API cost decision in 10 seconds

GPT-4o vs GPT-5.2 Chat

Pick GPT-4o when budget is the priority.

Page updated:  Data confirmed:  Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output

Budget verdict

Pick GPT-4o when budget is the priority.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, GPT-4o is estimated at $7.5 vs $8.75 for GPT-5.2 Chat, saving $1.25 (14.3% lower).

Cost-first pickGPT-4o
Context-first pickBoth models
Sample savings$1.2514.3%
10x traffic gap$12.5

The reported context window is tied, so cost and provider fit carry more weight. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $12.5. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

Cost winner changes by workload shape: input-heavy / RAG favors GPT-5.2 Chat, balanced workload favors GPT-4o, and output-heavy chatbot favors GPT-4o.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickGPT-4oGPT-5.2 Chat
Input-heavy / RAG5M input + 500K outputGPT-5.2 Chat$17.5$15.75
Balanced workload1M input + 1M outputGPT-4o$12.5$15.75
Output-heavy chatbot1M input + 5M outputGPT-4o$52.5$71.75
Cheaper input GPT-5.2 Chat $2.5 vs $1.75 / 1M

GPT-5.2 Chat is $0.75 cheaper per 1M input tokens (30% lower; 1.43x difference).

Cheaper output GPT-4o $10 vs $14 / 1M

GPT-4o is $4 cheaper per 1M output tokens (28.6% lower; 1.4x difference).

Larger context Tie 128K vs 128K

Both models report the same context window at 128K tokens.

Sample workload GPT-4o $7.5 vs $8.75

GPT-4o is $1.25 cheaper on the standard workload (14.3% lower).

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
GPT-4o Calculating… Estimated API cost
GPT-5.2 Chat Calculating… Estimated API cost
Cheaper for this workload Calculating… Difference: calculating…

This estimate uses normalized public API pricing per 1M tokens. It is a planning aid, not a billing quote. Verify provider pricing, limits, and terms before production use.

Quick Decision

Verdict

GPT-5.2 Chat has the lower input price; GPT-4o has the lower output price; both models report the same context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, GPT-4o is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $7.5 for GPT-4o and $8.75 for GPT-5.2 Chat.

Best Fit

Choose GPT-4o when you care most about lower output-token price.

Choose GPT-5.2 Chat when you care most about lower input-token price.

Decision Notes
  • On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, GPT-4o is estimated at $7.5 vs $8.75 for GPT-5.2 Chat, saving $1.25 (14.3% lower).
  • GPT-4o is $1.25 cheaper on the standard workload (14.3% lower).
  • GPT-5.2 Chat is $0.75 cheaper per 1M input tokens (30% lower; 1.43x difference).
  • GPT-4o is $4 cheaper per 1M output tokens (28.6% lower; 1.4x difference).
  • Both models report the same context window at 128K tokens.
Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureGPT-4o
(OpenAI)		GPT-5.2 Chat
(OpenAI)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M		$2.5$1.75
Completion Price
per 1M tokens		$10$14
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output		$7.5$8.75
Context Window128K128K
Release Date
Popularity#101#139

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionGPT-4oOn the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, GPT-4o is estimated at $7.5 vs $8.75 for GPT-5.2 Chat, saving $1.25 (14.3% lower).
High-volume input processingGPT-5.2 ChatLower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsGPT-4oLower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workTieA larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

Same-provider lower-cost swaps
  • gpt-oss-120b (free) can replace GPT-4o when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • gpt-oss-20b (free) can replace GPT-4o when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • gpt-oss-20b can replace GPT-4o when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.1.
  • gpt-oss-120b can replace GPT-4o when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.13.
Larger context near this budget
  • Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
  • Grok 4.20 offers 2M context with $2.5 sample workload cost.
  • Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent offers 2M context with $5 sample workload cost.
  • GPT-5.4 offers 1.05M context with $10 sample workload cost.

Cheaper alternatives

Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.

Open cheapest models

Larger context alternatives

Find models with larger context windows for RAG, long documents, and codebase review.

Open largest context models

Provider catalogs

Compare models within provider hubs before choosing a final API vendor.

Open provider hubs

OpenAI catalog

Review all tracked OpenAI models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.

Open OpenAI models
GPT-4o

GPT-4o ("o" for "omni") is OpenAI's latest AI model, supporting both text and image inputs with text outputs. It maintains the intelligence level of [GPT-4 Turbo](/models/openai/gpt-4-turbo) while being twice as...

GPT-5.2 Chat

GPT-5.2 Chat (AKA Instant) is the fast, lightweight member of the 5.2 family, optimized for low-latency chat while retaining strong general intelligence. It uses adaptive reasoning to selectively “think” on...