OpenAI's GPT-6.1 Terra is the work ute of AI models: cheaper, quicker and handy with your apps
By Brett Gavaghan, Founder of Adaptd ·
OpenAI released GPT-6.1 Terra on 26 October. It's a cheaper, faster model built for computer use, available in ChatGPT Work and Codex on paid plans.
The short version
- GPT-6.1 Terra is a new OpenAI model that reads screens and takes actions across apps, at a lower cost than OpenAI's top models.
- It is rolling out in ChatGPT Work and Codex on paid plans and in the API, but not in the regular Chat tab.
- Use Terra for routine computer tasks so your usage allowance lasts longer, and keep the bigger models for deep research.
Not every job needs the most expensive model. Sometimes you want the reliable ute, not the sports car, and OpenAI's newest model is very much the ute.
What is GPT-6.1 Terra?
GPT-6.1 Terra is OpenAI's new efficient model for everyday work: it understands what's on a screen and takes actions across apps, and it writes well too. OpenAI released it on 26 October 2026.
OpenAI says Terra matches GPT-6 Astra on Agents' Last Exam, a test of how well agents use software at work, at one-tenth the price per token. It also finishes tasks more than three times faster on average than Astra and GPT-6.1 Sol.
Who can use it, and what does it cost?
GPT-6.1 Terra is available in ChatGPT Work and Codex on Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu plans. It isn't in the regular Chat tab.
In ChatGPT, Terra makes your usage allowance go further than the bigger Sol and Astra models. For developers, the API price is US$1 per million input tokens and US$5 per million output tokens, half the standard price of GPT-5.6 Terra. Software, eh? The cheaper one is now the faster one too.
Should your business switch to it?
Your business should switch to GPT-6.1 Terra for routine computer tasks, like matching product photos to a catalogue or filling in the same form across several apps. OpenAI itself recommends Sol or Astra for in-depth research and complex coding.
My advice: pick one repetitive job, run it on Terra and on your usual model, and compare the results side by side. If Terra gets it right, you've just made your allowance last longer.
You don't take the sports car to the tip.
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