--- title: "inkling-small - Model Details & Comparison" description: "inkling-small from OpenRouter: capabilities, context limits, pricing, and side-by-side comparisons with alternative models." url: "https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/openrouter/inkling-small" markdown: "https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/openrouter/inkling-small.md" --- # inkling-small - Model Details & Comparison > inkling-small from OpenRouter: capabilities, context limits, pricing, and side-by-side comparisons with alternative models. ## Important Links - [View MCP Gateway](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/resources/mcp-gateway.md) - [Features](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/#features) - [Enterprise](https://www.getmaxim.ai/enterprise) - [Pricing](https://www.getmaxim.ai/pricing) - [Docs](https://docs.getbifrost.ai) - [GitHub](https://github.com/maximhq/bifrost) - [Book a Demo](https://www.getmaxim.ai/book-a-demo) ## About inkling-small inkling-small is a chat model from OpenRouter, one of 468 chat models they offer. It is priced at $0.45 per 1M input tokens and $1.20 per 1M output tokens, ranking 1676 out of 3648 chat models by cost and cheaper than 54% of models in this category. inkling-small supports vision, function calling, reasoning, audio input, prompt caching — one of only 4 chat models with this combination. Its 524K-token context window is in the top 24% among chat models. ## Specifications - **OpenRouter Provider.** - **Chat Mode.** - **524,288 Max Input Tokens.** - **262,144 Max Output Tokens.** - **262,144 Max Tokens.** - **$0.45 / 1M tokens Input Price.** - **$1.20 / 1M tokens Output Price.** ## Capabilities inkling-small supports: Function Calling, Vision, Reasoning, Audio Input, Prompt Caching, Tool Choice. ## inkling-small Pricing Overview At $0.45 per 1M input tokens and $1.20 per 1M output tokens, inkling-small ranks 1676 out of 3648 chat models by input cost. It is more affordable compared to the median of $0.57 for chat models, and is cheaper than 54% of models in this category. inkling-small is one of 468 OpenRouter chat models, one of only 4 chat models combining audio input, function calling, prompt caching, reasoning, vision. its 524K-token context window places it in the top 24% of chat models. ## Models to Compare Alternatives to inkling-small with comparable capabilities. | Model | Provider | Input $/1M | Output $/1M | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | gemini-3-flash-preview | Google Gemini | $0.50 | $3.00 | | databricks-gemini-2-5-flash | Databricks | $0.37 | $3.13 | | databricks-gemini-3-5-flash-lite | Databricks | $0.37 | $3.13 | | gemini-3-flash-preview | Vertex AI | $0.50 | $3.00 | | doubao-seed-2-1-turbo-260628 | Volcengine | $0.45 | $2.23 | - [Compare gemini-3-flash-preview](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/gemini/gemini-3-flash-preview.md) - [Compare databricks-gemini-2-5-flash](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/databricks/databricks-gemini-2-5-flash.md) - [Compare databricks-gemini-3-5-flash-lite](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/databricks/databricks-gemini-3-5-flash-lite.md) - [Compare gemini-3-flash-preview](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/vertex_ai/gemini-3-flash-preview.md) - [Compare doubao-seed-2-1-turbo-260628](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/volcengine/doubao-seed-2-1-turbo-260628.md) ## Related Resources - [Calculate inkling-small costs](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/llm-cost-calculator/provider/openrouter/model/inkling-small.md) - [Check OpenRouter status](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/provider-status/openrouter.md) - [All OpenRouter pricing](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/llm-cost-calculator/provider/openrouter.md) ## FAQ ### Is inkling-small cheaper than gemini-3-flash-preview? Yes. inkling-small costs $0.45 per 1M input tokens compared to gemini-3-flash-preview's $0.50 per 1M input tokens, making it 11% more affordable. Both are chat models and share support for vision, function calling, reasoning, audio input, web search, prompt caching, structured output. ### How does inkling-small pricing compare to the average chat model? inkling-small input pricing is $0.45 per 1M tokens, which is 21% below the median of $0.57 for chat models. It ranks 1676 out of 3648 chat models by input cost, making it cheaper than 54% of models in this category. For output, it costs $1.20 per 1M tokens compared to the median of $1.65. ### What makes inkling-small different from other OpenRouter models? Among OpenRouter's 468 chat models, inkling-small ranks 218 by input cost. Its combination of audio input, function calling, prompt caching, reasoning, vision is shared by only 3 other chat models. ### What are the best alternatives to inkling-small? The most comparable chat models to inkling-small are: gemini-3-flash-preview from Google Gemini ($0.50/1M input tokens); databricks-gemini-2-5-flash from Databricks ($0.37/1M input tokens); databricks-gemini-3-5-flash-lite from Databricks ($0.37/1M input tokens); gemini-3-flash-preview from Vertex AI ($0.50/1M input tokens). These alternatives were selected based on similar capabilities, pricing, and provider diversity. You can compare any of these models in detail using the Bifrost Model Library. ### How large is inkling-small's context window? inkling-small supports up to 524,288 input tokens, placing it in the top 24% of chat models by context window size (rank 855 of 3577). This makes it suitable for processing long documents, extensive code repositories, or maintaining detailed conversation histories. ### How do I check if OpenRouter is down? You can monitor OpenRouter service health in real time on the Bifrost OpenRouter Status page. It tracks current component status, active incidents, and historical reliability data pulled from the official status page every 60 seconds. ### How do I calculate inkling-small costs? inkling-small is priced based on input and output tokens. Use the interactive calculator at the top of this page to estimate costs for your specific workload. Enter your expected input and output tokens volume and the calculator will show the total cost breakdown. For reference, processing 1M input tokens costs $0.45 and generating 1M output tokens costs $1.20. ## Related Resources - [OpenRouter models](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/provider/openrouter.md) - [Model library](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library.md) - [LLM cost calculator](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/llm-cost-calculator.md) - [Docs: Bifrost docs](https://docs.getbifrost.ai) - [GitHub: maximhq/bifrost](https://github.com/maximhq/bifrost) - [Pricing: Bifrost pricing](https://www.getmaxim.ai/pricing) - [Enterprise: Bifrost enterprise](https://www.getmaxim.ai/enterprise) - [Book a Demo: Bifrost demo](https://www.getmaxim.ai/book-a-demo) - [Resources: Bifrost resources](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/resources.md) --- *This is a markdown version of [https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/openrouter/inkling-small](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/openrouter/inkling-small) for AI/LLM consumption.*