Llama 4 MaverickAPI Pricing

Llama 4 API Pricing: Open-Source Costs and Hosting Options

Meta's Llama 4 is open-weight and free to download, but running it still costs money. Here's what you'll pay for hosted API access versus self-hosting, and how LLMWise fits in.

I want to try nowCompare all model pricingOpen docs

You only pay credits per request. No monthly subscription. Paid credits never expire.

Replace multiple AI subscriptions with one wallet that includes routing, failover, and optimization.

First success in 60 seconds
Step 01Sign up in 10 secondsGet 40 free creditsStep 02Open your dashboardCreate API keyStep 03Send first requestRun a sample
Why teams start here first
No monthly subscription
Pay-as-you-go credits
Start with trial credits, then buy only what you consume.
Failover safety
Production-ready routing
Auto fallback across providers when latency, quality, or reliability changes.
Data control
Your policy, your choice
BYOK and zero-retention mode keep training and storage scope explicit.
Single API experience
One key, multi-provider access
Use Chat/Compare/Blend/Judge/Failover from one dashboard.
Meta API pricing (reference)

Kept as reference for model evaluation. LLMWise pricing shown below is request-based credits.

TierInput / 1M tokensOutput / 1M tokensContextNote
Llama 4 Maverick$0.20$0.60256K tokensMeta's flagship open model. Mixture-of-experts architecture with strong multilingual and coding performance. Available on most inference providers.
Llama 4 Scout$0.08$0.30256K tokensLightweight model optimized for speed and cost. Excellent for edge deployment, classification, and high-throughput workloads.
Llama 4 Behemoth$3.50$10.00256K tokensLargest Llama model (2T parameters). Rivals GPT-5.2 and Opus 4.6 on reasoning benchmarks. Only available via select providers due to compute requirements.
User-facing pricing is request-based, not per token
Evidence snapshot

Llama 4 Maverick pricing analysis

Current Llama 4 Maverick billing context: compare providers, then run the same workload on LLMWise for request-based credits.

LLMWise usage
Chat 1, Compare 3, Blend 4, Judge 5, Failover 1
fixed credits per request
Pricing tiers
3
provider options for this model family
LLMWise scenario cost
Usage-equivalent spend on LLMWise pay-per-use credits (paid credits do not expire)
10,000 chat messages per month (avg 800 input + 400 output tokens each)
Savings result
Llama 4 is already very affordable — LLMWise adds multi-model failover and the ability to compare Llama against proprietary models for a minimal premium
based on workload mix and routing auto-mode
Usage starts-to-finish

Example: Product support workload

If your team sends 20 support messages a day in Chat mode, you typically use around 600 credits each month (1 credit/request).

Workflow
20 req/day
Chat mode / 1 credit each
Monthly estimate
600 credits
before optional auto-topup
What you get
Predictable
same behavior, single model switch
Try this scenario in your dashboard

Why people use LLMWise

API key setup
Single LLMWise key — access Llama 4 alongside GPT-5.2, Claude, Gemini, and more
See Meta comparison
Choose a hosting provider (Together AI, Fireworks, Groq), create account, generate key
Billing model
Consistent credit-based pricing — same model, same cost, regardless of backend provider
See Meta comparison
Varies by provider — per-token, per-second, or reserved GPU billing
Failover
Automatic failover across providers and models — Llama to GPT-5.2 to Claude
See Meta comparison
Tied to one inference provider — if it goes down, you switch manually
Model switching
Unified API + SDKs (OpenAI-style messages) — switch from Llama to any model in one parameter
See Meta comparison
Different providers have different APIs, SDKs, and response formats
Rate limits
Pooled capacity across multiple inference backends — higher effective throughput
See Meta comparison
Provider-dependent, often lower for open models than proprietary APIs
Free tier
40 free trial credits on signup — benchmark Llama against proprietary models instantly
See Meta comparison
Some providers offer limited free tiers (Groq, Together AI)
Cost example

10,000 chat messages per month (avg 800 input + 400 output tokens each)

LLMWise total
Usage-equivalent spend on LLMWise pay-per-use credits (paid credits do not expire)
You save
Llama 4 is already very affordable — LLMWise adds multi-model failover and the ability to compare Llama against proprietary models for a minimal premium
Optional: reference direct API cost

$4.00/mo with Llama 4 Maverick via Together AI ($1.60 input + $2.40 output)

Llama 4 Maverick delivers excellent quality at open-source pricing, making it one of the best values in the API market. The challenge is choosing among hosting providers and managing reliability. LLMWise simplifies this by routing Llama requests through the fastest available backend and automatically falling back to proprietary models during outages. For teams that want open-source economics with closed-source reliability, LLMWise is the bridge.

Common questions

How much does Llama 4 API access cost?
Llama 4 Maverick costs approximately $0.20 per million input tokens and $0.60 per million output tokens through managed API providers. Scout is even cheaper at $0.08/$0.30. Prices vary slightly between hosting providers like Together AI, Fireworks, and Groq.
Is Llama 4 free to use?
Llama 4 weights are free to download under Meta's open license, so self-hosting on your own GPUs has no licensing cost. However, you still pay for compute — a single Maverick instance requires 4x A100 GPUs (~$12/hour on cloud providers). Managed API access is far more cost-effective for most teams.
How does Llama 4 Maverick compare to GPT-5.2 on price?
Llama 4 Maverick ($0.20/$0.60 per 1M tokens) is about 15x cheaper than GPT-5.2 ($3.00/$12.00) on input and 20x cheaper on output. Quality is within 5-10% on most benchmarks, making Maverick an excellent choice for cost-sensitive applications where top-tier accuracy isn't critical.
Should I self-host Llama 4 or use an API?
For most teams, managed API access is more cost-effective unless you're processing millions of tokens daily. Self-hosting Llama 4 Maverick requires approximately $8,700/month in GPU costs (4x A100s), which only breaks even at around 30 billion tokens per month. Below that volume, API access is cheaper.

One wallet, enterprise AI controls built in

You only pay credits per request. No monthly subscription. Paid credits never expire.

Replace multiple AI subscriptions with one wallet that includes routing, failover, and optimization.

Chat, Compare, Blend, Judge, MeshPolicy routing + replay labFailover without extra subscriptions
Start free with 40 creditsSee pricing examples
Related pages
Grok 3 PricingCheapest LLM API: Best Value AI Models for DevelopersGPT-5.2 PricingClaude Sonnet 4.5 PricingGemini 3 Flash PricingDeepSeek V3 Pricing