DoubaoCatalog
Available through the NextModel gateway via Doubao.
Best forimage understanding, multimodal chat
RoutingConfigured
StreamingVision
Platform curatedNextModel gateway catalog (Go origin)
Model shortlist
Best low-cost LLM API models for Indian developer teams
Compare low-cost LLM API models for Indian teams by input price, output price, context window, capabilities, source, and production fit.
What is this shortlist for?: Cheap LLM API
The lowest sticker price is a weak starting point. Cheap models work well for classification, short summaries, routing, and bulk drafts. They break down when the task needs careful reasoning or long agent runs. Match the model to the job first, then look at input and output rates. On this page you get price, context, capability, and provider source in one table. Run the numbers on /tools/llm-cost-calculator and /pricing before you put anything in production.
Source basis: NextModel curated catalog, provider public pricing, and OpenRouter metadata when available. · Updated 2026-08-05
How to use this shortlist
How to use this shortlist (Cheap LLM API)
- Match the shortlist to the job. Check whether the Cheap LLM API candidates fit your real workload, not only the posted rate.
- Run the same prompts. Test two or three candidates on production-like prompts and note quality and output length.
- Estimate monthly cost. Use the pricing page or cost calculator with expected token volume.
- Set fallback and budget. Pick a primary model, a fallback, and a project budget before production traffic.
Blended price
Recommended candidates cheap llm api
Start with the shortlist, then test real prompts and compare monthly cost before production routing in India.
DoubaoCatalog
Available through the NextModel gateway via Doubao.
Best forimage understanding, multimodal chat
RoutingConfigured
StreamingVision
Platform curatedNextModel gateway catalog (Go origin)
DoubaoCatalog
Available through the NextModel gateway via Doubao.
Best forimage understanding, multimodal chat
RoutingConfigured
StreamingVision
Platform curatedNextModel gateway catalog (Go origin)
DoubaoCatalog
Available through the NextModel gateway via Doubao.
Best forimage understanding, multimodal chat
RoutingConfigured
StreamingVision
Platform curatedNextModel gateway catalog (Go origin)
Comparison table
Compare the shortlist by price, provider, context, capability, and source.
Use this view when narrowing a production shortlist, building a fallback policy, or comparing model economics for India-based teams.
| Model | Provider | Input | Output | Context | Capabilities | Best for | Latency | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doubao Seedance 2 0 260128doubao/doubao-seedance-2-0-260128 | Doubao | $0 / 1M tokens | $0 / 1M tokens | — | StreamingVision | image understanding, multimodal chat | 1000-3000ms | Catalog | Platform curated |
| Doubao Seedance 2 0 Fast 260128doubao/doubao-seedance-2-0-fast-260128 | Doubao | $0 / 1M tokens | $0 / 1M tokens | — | StreamingVision | image understanding, multimodal chat | 1000-3000ms | Catalog | Platform curated |
| Doubao Seedance 2 0 Mini 260615doubao/doubao-seedance-2-0-mini-260615 | Doubao | $0 / 1M tokens | $0 / 1M tokens | — | StreamingVision | image understanding, multimodal chat | 1000-3000ms | Catalog | Platform curated |
| Doubao Seedream 4 0 250828doubao/doubao-seedream-4-0-250828 | Doubao | $0 / 1M tokens | $0 / 1M tokens | — | StreamingVision | image understanding, multimodal chat | 1000-3000ms | Catalog | Platform curated |
| Doubao Seedream 4 5 251128doubao/doubao-seedream-4-5-251128 | Doubao | $0 / 1M tokens | $0 / 1M tokens | — | StreamingVision | image understanding, multimodal chat | 1000-3000ms | Catalog | Platform curated |
| Doubao Seedream 5 0 260128doubao/doubao-seedream-5-0-260128 | Doubao | $0 / 1M tokens | $0 / 1M tokens | — | StreamingVision | image understanding, multimodal chat | 1000-3000ms | Catalog | Platform curated |
| Dreamina Seedance 2 0 260128dreamina/dreamina-seedance-2-0-260128 | Dreamina | $0 / 1M tokens | $0 / 1M tokens | — | StreamingVision | image understanding, multimodal chat | 1000-3000ms | Catalog | Platform curated |
| Dreamina Seedance 2 0 Fast 260128dreamina/dreamina-seedance-2-0-fast-260128 | Dreamina | $0 / 1M tokens | $0 / 1M tokens | — | StreamingVision | image understanding, multimodal chat | 1000-3000ms | Catalog | Platform curated |
FAQ
Cheap LLM API FAQ
What is the cheapest model in this catalog?
It depends on FX and how long answers are. In CNY production entries, Doubao Seed 2.0 Mini is usually the lowest here.
Should teams always pick the cheapest LLM API?
No. Use cheap models for repeatable, low-risk work. Keep a stronger model for hard answers, coding agents, and anything you would be embarrassed to ship wrong.
How do caching and routing lower the effective cost of a cheap LLM API?
Route easy requests to the cheap model, cache repeated prefixes when it is safe, and keep one OpenAI-compatible base URL. The calculator at /tools/llm-cost-calculator is a quick way to sanity-check the savings.
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