GPT-4 vs Yi-Lightning
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 Most expensive OpenAI model, largely superseded by newer options.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 |
Yi-Lightning
01.ai01.ai's cost-effective model. Competitive Chinese-English bilingual model at very low prices.
| Input | $0.150/M |
| Output | $0.600/M |
| Context | 16K tokens |
| Best For | Chinese-English translation, cost-sensitive applications |
Cost Comparison by Scenario
Estimated cost per project with 30% cache hit rate. Actual costs may vary based on usage patterns.
| Scenario | GPT-4 | Yi-Lightning | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Script (1K lines) | $2.85 | $0.02 | Yi-Lightning saves $2.83 (99%) |
| Medium Feature (10K lines) | $22.50 | $0.17 | Yi-Lightning saves $22.33 (99%) |
| Large Project (50K lines) | $112.50 | $0.86 | Yi-Lightning saves $111.64 (99%) |
| Code Review (5K lines) | $6.75 | $0.04 | Yi-Lightning saves $6.71 (99%) |
Verdict
Yi-Lightning wins on both price and performance — $0.150/M input with a benchmark score of N/A/100.
For most developers, this is the clear choice between these two models.
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