Last updated: 2026-05-09

Nesyona Research

Nesyona publishes original research on the AI tool economy. We track real pricing, free-tier longevity, capability boundaries, and cost-per-outcome across 200+ AI products. Our quarterly updates reveal the difference between marketed and delivered value.

Published research

2026-05-09 · published

AI API Token Price Decay 2022-2026: 12 Frontier Models Tracked

Per-model time-series of input and output token prices across 32 priced versions of 12 frontier model families (GPT-3.5 through GPT-5; Claude 1 through Claude 4; Gemini 1.0 through 2.0 Flash; Llama 2/3/3.1 hosted; DeepSeek V2/V3; Mistral Large 2). Cost per a 1k-input/500-output reference task fell roughly 1,000x on the frontier-mini tier between Mar 2023 and Feb 2025; Claude Opus held $15/$75 per million for 26 months across Opus 3 and Opus 4; open-weight hosted pricing leads each closed-weight cost cut by ~73 days median.

Dataset: 32 priced versions across 12 model families Primary sources: openai.com/api/pricing, anthropic.com/pricing, ai.google.dev/pricing, together.ai, fireworks.ai, api-docs.deepseek.com, mistral.ai, archive.org Wayback Machine, Stanford HAI AI Index, stateof.ai

Upcoming research

expected Q4 2026

AI Tool Pricing Reality 2026: 200 Tools, Real Cost-per-Outcome, and Why 60% of Free Tiers Are Loss Leaders

In progress. Methodology being finalized.

How we work

Every study ships with full methodology disclosure: dataset size, time range, exclusions, and source attribution. Surveys disclose sample size, recruitment platform, and demographic stratification. We publish raw data alongside the analysis under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license so researchers, journalists, and operators can verify our claims and build on the work.

We do not run sponsored research, paid placements, or vendor-funded studies. Every study is funded directly by Nesyona as part of its independent editorial mission.

Press and citations

Journalists, researchers, and operators are welcome to cite our findings under CC-BY 4.0 with attribution. For interviews, exclusive embargoed access, or additional data cuts, contact [email protected].

Each study includes a press kit at its /press/ subpage with quotable findings, downloadable charts, and methodology summaries. Embargo requests honored when received at least 72 hours before scheduled publication.

All Nesyona research is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Attribution required: link to the study URL or to nesyona.com/research/.