GPT-4 vs GPT-4.1
Performance benchmarks + pricing comparison — updated April 2026
GPT-4
OpenAIOriginal GPT-4. Most expensive OpenAI model, largely superseded by newer options.
| Input | $30.00/M |
| Output | $60.00/M |
| Context | 8K tokens |
| Best For | Legacy applications requiring GPT-4 specifically |
| Benchmark | 68/100 |
GPT-4.1
OpenAIUpdated GPT-4 generation with improved instruction following and reduced hallucination. Better coding accuracy than GPT-4o.
| Input | $2.00/M |
| Output | $8.00/M |
| Context | 128K tokens |
| Best For | Production coding, API development, complex instructions |
| Benchmark | 80/100 |
Benchmark Performance Comparison
Third-party benchmark scores — higher is better. Data sourced from SWE-bench, LiveCodeBench, HumanEval, and BigCodeBench.
| Benchmark | GPT-4 | GPT-4.1 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68 | 80 | GPT-4.1 leads by 12pts |
| SWE-bench Verified | 60 | 76 | GPT-4.1 leads by 16pts |
| LiveCodeBench | 70 | 82 | GPT-4.1 leads by 12pts |
| HumanEval | 86 | 94 | GPT-4.1 leads by 8pts |
| BigCodeBench | 54 | 68 | GPT-4.1 leads by 14pts |
Cost Comparison by Scenario
Estimated cost per project with 30% cache hit rate. Actual costs may vary based on usage patterns.
| Scenario | GPT-4 | GPT-4.1 | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Script (1K lines) | $2.85 | $0.31 | GPT-4.1 saves $2.54 (89%) |
| Medium Feature (10K lines) | $22.50 | $2.30 | GPT-4.1 saves $20.20 (90%) |
| Large Project (50K lines) | $112.50 | $11.50 | GPT-4.1 saves $101.00 (90%) |
| Code Review (5K lines) | $6.75 | $0.55 | GPT-4.1 saves $6.20 (92%) |
Value Analysis (Price per Benchmark Score Point)
Lower is better — how much you pay for each point of benchmark performance.
| Model | Overall Score | Price per Score Point | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-4 | 68 | $0.441/pt | Higher cost per point |
| GPT-4.1 | 80 | $0.063/pt | Better value |
GPT-4.1 delivers the best value at $0.063 per score point.
Strengths & Weaknesses
GPT-4
- + Original breakthrough model
- - Two generations behind
- - Expensive
GPT-4.1
- + Latest GPT model
- + Strong across all benchmarks
- - Premium pricing
Verdict
GPT-4.1 wins on both price and performance — $2.00/M input with a benchmark score of 80/100.
For most developers, this is the clear choice between these two models.
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