Wednesday, April 23, 2025
OpenAI API Pricing (Updated for GPT-4.1-mini)


Adding an Assistant to your platform with RadGenius relies on the OpenAI API. Here’s a breakdown of the costs and how the new GPT-4.1-mini model helps you get more value.
New: GPT-4.1-mini Is now the default model
RadGenius Assistants now run on GPT-4.1-mini by default. This is OpenAI’s newest lightweight model that delivers smarter, faster, and more affordable responses than previous versions.
If you need even more advanced reasoning or depth, you can upgrade any individual Assistant to GPT-4.1, OpenAI’s most powerful model yet.
You choose the model per Assistant, giving you the flexibility to balance performance and cost.
GPT vs. Assistant: What’s the Difference?
GPTs are created on the ChatGPT website and require users to log in with an OpenAI account.
RadGenius Assistants are powered by the same underlying technology but are made to be embedded directly into your own website or app. No logins or subscriptions needed for your users, they chat right on your site.
What Does It Cost to Use a RadGenius Assistant?
When someone interacts with your Assistant, OpenAI charges a small fee based on how much text is processed (measured in tokens). You pay the costs directly to OpenAI, with no markup.
GPT-4.1-mini (Default)
- Input (user message): $0.15 per million tokens
- Output (assistant response): $0.60 per million tokens
- Typical cost per conversation: $0.0004–$0.003
GPT-4.1 (Optional Upgrade)
- Input: $5.00 per million tokens
- Output: $15.00 per million tokens
- Typical cost per conversation: $0.01–$0.10 (for more advanced use cases)
One user created 10 Assistants for an online course. Over 170 conversations using GPT-4.1-mini, their total cost was just **$1.67** — just under one penny per conversation.
Tips to Keep Costs Low
Here are some ways to reduce costs without sacrificing quality:
1. Keep Messages Concise
Set clear expectations in your Assistant’s instructions:
- Ask users for specific info
- Tell the Assistant to be brief and to the point
Example instruction: “Answer clearly in 1–2 sentences unless more detail is requested.”
2. Recognize Task Completion
Train your Assistant to say when it has answered the question.This prevents conversations from dragging on unnecessarily.
Example reply: “Looks like that covers it! Let me know if you need anything else.”
3. Monitor Usage
RadGenius includes simple analytics to show:
- How often your Assistant is used
- Conversation history with your users
Use this data to fine-tune your Assistant’s behavior and manage your costs as your traffic grows.
What About File Storage?
Your OpenAI Account gets 1 GB of free file storage for uploading documents, PDFs, and other reference materials to its knowledge base.
To save space:
- Convert large PDFs to plain text
- Remove duplicate or outdated files regularly
With RadGenius, adding AI Assistants to your platform is affordable, allowing you to provide value without significant costs.