API cost decision in 10 seconds

GPT-5.5 Pro vs GPT-5.4

Pick GPT-5.4 when budget is the priority.

Pricing data updated: 2026-05-26T11:08:00Z Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output

Budget verdict

Pick GPT-5.4 when budget is the priority.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, GPT-5.4 is estimated at $10 vs $120 for GPT-5.5 Pro, saving $110 (91.7% lower).

Cost-first pickGPT-5.4

Context-first pickBoth models

Sample savings$11091.7%

10x traffic gap$1100

The reported context window is tied, so cost and provider fit carry more weight. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $1100. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

GPT-5.4 stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shape	Token mix	Better pick	GPT-5.5 Pro	GPT-5.4
Input-heavy / RAG	5M input + 500K output	GPT-5.4	$240	$20
Balanced workload	1M input + 1M output	GPT-5.4	$210	$17.5
Output-heavy chatbot	1M input + 5M output	GPT-5.4	$930	$77.5

Cheaper input GPT-5.4 $30 vs $2.5 / 1M

GPT-5.4 is $27.5 cheaper per 1M input tokens (91.7% lower; 12x difference).

Cheaper output GPT-5.4 $180 vs $15 / 1M

GPT-5.4 is $165 cheaper per 1M output tokens (91.7% lower; 12x difference).

Larger context Tie 1.05M vs 1.05M

Both models report the same context window at 1.05M tokens.

Sample workload GPT-5.4 $120 vs $10

GPT-5.4 is $110 cheaper on the standard workload (91.7% lower).

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.

Monthly input tokens Monthly output tokens

GPT-5.5 Pro Calculating… Estimated API cost

GPT-5.4 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-5.4 has the lower input price; GPT-5.4 has the lower output price; both models report the same context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, GPT-5.4 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 $10 for GPT-5.4.

Best Fit

Choose GPT-5.5 Pro when its provider, model quality, latency, or availability is more important than the numeric price/context winner.

Choose GPT-5.4 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-5.4 is estimated at $10 vs $120 for GPT-5.5 Pro, saving $110 (91.7% lower).
GPT-5.4 is $110 cheaper on the standard workload (91.7% lower).
GPT-5.4 is $27.5 cheaper per 1M input tokens (91.7% lower; 12x difference).
GPT-5.4 is $165 cheaper per 1M output tokens (91.7% lower; 12x difference).
Both models report the same context window at 1.05M tokens.

Head-to-Head Specs

Feature	GPT-5.5 Pro (OpenAI)	GPT-5.4 (OpenAI)
Input Price prompt tokens per 1M	$30	$2.5
Completion Price per 1M tokens	$180	$15
Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output	$120	$10
Context Window	1.05M	1.05M
Release Date	2026-04-24	2026-03-05

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use case	Better pick	Why
Budget-constrained production	GPT-5.4	On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, GPT-5.4 is estimated at $10 vs $120 for GPT-5.5 Pro, saving $110 (91.7% lower).
High-volume input processing	GPT-5.4	Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbots	GPT-5.4	Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document work	Tie	A 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

Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent offers 2M context with $5 sample workload cost.
Grok 4.20 offers 2M context with $2.5 sample workload cost.

Popular competitors

No popular competitor is currently available.

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-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-5.4

GPT-5.4 is OpenAI’s latest frontier model, unifying the Codex and GPT lines into a single system. It features a 1M+ token context window (922K input, 128K output) with support for...