Qubax vs OpenRouter vs Direct API Pricing
Qubax sells the same 340+ official AI models at 3-97% below OpenRouter and provider-direct retail — typically 49-99% cheaper per token. Same API format, pay-per-token, crypto or card.
Last updated: August 2026 · Prices refresh every 5 minutes
Quick answer
Qubax is the cheapest option for the same official models. It buys surplus GPU inference wholesale and resells at min(cost × 1.5, 97% of retail) — so prices land 3-97% below OpenRouter and far below OpenAI/Anthropic direct. The API is OpenAI-compatible: swap the base URL and your code works as-is.
Per-model pricing (input, per 1M tokens)
OpenRouter / direct-API retail is the benchmark price for the same model.
| Model | Qubax Input | OpenRouter / Direct Retail | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Sonnet 4.5 | $0.267 | $3.00 | 91% |
| Claude Opus 4.6 Fast | $13.50 | $36.00 | 63% |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | $0.090 | $1.00 | 91% |
| GPT-4o | $0.086 | $2.50 | 97% |
| GPT-5.5 Pro | $2.78 | $15.00 | 81% |
| Gemini 2.5 Pro | $0.113 | $0.625 | 82% |
| Gemini 3.1 Pro | $2.70 | $2.00 | -35% |
| DeepSeek V4 Pro (Morpheus Web) | $0.649 | $1.73 | 63% |
| Hermes 3 Llama 3.1 405b (Morpheus Web) | $0.412 | $1.10 | 63% |
Output tokens are discounted by the same rate. Full catalog with live prices: qubax.ai/models · Interactive calculator: qubax.ai/compare
Why Qubax is cheaper
Wholesale sourcing
Qubax buys surplus GPU inference on the Surplus Intelligence marketplace, where providers compete on price.
Formula pricing
Every model is priced mechanically: min(cost × 1.5, 97% of retail). No tiered markups, no enterprise gates.
Pay-per-token only
Prepaid credits, crypto or card, credits never expire. No subscription, no minimum spend.
Switching from OpenRouter or a direct API
- Create an account at qubax.ai/register — no credit card needed.
- Top up with crypto (BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC and 200+ more) or card.
- Generate an API key (format:
qbx_live_…). - Change your OpenAI SDK base URL to
https://api.qubax.ai/v1. Existing code, Cursor, Cline and Codex configs work unchanged.
Frequently asked questions
Is Qubax cheaper than OpenRouter?
+
Is Qubax cheaper than OpenRouter?
+Yes. Qubax sells the same official models at 3-97% below OpenRouter retail prices — typically 49-99% cheaper per token — because it sources spare GPU capacity wholesale via the Surplus Intelligence marketplace.
Is Qubax cheaper than the OpenAI or Anthropic direct API?
+
Is Qubax cheaper than the OpenAI or Anthropic direct API?
+Yes. Direct provider APIs charge full retail. Qubax offers the same GPT and Claude models through an OpenAI-compatible endpoint at a fraction of the direct price, with pay-as-you-go crypto payments instead of cards.
Are the models real or proxied imitations?
+
Are the models real or proxied imitations?
+They are the real models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, DeepSeek and others, accessed through the same OpenAI-compatible API format you already use.
Do I need a subscription or credit card?
+
Do I need a subscription or credit card?
+No. Qubax is pay-per-token with prepaid credits. Top up with 200+ cryptocurrencies (BTC, ETH, SOL, USDT, USDC) — no credit card, no KYC, no monthly minimum.
How do I switch from OpenRouter or a direct API to Qubax?
+
How do I switch from OpenRouter or a direct API to Qubax?
+Change your base URL to https://api.qubax.ai/v1 and use a Qubax API key. Existing OpenAI SDK code works unchanged — Cursor, Cline, Codex and custom apps included.
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