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GPT-4.1 vs GPT-5 nano

A complete head-to-head: pricing, context window, benchmarks, modality coverage, and openness, with a programmatic verdict synthesized from the underlying data.

Updated

GPT-4.1 specs · GPT-5 nano specs
Verdict by category
  • PriceGPT-5 nano

    GPT-5 nano is roughly 20.0× cheaper on output tokens ($0.40 vs $8.00 per 1M).

  • Context windowGPT-4.1

    GPT-4.1 accepts 1M tokens vs 400K, 2.5× the room for long documents and codebases.

  • BenchmarksTie

    No directly comparable public benchmarks are available for both models, check the spec sheets for individual scores.

  • ModalitiesTie

    Both handle text, vision.

  • OpennessTie

    Both are closed-weight, API-only.

It's a genuine coin-flip between GPT-4.1 and GPT-5 nano: 1 category wins each, with the rest tied. GPT-5 nano is roughly 20.0× cheaper on output tokens ($0.40 vs $8.00 per 1M). GPT-4.1 accepts 1M tokens vs 400K, 2.5× the room for long documents and codebases.

No directly comparable public benchmarks are available for both models, check the spec sheets for individual scores. Both target the same set of modalities (text, vision), so the deciding factors are price, context, and raw quality. Both are closed-weight, API-only.

GPT-5 nano is the newer of the two, released 4 months after GPT-4.1, which usually means a more recent knowledge cutoff and updated safety post-training. GPT-4.1 is usually picked for long context and rag workloads, while GPT-5 nano sees more deployments in cheapest llm and fastest llm. If pricing matters more than every last benchmark point, run the numbers in the calculator below before committing.

Side-by-side specs

SpecGPT-4.1GPT-5 nano
ProviderOpenAIOpenAI
ReleasedApr 2025Aug 2025
Modalitiestext, visiontext, vision
Context window1M tokens400K tokens
Max output32.8K tokens128K tokens
Input · 1M$2.00 / 1M tokens$0.050 / 1M tokens
Output · 1M$8.00 / 1M tokens$0.40 / 1M tokens
Knowledge cutoff2024-062024-09
Open weightsNoNo
API availableYesYes

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$18.00 vs $0.750
  • Heavy usage, 1M in / 500k out per day$180 vs $7.50
  • RAG workload, 5M in / 200k out per day$348 vs $9.90

Light usage, 100k in / 50k out per day: $18.00 vs $0.750 per month, model B comes out ahead. Heavy usage, 1M in / 500k out per day: $180 vs $7.50 per month, model B comes out ahead. RAG workload, 5M in / 200k out per day: $348 vs $9.90 per month, model B comes out ahead.

Price calculator

Estimated spend for the listed models at your usage. Numbers are derived from each model's published per-million-token rates.

  • GPT-4.1$0.600
  • GPT-5 nano$0.025

Benchmarks compared

Only sourced numbers. Where a benchmark is missing for one model we show the available value rather than fabricating the other.

GPT-4.1GPT-5 nano
  • MMLU86.2
  • HumanEval90.6
Pick GPT-4.1 if

GPT-4.1 fits when…

  • 1M-token context window, strong for long-doc workloads
  • Mature SDK and tooling integrations
  • Reliable JSON-mode and function-calling
  • Long-context tasks, handles 1M tokens vs 400K for GPT-5 nano.
Pick GPT-5 nano if

GPT-5 nano fits when…

  • Lowest-cost OpenAI model with vision support
  • Fast P99 latency
  • Good enough for routing and classification
  • Cost-sensitive workloads, 20.0× cheaper than GPT-4.1 on output tokens.
Don't want either?

Consider GPT-5.5

OpenAI's mid-cycle GPT-5 refresh, improved reasoning, tool use, and multimodal grounding over the 2025 launch.

See GPT-5.5 specsGPT-4.1 vs GPT-5.5GPT-5 nano vs GPT-5.5

Frequently asked

  • Is GPT-4.1 or GPT-5 nano cheaper?
    GPT-5 nano is cheaper at $0.40 / 1M tokens per million output tokens, vs $8.00 / 1M tokens for GPT-4.1.
  • Which has the larger context window?
    GPT-4.1 accepts 1M tokens vs 400K for GPT-5 nano.
  • Is GPT-4.1 or GPT-5 nano better for coding?
    Both GPT-4.1 and GPT-5 nano 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?
    Neither model ships open weights, both are accessible only via their respective providers' APIs.
  • When were GPT-4.1 and GPT-5 nano released?
    GPT-4.1 was released by OpenAI on 2025-04-14. GPT-5 nano was released by OpenAI on 2025-08-07.
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