Google's New AI Costs About a Fifth of What Its Rivals Charge

Google has a new top model, and it's pricing it to win. Gemini 4 Argon launched on October 13 at an introductory developer price that The Verge calls "around a fifth the cost of OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra and Anthropic's Fable 5 models."

What happened

Google says Argon is "now globally available today for developers and enterprises via the API in AI Studio." It's also available to Google AI Ultra subscribers in Google Antigravity, and to Google AI Ultra and Pro subscribers in the Gemini app and AI Mode in Search. According to The Verge, "It is not clear when — or if — Argon will be available to Plus subscribers or free users."

The details

Price. Google's introductory price is $2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens, with cached input tokens at 95% off. A footnote on Google's announcement says that after the introductory period ends on November 30, 2026, the price rises to $4 per million input tokens and $20 per million output tokens. For comparison, OpenAI and Anthropic both list GPT-6 Astra and Claude Fable 5.1 at $10 per million input tokens.

Performance. Google says Argon outperforms other frontier models on benchmarks across domains, "ranking #1 on the Vals Index." The Verge reports that Google claims Argon beats GPT-6 Astra, Claude Fable 5.1 and Claude Opus 5.5 on benchmarks including coding, cybersecurity, science, finance and law. These are Google's own claims.

How to switch. Pro and Ultra subscribers can pick Argon from the model menu in the Gemini app. In AI Mode, Search Engine Land reports that Google's Robby Stein says to tap the plus icon to switch to Argon.

Why brands should care

Two reasons. First, AI Mode is part of Google Search, so a stronger model there changes how answers about your business, your category and your competitors get written. Second, cheaper tokens make AI tools cheaper to build and run, which tends to mean more of them in the apps and agencies you already use.

What to do

Our suggestions, not Google guidance:

1. Ask AI Mode about yourself. If you're on Pro or Ultra, switch AI Mode to Argon and search the questions your customers ask, like "best [your service] near [your town]." Search Engine Land's advice is similar: see where your brand falls for your top queries.
2. Fix what it gets wrong at the source. Check your Google Business Profile and website for hours, prices and services that don't match what the answer says.
3. Don't build a budget on the intro price. It doubles after November 30.

Sources

• Google: Introducing Gemini 4 Argon (Oct 13, 2026)
• The Verge: Google releases Gemini 4 Argon (Oct 13, 2026)
• Search Engine Land: Gemini 4 Argon rolling out in Google AI Mode and Gemini (Oct 13, 2026)
• OpenAI API pricing
• Anthropic Claude pricing

FAQ

How much does Gemini 4 Argon cost?

Google's introductory price is $2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens, with cached input tokens 95% off. After November 30, 2026, it rises to $4 per million input tokens and $20 per million output tokens.

Who can use Gemini 4 Argon?

Developers and enterprises through the API in AI Studio, Google AI Ultra subscribers in Google Antigravity, and Google AI Ultra and Pro subscribers in the Gemini app and AI Mode in Search. The Verge says it's not clear when, or if, Plus subscribers or free users will get it.

Is Gemini 4 Argon cheaper than GPT-6 Astra and Claude Fable?

Per token, yes. The Verge says the introductory price is around a fifth the cost of OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra and Anthropic's Fable 5 models, and both list $10 per million input tokens on their pricing pages.