Verified LLM API prices — sourced, dated, cross-checked. An index, not a gateway.539 prices · freshest today · median today · 100% within 7 days
How fast do LLM models become obsolete?
A model's real shelf life is set by its own maker's release cadence. Across108 dated models from 13 labs, the busiest brands ship a new model every few weeks — and the global release rate keeps climbing. Three views: each lab's timeline, its median time between releases, and the market-wide acceleration. This measures release cadence, not forced retirement — old models often stay served, at falling prices.
Every release, brand by brand
One row per lab, one dot per model release. Rows sorted by cadence — the density tells the story. Hover a dot for the model; click for its page.
A new model every N days
Median time between two releases of the same lab — the shorter the bar, the faster yesterday's model stops being the newest.
Median of the gaps between consecutive dated releases of each brand (13 brands with 2+ dated models).
The release rate is accelerating
Model releases per quarter across all brands in the index — the market ships faster every year, so shelf lives shrink for everyone.
Fast, and accelerating. Across 108 dated models, the fastest-shipping lab (Alibaba) puts out a new model every 6 days on median. Most major labs ship a new model every one to two months — a model is rarely the newest of its brand for more than a quarter.
Is the pace of LLM releases accelerating?
Yes. Counting the models in this index by release quarter, 2024-Q2 saw 2 releases while 2026-Q3 saw 20 — the release rate has climbed steadily, so the effective shelf life of any given model keeps shrinking.
Does a new release make the previous model obsolete?
Not immediately — older models often stay served and get price cuts, which can make them the better value. This page measures release cadence, not forced retirement: it tells you how long a model stays the newest of its line, not when it disappears.