GPU vs API Cost Comparison

Q: How does self-hosting compare to API pricing?

With a dedicated GPU server you pay a flat monthly rate and can run unlimited inference. API providers charge per million tokens, so costs scale linearly with usage. For most workloads above a few million tokens per day, self-hosting is dramatically cheaper.

Q: What open-source models can replace GPT or Claude?

Popular open-weight alternatives include Llama 3, DeepSeek V3, Qwen2.5, and Mistral. Specialised models like DeepSeek Coder handle code tasks. Many achieve comparable quality to closed APIs.

Q: How many tokens per second can a GigaGPU server produce?

A 7B parameter model on an RTX 3090 can produce 80–120+ tokens per second using vLLM. Larger models on higher-end GPUs maintain similar speeds at larger parameter counts.

Q: Do I need machine learning expertise to self-host?

No. Tools like Ollama make it as simple as a single command. GigaGPU servers come with full root access and support can help with setup.

Q: What about the cost of electricity and maintenance?

GigaGPU pricing includes electricity, cooling, bandwidth, and hardware maintenance. The monthly price is the total price.

Q: Can I try a server before committing long-term?

Yes. GigaGPU offers trial servers. All plans are month-to-month with no contracts.

See How Much You Save Self-Hosting vs Paying Per Token

API providers charge per token — and costs scale fast. Use our interactive calculator to compare OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and DeepSeek API pricing against a flat-rate dedicated GPU server from GigaGPU.

Flat Monthly Pricing Unlimited Tokens No Rate Limits Full Data Privacy No Contracts

AI API providers charge per token — and the costs add up fast. A single developer using Copilot-style completions can generate millions of tokens per month. Scale that to a team, a chatbot, or a batch pipeline, and you’re looking at hundreds or thousands of pounds in recurring API fees.

With a dedicated GPU server from GigaGPU, you pay a flat monthly rate and run as many tokens as your hardware can handle — no per-request billing, no rate limits, no surprises.

Cost Calculator

Estimate your monthly API spend and compare it against a fixed-cost GPU server.

GPU vs API Savings Calculator

Adjust the inputs to match your workload

API Provider

Tokens Per Day (millions)

Input / Output Split

GigaGPU Server

Days Active Per Month

API Cost / Month

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per-token billing

GigaGPU Cost / Month

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flat rate, unlimited tokens

You Save

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Current API Pricing (Per 1M Tokens)

Prices from official provider documentation as of early 2026. All prices in USD.

Provider	Model	Input	Output	5M Tokens/Day (30 days)
OpenAI	GPT-5	$1.25	$10.00	~$1,031/mo
OpenAI	GPT-5.4	$2.50	$10.00	~$1,219/mo
OpenAI	GPT-5 Mini	$0.40	$1.60	~$105/mo
Anthropic	Claude Sonnet	$3.00	$15.00	~$900/mo
Anthropic	Claude Opus	$5.00	$25.00	~$1,500/mo
Google	Gemini 2.5 Pro	$1.25	$10.00	~$1,031/mo
Google	Gemini Flash	$0.30	$2.50	~$221/mo
DeepSeek	V3	$0.14	$0.28	~$26/mo
GigaGPU	RTX 4060 Ti 16GB	Unlimited — flat rate		£109/mo (~$138)
GigaGPU	RTX 3090 24GB	Unlimited — flat rate		£149/mo (~$189)
GigaGPU	RTX 5090 32GB	Unlimited — flat rate		£349/mo (~$442)

Monthly estimates assume 75% input / 25% output split at 5M tokens/day. GBP/USD at ~0.79. API prices may change — check provider docs for current rates.

Real-World Scenarios

See how the numbers play out for common GPU workloads.

Team Coding Assistant

5 Devs

Five developers using AI completions ~2,000 requests/day each, averaging 1,500 tokens per request.

