Model comparison
GPT-5.2 vs GPT-5.3-Codex
Two OpenAI tiers compared on the figures that decide which one a workload actually needs.
Catalog record checked September 3, 2026Individual provider fields may changeEvidence confidence: High — see receipts below
OpenAI
GPT-5.2
Balanced
OpenAI
GPT-5.3-Codex
Frontier
| Specification | GPT-5.2 | GPT-5.3-Codex |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | OpenAI |
| Tier | Balanced | Frontier |
| Context window | 400K | 400K |
| Max output | 128K | 128K |
| Input / 1M tokens | $1.75 | $1.75 |
| Output / 1M tokens | $14 | $14 |
| Weights | Closed | Closed |
| Parameters | Not disclosedUnverified | Not disclosedUnverified |
| Reasoning levels | none, low, medium, high, xhigh, max | none, low, medium, high, xhigh, max |
| Modalities | text, image | text, image |
| API model id | gpt-5.2 | gpt-5.3-codex |
| Released | December 11, 2025 | February 5, 2026 |
| Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index [high] (2026-08-14) | 50 | Winner: 52 |
Prices are USD per million tokens at standard rates, excluding batch and caching discounts. Bold indicates the better figure where one is objectively better. Values we could not confirm from the provider are shown as “Not verified” rather than estimated.
Benchmark receipts
- 2026-08-14: Artificial AnalysisComposite index blending reasoning, knowledge, and coding evals into one 0–100 score. Comparability: directly comparable — AA occasionally rebaselines the index scale between snapshots — a score captured on one date is only comparable to same-snapshot scores (check measuredAt).
Pricing tiers: GPT-5.2: Standard $1.75/$14 per MTok; cached input $0.175/MTok; batch $0.875/$7. (gpt-5.2-pro exists at $21/$168.) · GPT-5.3-Codex: Standard $1.75/$14 per MTok; cached input $0.175/MTok; Fast mode $3.50/$28. Purpose-built for the Codex agent.
GPT-5.2
GPT-5.2 was OpenAI's previous flagship — still a strong, widely integrated general model at $1.75/$14.
Best for
- General production
- Agentic workflows
- Knowledge work
Watch out
Two generations behind GPT-5.6; capable but no longer flagship.
GPT-5.3-Codex
GPT-5.3-Codex is OpenAI's coding-specialised model powering the Codex agent at $1.75/$14.
Best for
- Autonomous coding
- Repo-scale refactors
- Test generation
Watch out
Tuned for coding, not general chat; use GPT-5.6 for broad reasoning.
When the cheaper one wins
Both charge $14 per million output tokens at standard rates, so output price is not the split. Prefer the row whose “best for” line matches the job, then confirm the live vendor rate.
Run the model pickerEvidence confidence: High
How strong and complete the evidence behind this comparison is — not a prediction of which model is better.
- Pricing verified on both sides — Input and output rates are verified for both models.
- 4/5 core specs verified on both sides — Not published for at least one side: parameter count.
- 1 shared named benchmark with differing scores — Measured on: Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index.
- Verified within the last 90 days — Newest catalog check was 8 days ago.
- Both models carry source citations — Each side has at least two catalog sources on record.
Source receipts
Each catalog figure was checked against the provider or an independent second source on the date shown.
- GPT-5.2: OpenAI — Introducing GPT-5.2 (accessed 2026-08-29)
- GPT-5.2: OpenAI API pricing (gpt-5.2 $1.75/$14) (accessed 2026-08-29)
- GPT-5.3-Codex: OpenAI — Introducing GPT-5.3-Codex (accessed 2026-08-29)
- GPT-5.3-Codex: OpenAI API pricing (gpt-5.3-codex $1.75/$14) (accessed 2026-08-29)
Related comparisons
- Amazon Nova 2 Pro vs GPT-5.2
- Claude Fable 5.1 vs GPT-5.3-Codex
- Claude Fable 5 vs GPT-5.3-Codex
- Claude Mythos 5.1 vs GPT-5.3-Codex
- Claude Opus 5 vs GPT-5.3-Codex
- Claude Sonnet 5 vs GPT-5.2
Diving deeper on one model? GPT-5.2 · GPT-5.3-Codex
Common questions
GPT-5.2 vs GPT-5.3-Codex
Answered from the verified figures on this page rather than general guidance.
Is GPT-5.2 or GPT-5.3-Codex cheaper for input?
Both cost $1.75 per million input tokens at standard rates, so input price is not a deciding factor between them.
Is GPT-5.2 or GPT-5.3-Codex cheaper for output?
Both cost $14 per million output tokens at standard rates, so output price is not a deciding factor between them.
Which has the larger context window, GPT-5.2 or GPT-5.3-Codex?
Both accept about 400K tokens of context, so document length will not decide between them.
Do GPT-5.2 and GPT-5.3-Codex support the same reasoning levels?
Yes — both accept the same effort settings: "none", "low", "medium", "high", "xhigh", "max". Higher effort costs more and takes longer, so start low and raise it only where output quality actually improves.
Should I use GPT-5.2 or GPT-5.3-Codex?
GPT-5.2 is the balanced tier and GPT-5.3-Codex the frontier tier. The useful question is whether your hardest task actually fails on the cheaper one — most production volume such as classification, extraction and summarisation does not.
Next step
Choosing between them
The verified figures that separate this pair, computed from the catalog rather than restated boilerplate.
- Measured capability: GPT-5.3-Codex leads Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index 52 to 50 (measured 2026-08-14).
- Positioning: GPT-5.2 sits in the balanced tier, GPT-5.3-Codex in the frontier tier — most production volume (classification, extraction, summarisation) does not need the pricier tier.
Choosing a harness rather than a model — Cursor, Copilot, Claude Code, Windsurf, or Lovable? Compare agentic harnesses · Latest releases.