- In short
- On metered or usage-budgeted access, including the API, a higher-capability tier consumes more usage per call than a lower tier, so the speed-versus-capability tradeoff also becomes an explicit cost tradeoff. On a standard flat-rate subscription, speed and usage headroom serve as the practical stand-in for cost. The underlying selection logic does not change between the two contexts; only what "efficiency" means in practice changes, and high call volume multiplies the per-call difference between tiers.
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