OpenAI Releases GPT-6.1 Terra at Half the Price of Sol
The cheaper model is built for screen work like forms, drawings and video edits, and it's aimed squarely at cost.
OpenAI released GPT-6.1 Terra on October 26, and it’s built for computer use, visual reasoning, coding and everyday work. It costs significantly less than the larger models, according to BleepingComputer’s launch report.
If you pay by the token or run small automations on your site, it’s the model to test this week.
Where you can use it
According to BleepingComputer, Terra is available now to Plus, Pro, Enterprise and Edu users in ChatGPT Work and Codex.
If you build with the API, you call it as gpt-6.1-terra.
The API price is $1 per million input tokens and $5 per million output tokens. BleepingComputer’s launch report says that’s half of what GPT-5.6 Terra and GPT-6.1 Sol cost.
What OpenAI says it does
The pitch is screen work. OpenAI’s announcement gives its own examples, jobs you’d hand an assistant:
- drafting proposals
- interpreting technical drawings
- filling out forms
- editing videos
InfoWorld’s launch coverage lists the same kinds of work.
On Terminal-Bench 4.0 at maximum reasoning effort, Terra solved 50.3% of tasks, against 21.5% for GPT-5.6 Terra.
OpenAI also says it performs on par with GPT-6 Astra at a tenth of the price per token. On Agents’ Last Exam at max effort, Terra scored 60.0% against Astra’s 59.3%, according to InfoWorld.
That’s a big claim for a mid-tier model.
Speed and limits
OpenAI says Terra completes tasks over three times faster than both GPT-6 Astra and GPT-6.1 Sol.
Still, that’s OpenAI’s own figure, so wait for outside tests before you plan around it.
It isn’t a flagship, though.
For complex reasoning, research and software engineering, Pareekh Jain, CEO at EIIRTrend & Pareekh Consulting, tells InfoWorld that Sol is the better fit.
Jain says Terra is ideal for high-volume tasks such as invoice processing, document analysis and routine coding.
Why it matters
So most site owners don’t need the smartest model. You need one cheap enough to run on every job without watching the bill.
Think product descriptions, support replies and the weekly reports you send clients. They’re the dull jobs that add up when you run them hundreds of times a month.
Which of your jobs run the most tokens each month?
Halving the price matters there.
The computer use part is the bit I’d watch.
So much web business admin is clicking through screens that have no API:
- an old CMS that won’t export cleanly
- the reporting panel of an affiliate network
- a hosting control panel that hasn’t changed in years
Could a model that reads your screen take that off your plate? Maybe.
So I wouldn’t let it publish, pay or delete anything on your site yet, not until you’ve watched it handle the same boring task a few dozen times without a slip.
Do this with one job:
- Pick a task you already run on Sol.
- Run it on Terra for a week.
- Compare cost and output.
Good enough? Switch.
Common Questions
How much does GPT-6.1 Terra cost in the API?
GPT-6.1 Terra costs $1 per million input tokens and $5 per million output tokens. OpenAI says that’s 50% lower than GPT-5.6 Terra and GPT-6.1 Sol, so the same number of tokens you send to either of those today would cost you half as much.
Who can use GPT-6.1 Terra in ChatGPT?
OpenAI says it’s available now to Plus, Pro, Enterprise and Edu users in ChatGPT Work and Codex. If you’re a developer, you can call it through the API as gpt-6.1-terra.
Is GPT-6.1 Terra better than GPT-6.1 Sol?
It’s faster and cheaper, according to OpenAI. For complex reasoning and software engineering, though, Pareekh Jain, CEO at EIIRTrend & Pareekh Consulting, tells InfoWorld that GPT-6.1 Sol is the better fit, and Sol costs more per token.
