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Model comparison

GPT-5.2 vs GPT-5.4 Mini

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

vs

OpenAI

GPT-5.4 Mini

Balanced

AI model capability comparison
SpecificationGPT-5.2GPT-5.4 Mini
ProviderOpenAIOpenAI
TierBalancedBalanced
Context window400K400K
Max output128K128K
Input / 1M tokens$1.75Winner: $0.75
Output / 1M tokens$14Winner: $4.50
WeightsClosedClosed
ParametersNot disclosedUnverifiedNot disclosedUnverified
Reasoning levelsnone, low, medium, high, xhigh, maxnone, low, medium, high
Modalitiestext, imagetext, image
API model idgpt-5.2gpt-5.4-mini
ReleasedDecember 11, 2025March 17, 2026
Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index [high] (2026-08-14)Winner: 5046

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 Mini: Standard $0.75/$4.50 per MTok; cached input $0.075/MTok; batch $0.375/$2.25.

BalancedRecord checked September 3, 2026

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.

BalancedRecord checked September 3, 2026

GPT-5.4 Mini

GPT-5.4 Mini is OpenAI's efficient mid-tier for high-volume, well-scoped tasks at $0.75/$4.50.

Best for

  • High-volume calls
  • Mixed workloads
  • Cost-sensitive production

Watch out

400K context (vs 1.05M on GPT-5.4/5.5/5.6); verify long-context needs.

When the cheaper one wins

GPT-5.4 Mini is cheaper on output at $4.50 per million tokens against $14 for GPT-5.2 — about 3.1×. 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.

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Evidence 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.

Related comparisons

Diving deeper on one model? GPT-5.2 · GPT-5.4 Mini

Common questions

GPT-5.2 vs GPT-5.4 Mini

Answered from the verified figures on this page rather than general guidance.

Is GPT-5.2 or GPT-5.4 Mini cheaper for input?

GPT-5.4 Mini is cheaper at $0.75 per million input tokens, against $1.75 for GPT-5.2 — roughly 2.3× 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 Mini has tiered pricing: Standard $0.75/$4.50 per MTok; cached input $0.075/MTok; batch $0.375/$2.25.

Is GPT-5.2 or GPT-5.4 Mini cheaper for output?

GPT-5.4 Mini is cheaper at $4.50 per million output tokens, against $14 for GPT-5.2 — roughly 3.1× 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 Mini has tiered pricing: Standard $0.75/$4.50 per MTok; cached input $0.075/MTok; batch $0.375/$2.25.

Which has the larger context window, GPT-5.2 or GPT-5.4 Mini?

Both accept about 400K tokens of context, so document length will not decide between them.

Do GPT-5.2 and GPT-5.4 Mini support the same reasoning levels?

GPT-5.2 exposes none, low, medium, high, xhigh, max, while GPT-5.4 Mini exposes none, low, medium, high.

Should I use GPT-5.2 or GPT-5.4 Mini?

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 Mini suits high-volume calls.

Next step

Choosing between them

The verified figures that separate this pair, computed from the catalog rather than restated boilerplate.

  • Input price: GPT-5.4 Mini costs $0.75 per 1M tokens versus $1.75 for GPT-5.2 — a 2.3x difference at the headline tier.
  • Measured capability: GPT-5.2 leads Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index 50 to 46 (measured 2026-08-14).
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