GPT 6.1 Terra Review: A None Effort Setting and 37,000-Token Images
Pick GPT 6.1 Terra for high-volume screens, documents and writing where reasoning_effort none helps; so far we have run only launch checks, no scored tests.
Freedom Score
Not yet tested
- Price
- $2.00 per 1M mixed tokens (3 input : 1 output)
- Output speed
- 36 tok/s
- Success rate
- Collecting data
GPT 6.1 Terra is OpenAI's lighter GPT 6.1 model, released on 26 October 2026. OpenAI describes it as a fast, efficient model for visual reasoning, precise computer use and clear, natural writing. On our API it is one OpenAI-compatible chat endpoint that takes text and images and returns text, with the same 1,050,000-token window and 128,000-token reply ceiling as the larger Sol.
- SpicyAPI Engineering
- Tested Oct 28, 2026
- Methodology v3.3 →
- We sell these models; scores ignore price →
The verdict
This is a launch-day review. On 28 October 2026 our platform ran a real request through the endpoint as part of launch: one neutral message, answered without streaming at low reasoning effort. It returned a complete answer. We have not run a quality blind test or a content-level test, and this page does not score the model.
Terra is the one to put on high-volume traffic: forms, screenshots, documents and drafts, where an answer you can check quickly matters more than the deepest possible reasoning. It is also the GPT 6.1 model that accepts reasoning_effort none, which skips the reasoning pass for extraction and short rewrites.
Key facts
- Tested: one real launch request on 28 Oct 2026 (neutral prompt, low reasoning effort, no streaming). No scored runs yet.
- Price: $1 per million input tokens, $0.05 cached and $5 output; prompts over 272,000 tokens are billed on a higher tier for the whole request. The live price is on the model page.
- Limits: 1,050,000-token context, replies up to 128,000 tokens (default 4,096, reasoning included), text and image input with up to 37,000 tokens per image.
- Reasoning: reasoning_effort takes none, low, medium, high, xhigh or max (default medium).
- Sources: scoring rules are on our review methodology page, full parameters on the GPT 6.1 Terra model page.
What we liked and what held it back
What we liked
- A none setting. At none the model answers without a reasoning pass first, which suits extraction, classification and short rewrites; Sol does not offer it.
- Large image budget. Each image can use up to 37,000 input tokens on this endpoint, against 16,384 on Sol, which matters for a full-page screenshot or a dense table.
- The same window as Sol. 1,050,000 tokens in and 128,000 out, so moving a workload between the two is a model-name change.
- A newer knowledge cutoff. OpenAI lists 1 June 2026 for Terra against 30 April 2026 for Sol.
- Half the per-token price of Sol. $1 input and $5 output against $2 and $10.
What held it back
- We have no quality numbers of our own yet. Neither a blind test nor a speed test has been run, so "fast" here is OpenAI's description, not our measurement.
- A price cliff at 272,000 tokens. A prompt over that size is billed on a higher tier for the whole request.
- Reasoning is paid for out of max_tokens. The default cap is 4,096; at a high effort a small cap can be used up before the visible answer ends.
- No audio or video input. Messages carry text and images only.
- Mixed early reaction. Some developers in the launch thread questioned where Terra fits next to Sol (see the community section).
What we tested
On 28 October 2026 our platform sent GPT 6.1 Terra one real request as part of launch: a single neutral user message, answered without streaming at low reasoning effort with a 1,024-token cap. It returned a complete answer, and the request was priced at the published rate. The endpoint also passed our pre-launch checks of its price table and request limits.
That is a working-endpoint check, not a benchmark. We have not compared Terra's answers with Sol or another model, tested the none setting against low on real tasks, measured speed, or tried the 272,000-token tier.
Prompts to start from
These starting prompts come from the model page's published examples. We have not graded the outputs, so they are a place to begin rather than prompts proven on this model.
1. A screenshot review. Send the image as an image_url part and say which region the question is about.
Review a product screenshot and describe the interface changes needed. Work from the material I provide, point to the specific region of the screen you mean, and say what you cannot tell from the image.Run this prompt on GPT 6.1 Terra →
2. A tool step. Confirms your function-calling loop end to end with a trivial function.
Call report_status with status ready.Settings that matter: try reasoningeffort none first for extraction and rewrites, then step up to low or medium only if answers are shallow; leave headroom in maxtokens above the visible answer; send large images as a single crop of the region you care about.
How far it writes
We have not run our content-level test on GPT 6.1 Terra, so we have no result to report and the endpoint carries no Unrestricted label. The model page states the position plainly: content decisions come from the model, its behaviour can vary between versions, and no guarantee of unrestricted output is made.
Not tested yet: the content-level ladder, multi-turn behaviour over a long session, languages other than English, and the none setting under load.
Every character in a request should be an adult, keep real, identifiable people out of it, and you are responsible for the law where you publish.
What the community says
The launch thread was divided. One reader read the charts as "this effectively matches GPT-6-Astra at a fraction of the cost, and is neck-and-neck with 6.1-Sol", qualified with "If those charts are true". Another questioned the cost on agent benchmarks: "Terra XHigh more expensive than Sol Low and still does worse." A third doubted the niche: "Virtually every task I give to either is better served by going up a tier and down a reasoning level, or down a tier and up a reasoning level." Test your own workload before you move traffic.
