Reviewed 5 November 2026: this comparison uses the providers' API documentation. It is not an independent benchmark or a claim that either model wins every task.
Compare the bill you will actually receive
Standard API rates per million tokens: both models list $10 input and $50 output. Cache reads are $0.25 for Fable 5.1 and $1 for Astra. Astra prompts over 272K input tokens apply 2× input/cache and 1.5× output pricing to the full request.
Cache writes, eligibility, duration, batch or fast processing, tools and regional options can change the total. A lower cache-read rate saves money only on eligible reused tokens. Compare measured bills for completed tasks; a model that requires more attempts can cost more despite a cheaper unit price. Chat subscription allowances are separate from these API rates.
Run a useful comparison
- Choose representative tasks with checkable answers or acceptance criteria.
- Keep the available tools, source material and time limits comparable; record model IDs and reasoning settings.
- Measure correctness, failures, review effort, latency and total cost. Repeat enough cases to avoid selecting on one impressive answer.
- Test a smaller or cheaper model too. Use a frontier model when it improves the outcome enough to justify its cost.
Read published benchmarks carefully
Scores from different vendors may use different harnesses, tool access, effort and scoring rules. They help choose candidates for evaluation; they do not establish a controlled head-to-head result. This article does not provide a new measured ranking.
Hosted service or local inference?
These are hosted proprietary models, not downloadable weights for an AMD or NVIDIA home GPU. If your project needs offline operation, evaluate an appropriate local model separately. For either deployment, check the actual application's data flows and account settings. The best choice is the one that meets your task requirements under a measured budget.