When evaluating the "cheapest" options, it's important to consider both direct API costs (per token or per request) and subscription fees, as well as the quality and capabilities of the models themselves. A very cheap model that produces unusable output isn't truly cost-effective. OpenRouter.ai stands out as a strong contender due to its comprehensive aggregation of models and transparent pricing. It bills per million tokens, with varying rates for input (prompt) and output (completion) tokens. Crucially, OpenRouter.ai also offers a :floor
shortcut, which automatically selects the lowest-priced provider for a given model, directly addressing the "cheapest" aspect of our search. Key Features for Uncensored Use on OpenRouter.ai: * :beta
Variant: As mentioned, this suffix on a model name signifies that OpenRouter.ai does not moderate the output. This is the most direct indicator that a model through OpenRouter might permit explicit content. However, users still need to verify the underlying model's inherent filters. * Model Diversity: OpenRouter hosts models from various providers, some of which are known for their less restrictive approaches. While OpenRouter doesn't explicitly endorse NSFW content, models optimized for "creative roleplay and dialogue generation" or "advanced narrative, roleplay, and instructional tasks," such as Anubis Pro 105B v1, Skyfall 36B v2, and Wayfarer Large 70B, often provide more flexibility in content. Many popular character AI chat applications, which often cater to explicit content, are built using OpenRouter, indicating that its hosted models are suitable for such purposes. * Cost Optimization: The :floor
pricing shortcut is invaluable for budget-conscious users. This ensures that for any given model, OpenRouter will route your request to the provider offering the most economical rate at that moment. Pricing on OpenRouter.ai (Examples, as of 2025): Pricing on OpenRouter is token-based and varies significantly by model and provider. Some models are even listed as "free" (e.g., NVIDIA: Llama 3.1 Nemotron Ultra 253B v1, Gemma 3 models). However, these free models might have rate limits or performance considerations. For paid models, costs can range widely: * Amazon Nova Micro 1.0: Around $0.035 per million input tokens and $0.14 per million output tokens, optimized for speed and cost. While not explicitly tagged as uncensored, its low cost makes it attractive if its filters are found to be lenient. * Anubis Pro 105B V1 (by TheDrummer): Priced higher at approximately $0.80 per million input tokens and $1 per million output tokens. This model is explicitly mentioned for "advanced narrative, roleplay" and "enhanced emotional intelligence," which are often desired for uncensored interactions. * DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 70B: While not exclusively on OpenRouter, DeepSeek's API costs are competitive. On DeepSeek's native API, the R1 model can cost as low as $0.035 per million input tokens during off-peak hours and $0.550 per million output tokens. If available through OpenRouter (which it often is via various providers), this could be a very cheap option. Personal Anecdote/Observation: When first experimenting with AI for creative writing that strayed into grittier themes, I found myself constantly hitting content filter walls with mainstream APIs. Discovering platforms that offer access to diverse, less-filtered models, like those available through OpenRouter.ai, felt like unlocking a new dimension. The per-token pricing model, while requiring careful monitoring of usage, often proved more economical for my fluctuating project needs than a fixed monthly subscription. It's like having a pay-as-you-go data plan for your AI – perfect for when you're exploring different models and don't want to commit to a large upfront cost. ModelsLab explicitly positions its "Uncensored Chat API" as a solution for "no limits conversations" and "unfiltered and unrestricted conversations." This platform is designed from the ground up for use cases that involve discussing "taboo topics" and engaging in "NSFW roleplay, virtual partner and open-ended conversations." Key Features: * Explicitly Uncensored: ModelsLab's primary selling point is its lack of censorship, claiming "no restrictions, no rules." This directly addresses the user's core requirement. * GPT-4 Level Uncensored Model: They claim to offer a "GPT-4 level uncensored chat model," implying high quality alongside freedom. * Flexible Pricing Plans: ModelsLab offers subscription-based pricing, which can be advantageous for consistent, heavy use. * Basic Plan: $9 per month. * Standard Plan: $49 per month (up to 10 requests/second). * Premium Plan: $99 per month (up to 15 requests/second). Comparison Point: For someone with consistent usage, a $9/month basic plan from ModelsLab could be significantly cheaper than accumulating token costs on a per-use platform, especially if the volume of "cursing and sex" content is high, as such content often incurs higher token counts due to descriptive language. This aligns with the idea that for high-volume deployments, a fixed monthly cost can be a game-changer. Venice.AI is another platform that champions "Unrestricted Intelligence" and "Uncensored AI." It offers a "Private Inference API" that allows developers to build applications leveraging "SOTA open-source models for uncensored inference, images, characters or code." A key differentiator for Venice is its emphasis on privacy, stating that its decentralized network keeps prompts "100% private" and "all data stays on your device, not our servers." Key Features: * Uncensored by Design: Like ModelsLab, Venice.AI is built with the explicit purpose of providing uncensored AI experiences across text, images, code, and characters. * Access to Leading Open-Source Models: Venice provides private access to models like Llama 3.1 405B, FLUX Custom, Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large, and Qwen 2.5 VL 72B, among others. This curated access to powerful open-source models is a significant advantage. * Pricing: Venice.AI offers a "Free" tier for private text, image, and code functionalities. This makes it an incredibly attractive option for testing and low-volume personal use, potentially making it the "cheapest" for casual exploration of uncensored AI. They also offer monthly and yearly paid plans. Several other platforms and open-source models are worth considering for their uncensored capabilities and potential cost-effectiveness: * Candy AI: Positioned as a top choice for NSFW AI chat and image generation, Candy AI is described as "one of the most affordable" at $14.99/month. It offers "ultra realistic images," "voice + video support," "massive model variety," and "zero filters." For those seeking an all-in-one uncensored chat and image experience, its fixed monthly cost could be very competitive. * DeepSeek: The DeepSeek R1 model has gained attention for its competitive performance and low API costs compared to frontier models like GPT-4. While DeepSeek is free on the web, its API costs for the R1 model are remarkably low: $0.14 per million input tokens (peak) and $2.19 per million output tokens, with discounted rates available. For developers looking for a powerful yet affordable uncensored model, DeepSeek could be a strong candidate, especially if its open-source nature allows for uncensored instances. Perplexity, for example, offers an uncensored version called R1 1776 based on DeepSeek. * Open-Source Models (Self-hosted or via specific APIs): Models like Dolphin 2.0 72B (and its smaller 7B variant) and Mistral Small/Large (when unmoderated or fine-tuned) are frequently cited in discussions about uncensored AI. * Dolphin 2.0 72B/7B: The 7B parameter version of Dolphin 2.0 is significantly cheaper to run than its 72B counterpart, making it a budget-friendly option for many use cases, especially for those considering self-hosting or using specialized providers that offer these models. * Mistral Models: While Mistral AI generally has content policies, some fine-tuned versions or specific implementations might be less restricted. OpenRouter.ai lists Mistral models and their pricing (e.g., Mistral Large at $2-$3 input, $6-$9 output per million tokens, depending on provider). * Perplexity's PPLX-70B and Mixtral 8x7B: These are open-source models available through platforms like Perplexity Labs and Hugging Face, known for prioritizing versatility without strict moral constraints. Accessing them via API or locally (using tools like Ollama) offers uncensored possibilities. A Note on "Cheapest": Per-Token vs. Subscription The definition of "cheapest" heavily depends on your usage pattern: * Low to Moderate Usage: For sporadic or experimental use, per-token billing (like OpenRouter.ai or DeepSeek's API) can be very cost-effective. You only pay for what you consume, avoiding monthly fees when inactive. OpenRouter's ":floor" option is designed precisely for this scenario. * High and Consistent Usage: If you anticipate frequent and high-volume interactions, a subscription-based API like ModelsLab or Candy AI might offer better value. A fixed monthly fee can provide peace of mind and predictable costs, often leading to lower per-interaction costs at scale. As one search result noted, "using GPT-3.5 at $0.002/1K tokens instead of GPT-4 at $0.06/1K can be a game-changer, reducing API costs by over 90% while still delivering good quality answers." This principle applies to uncensored models as well; choosing the right tier or model can drastically affect long-term costs.