Alternatives
- Harder problems? GPT 6.1 Sol is the larger sibling at twice the per-token price; it has no none setting.
- A different publisher's fast model? Gemini 3.7 Flash is Google's Flash-class option on the same API.
- A smaller Anthropic model? Claude Haiku 5.5 is the Anthropic option for lighter work.
How GPT 6.1 Terra earns its Spicy Index
Each dimension below links to its full workings: the table row every point came from and why points were lost.
- Public leaderboards 40% of quality
- Not yet tested
- Role-play 15% of quality
- Not yet tested
- Creative writing 15% of quality
- 67.8
- Instruction following 15% of quality
- 100.0
- Long-context memory 15% of quality
- Not yet tested
- Capability 10.5% weight
- 57.0
- Freedom Score 30% weight
- Not yet tested
No exact match on a tracked public leaderboard yet. How it works
Our role-play suite hasn’t run on this model yet. How it works
Our long-context suite hasn’t run on this model yet. How it works
Freedom evidence is untested or insufficient. The Index retains the original quality and capability score, is marked preliminary and still receives a rank. Missing evidence is not zero. How it works
Freedom evidence is untested or insufficient. The Index retains the original quality and capability score, is marked preliminary and still receives a rank. Missing evidence is not zero.
Open the full test report →Capability, item by item
Points from the public scoring table. Upscaled tiers and limits we set ourselves don’t count.
- Context window (creator-published)Not declared
- 0.0 / 30
- Input modalities on SpicyAPIText, plus images
- 12.0 / 25
- Tool useTools and tool_choice
- 15.0 / 15
- Structured outputAccepted, schema adherence verified
- 15.0 / 15
- Reasoning control6 levels: none · low · medium · high · xhigh · max
- 15.0 / 15
What GPT 6.1 Terra can do on SpicyAPI
Straight from the live model specification on SpicyAPI. Some creators offer more in their own apps; this is what you can call through our API today.
| Feature | Chat |
|---|---|
| Context window | 1,050,000 tokens |
| Max output per request | 128,000 tokens |
| Reasoning levels | none · low · medium · high · xhigh · max |
| Tool calling | Yes |
| Structured output | Yes |
How long it really takes
Measured on real jobs over the last 30 days, from request to finished result. Times include our own test runs.
- Output speed
- 36 tok/sIncludes time to first token
- Success rate
- Collecting data
A time appears once at least 10 completed jobs are in. Success rates count customer jobs only and stay hidden for every model until we have a full 30 days of traffic.
What people say about GPT 6.1 Terra
1 positive · 1 mixed · 1 negative
If those charts are true, this effectively matches GPT-6-Astra at a fraction of the cost, and is neck-and-neck with 6.1-Sol.
hacker-news· Oct 26, 2026· PositiveSource
Terra XHigh more expensive than Sol Low and still does worse.
hacker-news· Oct 26, 2026· NegativeSource
Virtually every task I give to either is better served by going up a tier and down a reasoning level, or down a tier and up a reasoning level.
hacker-news· Oct 26, 2026· MixedSource
Quotes are verbatim from public posts, linked to the original. They are not ratings and don’t feed any score.
Models to consider instead of GPT 6.1 Terra
OpenAI
GPT 6.1 Sol
Harder problems?
- Spicy Index
- 81.2+1.3
- Freedom Score
- —
- Price
- $4.00+100%/ 1M tokens · 3:1 input/output
Google
Gemini 3.7 Flash
A different publisher's fast model?
- Spicy Index
- 77.8−2.1
- Freedom Score
- 73.3
- Price
- $1.35−32%/ 1M tokens · 3:1 input/output
Anthropic
Claude Haiku 5.5
A smaller Anthropic model?
- Spicy Index
- 76.4−3.5
- Freedom Score
- 77.8
- Price
- $0.20−90%/ 1M tokens · 3:1 input/output
What do you think?
Was this review useful?
Log in to vote.
Comments
Comments are checked automatically and by our team. We remove spam, offensive content, personal attacks and anything that names a real person without consent. Report a comment and we review it within one business day.
Tried this model? Share what worked. You need a free account to comment, so we can keep spam out.
GPT 6.1 Terra FAQ
Try GPT 6.1 Terra yourself
Set every parameter in the Playground and see the exact price before you run it.
$2.00 per 1M mixed tokens (3 input : 1 output)
More reviews
See the leaderboards →Kimi K3.1 Pro
Pick Kimi K3.1 Pro for long-context work with screenshots and clips when you accept always-on thinking; so far we have run only launch checks, no scored tests.
- Spicy Index
- 80.4
- Freedom Score
- —
Tested Oct 28, 2026
Read the review
Grok 4.3
Pick Grok 4.3 for a huge context window, a genuine reasoning off switch and uncensored writing at a low price; skip it if you need file uploads.
Tested Sep 24, 2026
Read the review
Grok 4.7
Pick Grok 4.7 for uncensored roleplay and fiction that must work with no jailbreak; skip it for long chapters per turn or long agent loops.
Tested Sep 24, 2026
Read the review