Gemini 4 Argon API pricing: $2 and $10 per million tokens until Nov 30, then $4 and $20
Per Google's pricing page, read on 2026-10-26 (America/Chicago), Gemini 4 Argon costs $2.00 per million input tokens and $10.00 per million output tokens (thinking tokens count as output) on the paid tier through November 30, 2026, and $4.00 and $20.00 starting December 1, 2026. It is not available on the Gemini API free tier.
Checked by Agentic Weekly's editorial process: vendor pricing pages re-read.
Last verified: 2026-10-26 (America/Chicago) · Versions covered: Gemini 4 Argon (gemini-4-argon); Google's Gemini API pricing page read 2026-10-26 · Evidence: Reported (see “What we tested”)
Gemini 4 Argon price table: introductory and standard
| Item | Through 2026-11-30 | From 2026-12-01 |
|---|---|---|
| Standard input | $2.00 | $4.00 |
| Standard output (including thinking tokens) | $10.00 | $20.00 |
| Standard context caching (implicit only; explicit caching is not supported) | $0.10 | $0.20 |
| Batch input | $1.00 | $2.00 |
| Batch output (including thinking tokens) | $5.00 | $10.00 |
| Batch context caching (implicit only) | $0.05 | $0.10 |
| Free tier | Not available | Not available |
Google's page lists these as the paid-tier rates for the model; it also lists a Flex tier we did not summarize here. Google describes Argon as its flagship reasoning model for complex software engineering, deep mathematical and scientific problem solving, and autonomous multi-step agents. Details on the model are on our Gemini 4 Argon page.
Get the weekly brief: which AI tools to update, try or skip. Free.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. No spam. We email a confirmation link first. Privacy
What the Dec 1 change does to a workload
Illustration only, our arithmetic from list prices: one task with 200,000 uncached input tokens and 20,000 output tokens, using the same token counts for every model. Real token counts differ by model and tokenizer, caching and batch discounts change the bill, and this ignores any tiers or surcharges beyond the standard rates we read.
| Model and period | List price per 1M tokens | Cost per task | Cost per 100 tasks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 4 Argon, introductory (through 2026-11-30) | $2.00 in + $10.00 out | $0.60 | $60.00 |
| Gemini 4 Argon, from 2026-12-01 | $4.00 in + $20.00 out | $1.20 | $120.00 |
| Claude Opus 5.5 | $4.00 in + $20.00 out | $1.20 | $120.00 |
| GPT-6.1 Sol | $2.00 in + $10.00 out | $0.60 | $60.00 |
| GPT-6.1 Terra | $1.00 in + $5.00 out | $0.30 | $30.00 |
| Kimi K3.1 Pro | $2.00 in + $10.00 out | $0.60 | $60.00 |
At these counts the Dec 1 change doubles Argon's cost per task. Every price in the example is the vendor's list price on the date shown; none is a measured bill.
Argon, Opus 5.5, GPT-6.1 Sol, Terra and Kimi K3.1 Pro list prices
| Model | Input | Output | Cached input | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 4 Argon (to Nov 30 / from Dec 1) | $2.00 / $4.00 | $10.00 / $20.00 | $0.10 / $0.20 | Google pricing |
| Claude Opus 5.5 | $4.00 | $20.00 | $0.20 | Anthropic pricing, Opus 5.5 post |
| GPT-6.1 Sol | $2.00 | $10.00 | $0.10 | OpenAI pricing |
| GPT-6.1 Terra | $1.00 | $5.00 | $0.05 | OpenAI pricing |
| Kimi K3.1 Pro | $2.00 | $10.00 | $0.20 | Kimi pricing |
List price is not the whole cost: models use different numbers of tokens per task. Anthropic, for example, says Opus 5.5 uses fewer tokens per task than Opus 5, which is a claim about its own previous model. For a Terra and Opus comparison see GPT-6.1 Terra vs Claude Opus 5.5; for platforms see best LLM platforms.
Is Gemini 4 Argon free?
Not in the API: Google's pricing page says Argon is not available on the Free tier. Google's launch post says Argon is available in the Gemini app and AI Mode in Search for Google AI Ultra and Pro subscribers, and in Google Antigravity for Ultra subscribers. We did not check what those plans cost or how much Argon usage they include.
When to lock in and when to switch
- Cost scales with token use: if your workload will run past Nov 30, budget at $4 and $20 now, since Google's page states those rates for Dec 1.
- Google's page gives no way to lock in the introductory rate. We did not find any statement that it extends past Nov 30; recheck the page before relying on that.
- Batch is half the standard price in both periods on the page, for work that can wait.
- Whether another model is cheaper for you depends on your tokens per task; the illustration above holds token counts fixed, which real models do not.
What we tested
Nothing: we have not called the Gemini API or run Gemini 4 Argon. Every price and date here is Google's published wording on 2026-10-26, and the cost examples are arithmetic on those list prices.
FAQ
When does the Gemini 4 Argon introductory price end?
Google's pricing page says the introductory prices apply through November 30, 2026, and the higher prices start December 1, 2026. That means $2.00 input and $10.00 output per million tokens until then, and $4.00 and $20.00 from December 1, at standard rates.
Is Gemini 4 Argon free?
Not in the API. Google's pricing page says Argon is not available on the Free tier. Google's launch post lists the Gemini app and AI Mode for Google AI Ultra and Pro subscribers.
How does Argon pricing compare to Opus 5.5?
At list prices on 2026-10-26, Argon's introductory $2/$10 is half of Opus 5.5's $4/$20, and from Dec 1 Argon's $4/$20 matches Opus 5.5. Token use per task differs by model, so list price alone does not give the bill.
Does thinking count as output?
Yes for pricing: Google labels the output price as including thinking tokens, so a request that reasons at length is billed at the output rate for those tokens as well as for the visible answer. Check your own token counts before budgeting.
What about cached input?
Google lists context caching at $0.10 per million tokens through Nov 30 and $0.20 from Dec 1 on the standard tier, with implicit caching only; explicit caching is not supported.
Have you tested Gemini 4 Argon?
No. This page reports prices from Google's pricing page and launch post, read on 2026-10-26. We have not called the API or measured a real bill, so the worked example is arithmetic on list prices, not a measured cost.
Sources
- Google AI for Developers: Gemini API pricing (fetched 2026-10-26)
- Google AI for Developers: Gemini 4 Argon model page (fetched 2026-10-26)
- Google AI for Developers: latest Gemini models (fetched 2026-10-26)
- Google: Introducing Gemini 4 Argon (fetched 2026-10-26)
- Anthropic: pricing (fetched 2026-10-26)
- OpenAI API: pricing (fetched 2026-10-26)
- Kimi: K3.1 Pro pricing (fetched 2026-10-26)
Related
Page history
- : First published from Google's pricing page and the other vendors' pricing pages, all read on this date. We have not called any API. Planned: re-read on 2026-12-01 and update.
Markdown version for agents: /guides/gemini-4-argon-api-pricing.md
Free · weekly · about six minutes
Get The Weekly Verdict, free
What shipped this week, what is worth switching to, and what to ignore. We run what we can and label what we only read.
- One email a week. Each release gets one call: update now, worth a look, or skip.
- Every claim shows its evidence. Reported means we read the sources; Tested means we ran it, with the exact scope and the failures left in.
- A free AI Tools Cheat Sheet (web page and printable PDF) lands in your inbox when you confirm.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. No spam. We email a confirmation link first and add you only after you click it. We use your email only to send this newsletter and never sell it. Privacy