Savings estimate · prices checked 2026-11-03
Gemini 4 Argon vs Levanto Sage 2 for classification calls
List prices
| Model | $ per M input | $ per M output | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 4 Argon | $2 | $10 | Google pricing |
| Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite | $0.25 | $1.5 | Google pricing |
| Levanto Sage 2 | $0.05 | $1 | Levanto list price |
Checked 2026-11-03. Same table the public prices endpoint serves. Gemini 4 Argon: introductory price through Nov 30, 2026, then $4 / $20. At the later price Gemini 4 Argon would cost about $4.50 per 1,000 calls (break-even share 31%). Prices change; the audit always uses the current table.
Cost per call: our assumptions
- 500 input tokens per call (a ~100-token message plus a 400-token prompt, the audit’s defaults).
- 5 visible output tokens (“yes”/“no” plus formatting).
- 120 reasoning tokens at Gemini 4 Argon’s API default effort (
medium), billed as output. This is our estimate, not a provider figure. - Levanto Sage 2 charged the same 500 input tokens (conservative: it needs no instruction prompt) and 2 output tokens, since it returns a decision and a probability.
That gives an estimated $2.25 per 1,000 calls on Gemini 4 Argon, against $0.027 on Levanto Sage 2.
Effort level changes the bill
Reasoning tokens are billed at the output price, so the effort setting can change Gemini 4 Argon’s cost a lot. Estimated cost per 1,000 calls by effort level:
| Effort | Est. reasoning tokens | Per 1,000 calls |
|---|---|---|
| low | 40 | $1.45 |
| medium (API default) | 120 | $2.25 |
| high | 320 | $4.25 |
If a lower effort still gives the answers you need, that is a saving with no new vendor. Test it the same way.
Monthly estimate by volume
“Share kept” is a scenario, not a prediction: the share of calls where Levanto Sage 2 is confident enough to keep. The rest go to Gemini 4 Argon too, so the hybrid pays for both on those calls.
| Calls / month | All on Gemini 4 Argon | Hybrid, 50% kept | 70% kept | 90% kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10,000 | $22.50 | $11.52 | $7.02 | $2.52 |
| 100,000 | $225 | $115 | $70.20 | $25.20 |
| 1,000,000 | $2,250 | $1,152 | $702 | $252 |
Estimates at the assumptions above. A full switch to Levanto Sage 2 would cost $2.70 at 100,000 calls, but only makes sense if it agrees with Gemini 4 Argon on nearly everything.
When the switch is worth it
The audit only recommends a hybrid when it is at least 30% cheaper than staying put. With these prices that needs Levanto Sage 2 to keep at least 31% of calls at your agreement target. Below that, the saving rarely pays for the change.
- Good fit: the same yes/no or labelling prompt runs thousands of times (lead qualification, ticket triage, spam or intent checks, field extraction).
- Keep Gemini 4 Argon: free-text answers, tool use, multi-step reasoning, or inputs that differ a lot call to call.
Check it on your own calls
Paste 10 to 25 inputs with the answers Gemini 4 Argon already gave into the free cutover audit. It measures agreement, picks the confidence threshold that holds your target and projects the cost with your token counts. How it works · Choosing a threshold · Other model pairs · Gemini 4 Argon extraction cost · Reasoning effort cost