GPT-4 vs OpenAI o1
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 Most expensive OpenAI model, largely superseded by newer options.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 |
OpenAI o1
OpenAIReasoning model optimized for complex problem-solving. Excels at math, science, and advanced coding.
| Input | $15.00/M |
| Output | $60.00/M |
| Context | 200K tokens |
| Best For | Complex math, advanced coding, scientific reasoning |
| Benchmark | 83/100 |
Benchmark Performance Comparison
Third-party benchmark scores — higher is better. Data sourced from SWE-bench, LiveCodeBench, HumanEval, and BigCodeBench.
| Benchmark | GPT-4 | OpenAI o1 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68 | 83 | o1 leads by 15pts |
| SWE-bench Verified | 60 | 80 | o1 leads by 20pts |
| LiveCodeBench | 70 | 84 | o1 leads by 14pts |
| HumanEval | 86 | 95 | o1 leads by 9pts |
| BigCodeBench | 54 | 73 | o1 leads by 19pts |
Cost Comparison by Scenario
Estimated cost per project with 30% cache hit rate. Actual costs may vary based on usage patterns.
| Scenario | GPT-4 | OpenAI o1 | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Script (1K lines) | $2.85 | $2.32 | OpenAI o1 saves $0.52 (18%) |
| Medium Feature (10K lines) | $22.50 | $17.25 | OpenAI o1 saves $5.25 (23%) |
| Large Project (50K lines) | $112.50 | $86.25 | OpenAI o1 saves $26.25 (23%) |
| Code Review (5K lines) | $6.75 | $4.13 | OpenAI o1 saves $2.63 (39%) |
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 |
| OpenAI o1 | 83 | $0.181/pt | Better value |
OpenAI o1 delivers the best value at $0.181 per score point.
Strengths & Weaknesses
GPT-4
- + Original breakthrough model
- - Two generations behind
- - Expensive
OpenAI o1
- + Strong step-by-step reasoning
- + Best at math-heavy coding
- - Expensive
- - Slow
Verdict
OpenAI o1 wins on both price and performance — $15.00/M input with a benchmark score of 83/100.
For most developers, this is the clear choice between these two models.
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