API cost decision in 10 seconds

GPT-5.4 vs Nova 2 Lite

Pick Nova 2 Lite for lower cost; pick GPT-5.4 only if the larger context window matters more.

Pricing data updated:  Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output

Budget verdict

Pick Nova 2 Lite for lower cost; pick GPT-5.4 only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Nova 2 Lite is estimated at $1.55 vs $10 for GPT-5.4, saving $8.45 (84.5% lower).

Cost-first pickNova 2 Lite
Context-first pickGPT-5.4
Sample savings$8.4584.5%
10x traffic gap$84.5

GPT-5.4 has more context, but Nova 2 Lite saves $8.45 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $84.5. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

Nova 2 Lite stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickGPT-5.4Nova 2 Lite
Input-heavy / RAG5M input + 500K outputNova 2 Lite$20$2.75
Balanced workload1M input + 1M outputNova 2 Lite$17.5$2.8
Output-heavy chatbot1M input + 5M outputNova 2 Lite$77.5$12.8
Cheaper input Nova 2 Lite $2.5 vs $0.3 / 1M

Nova 2 Lite is $2.2 cheaper per 1M input tokens (88% lower; 8.33x difference).

Cheaper output Nova 2 Lite $15 vs $2.5 / 1M

Nova 2 Lite is $12.5 cheaper per 1M output tokens (83.3% lower; 6x difference).

Larger context GPT-5.4 1.05M vs 1M

GPT-5.4 has 50K more context (1.05x larger).

Sample workload Nova 2 Lite $10 vs $1.55

Nova 2 Lite is $8.45 cheaper on the standard workload (84.5% lower).

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
GPT-5.4 Calculating… Estimated API cost
Nova 2 Lite 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

Nova 2 Lite has the lower input price; Nova 2 Lite has the lower output price; GPT-5.4 offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Nova 2 Lite is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $10 for GPT-5.4 and $1.55 for Nova 2 Lite.

Best Fit

Choose GPT-5.4 when you care most about larger context window.

Choose Nova 2 Lite when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.

Decision Notes
  • On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Nova 2 Lite is estimated at $1.55 vs $10 for GPT-5.4, saving $8.45 (84.5% lower).
  • Nova 2 Lite is $8.45 cheaper on the standard workload (84.5% lower).
  • Nova 2 Lite is $2.2 cheaper per 1M input tokens (88% lower; 8.33x difference).
  • Nova 2 Lite is $12.5 cheaper per 1M output tokens (83.3% lower; 6x difference).
  • GPT-5.4 has 50K more context (1.05x larger).
Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureGPT-5.4
(OpenAI)		Nova 2 Lite
(Amazon)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M		$2.5$0.3
Completion Price
per 1M tokens		$15$2.5
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output		$10$1.55
Context Window1.05M1M
Release Date

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionNova 2 LiteOn the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Nova 2 Lite is estimated at $1.55 vs $10 for GPT-5.4, saving $8.45 (84.5% lower).
High-volume input processingNova 2 LiteLower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsNova 2 LiteLower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workGPT-5.4A 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-5.4 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • gpt-oss-20b (free) can replace GPT-5.4 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • gpt-oss-20b can replace GPT-5.4 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.1.
  • gpt-oss-120b can replace GPT-5.4 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.13.
Larger context near this budget
Popular competitors
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Cheaper alternatives

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Larger context alternatives

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Provider catalogs

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OpenAI catalog

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Amazon catalog

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