GPT-4o vs GPT-5.5
GPT-4o vs GPT-5.5: GPT-4o is cheaper for input-heavy usage ($2.50/M vs $5.00/M input tokens), while GPT-5.5 is better for long-context tasks (1,050,000 tokens).
Direct answer: choose GPT-4o for lower token spend and choose GPT-5.5 when your workload needs longer context.
Common pricing searches covered on this page: GPT-4o vs GPT-5.5 • GPT-4o vs GPT-5.5 pricing • GPT-4o vs GPT-5.5 API pricing and gpt 4o vs 5 5 pricing.
Cost Comparison (1000 input + 500 output tokens, 100 requests/day)
GPT-4o
GPT-5.5
Cost Differences
GPT-5.5 costs more than GPT-4o
Quick Recommendation
Winner for direct API pricing: GPT-4o. At the default workload, GPT-4o saves about $37.50/month ($456.25/year) versus GPT-5.5.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | GPT-4o | GPT-5.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | OpenAI |
| Input Price | $2.50/1M tokens | $5.00/1M tokens |
| Output Price | $10.00/1M tokens | $30.00/1M tokens |
| Context Window | 128,000 tokens | 1,050,000 tokens |
| Max Output | 16,384 tokens | 128,000 tokens |
| Category | flagship | flagship |
| Capabilities | textvisionaudio | textvisioncodereasoning |
| Release Date | 5/13/2024 | 4/24/2026 |
GPT-4o vs GPT-5.5: Which Should You Choose?
Choosing between GPT-4o and GPT-5.5 depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. GPT-4o is the more affordable option at $2.50/1M input tokens — 50% cheaper than GPT-5.5. Meanwhile, GPT-5.5 offers a significantly larger context window at 1,050,000 tokens vs 128,000 for GPT-4o.
Both models are in the flagship category, making this a direct head-to-head comparison. At scale — say 10,000 requests per day — the cost difference adds up: GPT-4o would save you roughly $3,750.00/month compared to GPT-5.5. For startups and indie developers, that difference can be significant.
Output costs matter too. GPT-4o charges $10.00/1M output tokens vs $30.00 for GPT-5.5. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. GPT-4o has the edge here at $10.00/1M output tokens.
Multimodal capabilities: Both models support vision (image understanding), so you can send images alongside text prompts with either option.
Best Use Cases
Choose GPT-4o when:
- • Budget is a primary concern
- • You're already using OpenAI's API ecosystem
Choose GPT-5.5 when:
- • You need a larger context window (1,050,000 tokens)
- • You need more capabilities (code, reasoning)
- • You need longer outputs (up to 128,000 tokens)
- • You're already using OpenAI's API ecosystem
Pros and Caveats at a Glance
GPT-4o
- • Input pricing: $2.50/M tokens
- • Output pricing: $10.00/M tokens
- • Context window: 128,000 tokens
- • Max output: 16,384 tokens
Watch out for
- • Smaller context window than GPT-5.5
GPT-5.5
- • Input pricing: $5.00/M tokens
- • Output pricing: $30.00/M tokens
- • Context window: 1,050,000 tokens
- • Max output: 128,000 tokens
Watch out for
- • Higher input cost than GPT-4o
- • Higher output cost than GPT-4o
Try Different Scenarios
Use the calculator below to see how costs change with different usage patterns
GPT-4o (OpenAI)
GPT-5.5 (OpenAI)
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Sign Up for OpenAI →Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, GPT-4o or GPT-5.5?▼
What is the context window difference between GPT-4o and GPT-5.5?▼
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