Model comparison
GPT-5.2 vs GPT-5.4
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-5.4
Balanced
| Specification | GPT-5.2 | GPT-5.4 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | OpenAI |
| Tier | Balanced | Balanced |
| Context window | 400K | Winner: 1.05M |
| Max output | 128K | 128K |
| Input / 1M tokens | Winner: $1.75 | $2.50 |
| Output / 1M tokens | Winner: $14 | $15 |
| 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-5.4 |
| Released | December 11, 2025 | March 5, 2026 |
| Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index [high] (2026-08-14) | 50 | Not verifiedUnverified |
| Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index [xhigh] (2026-08-14) | Not verifiedUnverified | 54 |
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-5.4: Standard $2.50/$15 per MTok; >272K input billed 2x in / 1.5x out. Cached input $0.25/MTok; batch $1.25/$7.50.
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-5.4
GPT-5.4 is OpenAI's balanced 2026 workhorse with a 1.05M-token context at $2.50/$15.
Best for
- General production
- Agentic workflows
- Knowledge work
Watch out
A generation behind GPT-5.6; still widely used and well-supported.
When the cheaper one wins
GPT-5.2 is cheaper on output at $14 per million tokens against $15 for GPT-5.4 — about 1.1×. Use the cheaper tier for classification, extraction, summarisation, and any task where the expensive model’s extra score does not change the accepted output. The expensive one only pays if your hardest task actually fails on the cheap tier. These are standard-tier API rates, excluding batch and cache discounts.
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-5.4: OpenAI — Introducing GPT-5.4 (accessed 2026-08-29)
- GPT-5.4: OpenAI API pricing (gpt-5.4 $2.50/$15) (accessed 2026-08-29)
Related comparisons
Common questions
GPT-5.2 vs GPT-5.4
Answered from the verified figures on this page rather than general guidance.
Is GPT-5.2 or GPT-5.4 cheaper for input?
GPT-5.2 is cheaper at $1.75 per million input tokens, against $2.50 for GPT-5.4 — roughly 1.4× the price. Output tokens usually dominate a real bill, so weigh the output rate more heavily than the input rate. These are base rates; GPT-5.2 has tiered pricing: Standard $1.75/$14 per MTok; cached input $0.175/MTok; batch $0.875/$7. (gpt-5.2-pro exists at $21/$168.) GPT-5.4 has tiered pricing: Standard $2.50/$15 per MTok; >272K input billed 2x in / 1.5x out. Cached input $0.25/MTok; batch $1.25/$7.50.
Is GPT-5.2 or GPT-5.4 cheaper for output?
GPT-5.2 is cheaper at $14 per million output tokens, against $15 for GPT-5.4 — roughly 1.1× the price. Output tokens usually dominate a real bill, so weigh the output rate more heavily than the input rate. These are base rates; GPT-5.2 has tiered pricing: Standard $1.75/$14 per MTok; cached input $0.175/MTok; batch $0.875/$7. (gpt-5.2-pro exists at $21/$168.) GPT-5.4 has tiered pricing: Standard $2.50/$15 per MTok; >272K input billed 2x in / 1.5x out. Cached input $0.25/MTok; batch $1.25/$7.50.
Which has the larger context window, GPT-5.2 or GPT-5.4?
GPT-5.4 accepts 1.05M tokens against 400K for GPT-5.2. This only matters if you routinely send very long documents or large codebases.
Do GPT-5.2 and GPT-5.4 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-5.4?
Both sit in the balanced tier, so the choice usually comes down to price and context rather than capability. GPT-5.2 suits general production; GPT-5.4 suits general production.
Next step
Choosing between them
The verified figures that separate this pair, computed from the catalog rather than restated boilerplate.
- Input price: GPT-5.2 costs $1.75 per 1M tokens versus $2.50 for GPT-5.4 — a 1.4x difference at the headline tier.
- Context: GPT-5.4 takes 1.05M against 400K for GPT-5.2 — only decisive if your prompts approach the smaller window.
- Measured capability: GPT-5.4 leads Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index 54 to 50 (measured 2026-08-14).
Choosing a harness rather than a model — Cursor, Copilot, Claude Code, Windsurf, or Lovable? Compare agentic harnesses · Latest releases.