00126 request example at $0.09/$0.36 per 1M input/output tokens.

    Input / 1M tokens
    $0.09
    Output / 1M tokens
    $0.36
    Context window (tokens)
    131,072

    Strengths

    • Vertex AI keeps this alternative on a Google-managed GPT-OSS 120B model API.4

    Limitations

    • GPT-OSS 120B’s 131,072-token window is smaller than the selected Azure GPT-6.1 Sol window.14

    Sources:4

  2. Novita AI · DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017

    Novita AI · DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 has a $0.0042 request example at $0.3/$1.2 per 1M input/output tokens.

    Input / 1M tokens
    $0.3
    Output / 1M tokens
    $1.2
    Context window (tokens)
    1,048,576

    Strengths

    • Novita supplies the selected DeepSeek model with a 1,048,576-token context.5

    Limitations

    • The Novita option changes GPT-6.1 Sol to DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017; existing Azure model-specific reasoning settings do not carry over automatically.15

    Sources:5

  3. OpenAI · GPT-6.1 Sol

    OpenAI · GPT-6.1 Sol has a $0.03 request example at $2/$10 per 1M input/output tokens.

    Input / 1M tokens
    $2
    Output / 1M tokens
    $10
    Context window (tokens)
    1,050,000

    Strengths

    • Direct OpenAI access retains GPT-6.1 Sol rather than substituting another model family.2

    Limitations

    • Direct OpenAI billing is separate from an Azure subscription; moving the account does not preserve Azure deployment or quota settings.12

    Sources:2

  4. Anthropic · Claude Opus 5.5

    Anthropic · Claude Opus 5.5 has a $0.06 request example at $4/$20 per 1M input/output tokens.

    Input / 1M tokens
    $4
    Output / 1M tokens
    $20
    Context window (tokens)
    1,000,000

    Strengths

    • The Anthropic account gives direct access to the selected Claude Opus 5.5 model.3

    Limitations

    • Claude Opus 5.5 has a 1,000,000-token context rather than GPT-6.1 Sol’s 1,050,000, and requires a different model integration.32

    Sources:3

Methodology and sources

Azure OpenAI · GPT-6.1 Sol / Novita AI · DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 / OpenAI · GPT-6.1 Sol / Anthropic · Claude Opus 5.5 / Vertex AI · GPT-OSS 120B. Azure is the original-product baseline for model support, deployment and Azure-subscription billing. Its token tariff is not assigned a single platform-wide value: region, deployment category and short/long-context pricing apply. The chart compares only the four alternatives’ public uncached rates for 10,000 input and 1,000 billed output tokens. Different models are not quality-equivalent and their prices do not establish savings against an unspecified Azure deployment. No cross-provider speed ranking is made. Cards use alternative example-cost order. Novita AI does not offer GPT-6.1 Sol / Claude Opus 5.5 in its public catalog; their rows use the named first-party endpoints.5

  1. Microsoft · Azure-hosted models, deployments and billing
  2. GPT · developer API pricing
  3. Claude · developer API pricing
  4. Google Cloud · managed model API pricing
  5. Novita AI · DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 endpoint
  6. Microsoft Azure · Azure OpenAI pricing

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