Command R (08-2024) vs GPT-4o
A complete head-to-head: pricing, context window, benchmarks, modality coverage, and openness, with a programmatic verdict synthesized from the underlying data.
Updated
Command R (08-2024) specs · GPT-4o specs- PriceCommand R (08-2024)
Command R (08-2024) is roughly 16.7× cheaper on output tokens ($0.60 vs $10.00 per 1M).
- Context windowTie
Both ship a 128K-token context window.
- BenchmarksTie
No directly comparable public benchmarks are available for both models, check the spec sheets for individual scores.
- ModalitiesGPT-4o
GPT-4o supports 3 modalities (text, vision, audio) vs 1 for Command R (08-2024).
- OpennessCommand R (08-2024)
Command R (08-2024) ships open weights (CC-BY-NC 4.0); GPT-4o is API-only.
On balance Command R (08-2024) edges ahead, winning 2 of 5 categories against GPT-4o's 1. Command R (08-2024) is roughly 16.7× cheaper on output tokens ($0.60 vs $10.00 per 1M). Both ship a 128K-token context window.
No directly comparable public benchmarks are available for both models, check the spec sheets for individual scores. They differ in modality coverage, Command R (08-2024) handles text while GPT-4o handles text, vision, audio, which can be the deciding factor before you even look at benchmarks. Command R (08-2024) ships open weights (CC-BY-NC 4.0); GPT-4o is API-only.
Command R (08-2024) is the newer of the two, released 4 months after GPT-4o, which usually means a more recent knowledge cutoff and updated safety post-training. Command R (08-2024) is usually picked for rag and multilingual workloads, while GPT-4o sees more deployments in chatbots and vision. If pricing matters more than every last benchmark point, run the numbers in the calculator below before committing.
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | Command R (08-2024) | GPT-4o |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Cohere | OpenAI |
| Released | Aug 2024 | May 2024 |
| Modalities | text | text, vision, audio |
| Context window | 128K tokens | 128K tokens |
| Max output | , | , |
| Input · 1M | $0.15 / 1M tokens | $2.50 / 1M tokens |
| Output · 1M | $0.60 / 1M tokens | $10.00 / 1M tokens |
| Knowledge cutoff | , | 2023-10 |
| Open weights | Yes (CC-BY-NC 4.0) | No |
| API available | Yes | Yes |
Pricing at scale
What you'd actually pay at typical workloads. Numbers come from each model's published per-million-token rates.
- Light usage, 100k in / 50k out per day$1.35 vs $22.50
- Heavy usage, 1M in / 500k out per day$13.50 vs $225
- RAG workload, 5M in / 200k out per day$26.10 vs $435
Light usage, 100k in / 50k out per day: $1.35 vs $22.50 per month, model A comes out ahead. Heavy usage, 1M in / 500k out per day: $13.50 vs $225 per month, model A comes out ahead. RAG workload, 5M in / 200k out per day: $26.10 vs $435 per month, model A comes out ahead.
Estimated spend for the listed models at your usage. Numbers are derived from each model's published per-million-token rates.
- Command R (08-2024)$0.045
- GPT-4o$0.750
Benchmarks compared
Only sourced numbers. Where a benchmark is missing for one model we show the available value rather than fabricating the other.
- MMLU,88.7
- HumanEval,90.2
Command R (08-2024) fits when…
- Improved tool-use
- Strong multilingual
- Cost-sensitive workloads, 16.7× cheaper than GPT-4o on output tokens.
- Self-hosting and on-prem requirements, open weights (CC-BY-NC 4.0).
GPT-4o fits when…
- Native multimodal
- Mature SDK and tooling
- Multimodal needs covering vision, audio.
Consider Command R+ (08-2024)
Cohere's flagship optimized for RAG and tool use in enterprise settings.
Frequently asked
Is Command R (08-2024) or GPT-4o cheaper?
Command R (08-2024) is cheaper at $0.60 / 1M tokens per million output tokens, vs $10.00 / 1M tokens for GPT-4o.Which has the larger context window?
Both Command R (08-2024) and GPT-4o ship a 128K-token context window.Is Command R (08-2024) or GPT-4o better for coding?
Both Command R (08-2024) and GPT-4o are competitive on coding benchmarks. See each model's individual spec page for HumanEval and SWE-bench scores where published. For an opinionated pick, consult our Best LLM for Coding ranking.Are either of these models open source?
Command R (08-2024) ships open weights (CC-BY-NC 4.0). GPT-4o is API-only.When were Command R (08-2024) and GPT-4o released?
Command R (08-2024) was released by Cohere on 2024-08-30. GPT-4o was released by OpenAI on 2024-05-13.
The week's AI launches, in your inbox.
One short email every Friday, new models, leaks, and quietly-shipped APIs you missed.