API cost decision in 10 seconds

GPT-5.5 Pro vs GPT-5.2

Pick GPT-5.2 for lower cost; pick GPT-5.5 Pro 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 GPT-5.2 for lower cost; pick GPT-5.5 Pro only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, GPT-5.2 is estimated at $8.75 vs $120 for GPT-5.5 Pro, saving $111.25 (92.7% lower).

Cost-first pickGPT-5.2
Context-first pickGPT-5.5 Pro
Sample savings$111.2592.7%
10x traffic gap$1112.5

GPT-5.5 Pro has more context, but GPT-5.2 saves $111.25 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $1112.5. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

GPT-5.2 stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickGPT-5.5 ProGPT-5.2
Input-heavy / RAG5M input + 500K outputGPT-5.2$240$15.75
Balanced workload1M input + 1M outputGPT-5.2$210$15.75
Output-heavy chatbot1M input + 5M outputGPT-5.2$930$71.75
Cheaper input GPT-5.2 $30 vs $1.75 / 1M

GPT-5.2 is $28.25 cheaper per 1M input tokens (94.2% lower; 17.1x difference).

Cheaper output GPT-5.2 $180 vs $14 / 1M

GPT-5.2 is $166 cheaper per 1M output tokens (92.2% lower; 12.9x difference).

Larger context GPT-5.5 Pro 1.05M vs 400K

GPT-5.5 Pro has 650K more context (2.62x larger).

Sample workload GPT-5.2 $120 vs $8.75

GPT-5.2 is $111.25 cheaper on the standard workload (92.7% lower).

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
GPT-5.5 Pro Calculating… Estimated API cost
GPT-5.2 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 has the lower input price; GPT-5.2 has the lower output price; GPT-5.5 Pro offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, GPT-5.2 is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $120 for GPT-5.5 Pro and $8.75 for GPT-5.2.

Best Fit

Choose GPT-5.5 Pro when you care most about larger context window.

Choose GPT-5.2 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, GPT-5.2 is estimated at $8.75 vs $120 for GPT-5.5 Pro, saving $111.25 (92.7% lower).
  • GPT-5.2 is $111.25 cheaper on the standard workload (92.7% lower).
  • GPT-5.2 is $28.25 cheaper per 1M input tokens (94.2% lower; 17.1x difference).
  • GPT-5.2 is $166 cheaper per 1M output tokens (92.2% lower; 12.9x difference).
  • GPT-5.5 Pro has 650K more context (2.62x larger).
Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureGPT-5.5 Pro
(OpenAI)		GPT-5.2
(OpenAI)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M		$30$1.75
Completion Price
per 1M tokens		$180$14
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output		$120$8.75
Context Window1.05M400K
Release Date

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionGPT-5.2On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, GPT-5.2 is estimated at $8.75 vs $120 for GPT-5.5 Pro, saving $111.25 (92.7% lower).
High-volume input processingGPT-5.2Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsGPT-5.2Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workGPT-5.5 ProA 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-5.5 Pro when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • gpt-oss-20b (free) can replace GPT-5.5 Pro when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • gpt-oss-20b can replace GPT-5.5 Pro when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.1.
  • gpt-oss-120b can replace GPT-5.5 Pro 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

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

Open OpenAI models
GPT-5.5 Pro

GPT-5.5 Pro is OpenAI’s high-capability model optimized for deep reasoning and accuracy on complex, high-stakes workloads. It features a 1M+ token context window (922K input, 128K output) with support for...

GPT-5.2

GPT-5.2 is the latest frontier-grade model in the GPT-5 series, offering stronger agentic and long context perfomance compared to GPT-5.1. It uses adaptive reasoning to allocate computation dynamically, responding quickly...