Daily tokens~15M

GPT-5 API cost~$3,094/mo

GigaGPU RTX 3090£149/mo

Estimated saving~94%

Customer Support Chatbot

24/7

A chatbot handling 5,000 conversations/day with an average of 2,000 tokens each.

Daily tokens~10M

Claude Sonnet API~$1,800/mo

GigaGPU RTX 5080£199/mo

Estimated saving~86%

Batch Document Processing

Daily

Summarising and classifying 1,000 documents/day at ~5,000 tokens each.

Daily tokens~5M

Gemini Pro API~$1,031/mo

GigaGPU RTX 4060 Ti£109/mo

Estimated saving~83%

Why Self-Hosting Wins on Cost

Predictable Monthly Cost

No per-token fees, no surprise bills. Pay a fixed rate regardless of how many tokens you process.

No Rate Limits

API providers throttle requests. Your own GPU runs as fast as the hardware allows with no queuing.

Complete Data Privacy

Your prompts and responses never leave your server. No third-party data processing agreements needed.

Scales Without Cost Spikes

Double your usage and your bill stays the same. API costs double linearly with every extra token.

No Per-Seat Licensing

One server serves your entire team. No per-user pricing — add developers without increasing costs.

Full Stack Control

Choose any open-weight model, fine-tune it, swap it — no vendor lock-in, no API deprecation risk.

OpenAI-Compatible API

Run Ollama or vLLM and get an API endpoint that’s a drop-in replacement for OpenAI — same format, zero migration effort.

UK Data Residency

All servers are in our UK data centre. Keep data under UK jurisdiction without relying on US-hosted API providers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does self-hosting compare to API pricing?

With a dedicated GPU server you pay a flat monthly rate — typically £69 to £899 depending on the GPU — and can run unlimited inference. API providers charge per million tokens, so costs scale linearly with usage. For most workloads above a few million tokens per day, self-hosting is dramatically cheaper.

What open-source models can replace GPT or Claude?

Popular open-weight alternatives include Llama 3 and Llama 4 (general purpose), DeepSeek V3 and R1 (reasoning), Qwen2.5 (multilingual), Mistral (compact and fast), and specialised models like DeepSeek Coder for code tasks. Many achieve comparable quality to closed APIs on standard benchmarks.

How many tokens per second can a GigaGPU server produce?

It depends on the model and GPU. As a rough guide, a 7B parameter model on an RTX 3090 can produce 80–120+ tokens per second using vLLM. Larger models on higher-end GPUs like the RTX 5090 or RTX PRO 6000 maintain similar speeds at larger parameter counts. See our benchmarks page for detailed numbers.

When does API pricing make more sense than self-hosting?

APIs can be more cost-effective for very low or bursty usage — for example, a few hundred requests per day. They also make sense if you specifically need a frontier model like GPT-5.4 or Claude Opus that has no open-weight equivalent. For sustained, high-volume inference the maths almost always favours self-hosting.

Do I need machine learning expertise to self-host?

No. Tools like Ollama make it as simple as a single command to download and run a model. vLLM is slightly more involved but well-documented. GigaGPU servers come with full root access and our support team can help with initial setup.

What about the cost of electricity and maintenance?

GigaGPU’s pricing includes electricity, cooling, network bandwidth, and hardware maintenance. There are no hidden infrastructure costs — the monthly price is the total price.

Can I try a server before committing long-term?

Yes. GigaGPU offers trial servers so you can benchmark your workload before committing. All plans are month-to-month with no contracts.

Available on all servers

1Gbps Port
NVMe Storage
128GB DDR4/DDR5
Any OS
99.9% Uptime
Root/Admin Access

Every GigaGPU server includes a dedicated GPU, full root access, and unlimited bandwidth — everything you need to replace per-token API billing with a flat-rate, self-hosted alternative.

Get in Touch

Not sure which GPU matches your token volume? Our team can help you estimate throughput and find the most cost-effective configuration for your workload.

Contact Sales →

Or browse the knowledgebase for setup guides.

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