The falling price of intelligence
One dot per model: its release date against how much measured intelligence $1 buys — Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index score divided by the model's cheapest blended price per 1M tokens, on a log scale. The climb is the story: each generation delivers more reasoning per dollar, one to two orders of magnitude in two years. Click a brand to isolate it; click a dot for its page.
57 models with a benchmark score, verified 2026-09-05. Intelligence =Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index(0–100); price = cheapest live blended offer ($0 free tiers excluded). See also the raw price trend and thecurrent intelligence-per-dollar ranking ·methodology.
FAQ
How fast is the price of intelligence falling?
Fast. On this chart the best intelligence-per-dollar offer has climbed to 345.3 index points per dollar (DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 (Baidu)), while flagships from a year or two earlier still sit one to two orders of magnitude lower. Each model generation buys more measured reasoning for the same dollar.
What does 'intelligence per dollar' mean?
Each model's Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index score (an aggregate 0–100 reasoning and knowledge benchmark) divided by its cheapest blended API price per 1M tokens. It answers: how much benchmark performance does $1 of tokens buy?
Why do the newest expensive flagships sit low on this chart?
Because peak capability carries a price premium. A flagship can score highest in raw intelligence yet buy the least intelligence per dollar. The models that maximize this metric are usually small, recent, and aggressively priced.