GPT-4.1 vs GPT-4o
GPT-4.1 is cheaper for every workload modelled here.
List prices checked
Specifications and rates
| Property | GPT-4.1 | GPT-4o |
|---|---|---|
| Input per 1M | $2.00 | $2.50 |
| Output per 1M | $8.00 | $10.00 |
| Cached input per 1M | $0.500 | $1.25 |
| Blended (3:1) | $3.50 | $4.38 |
| Context window | 1M | 128K |
| Max output | 33K | 16K |
| Inputs accepted | text, image | text, image, audio |
Source: OpenAI pricing (May 2026) · OpenAI pricing (May 2026). Published list prices only — committed-use discounts, regional variation, and per-request charges are not included. Not yet independently re-checked against the vendor’s page.
Monthly cost by workload
Identical token volumes through both rate cards. Output-heavy profiles are where the ranking flips.
| Workload | GPT-4.1 | GPT-4o | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-app chat assistantA support or help assistant handling a few thousand conversations a month, with short prompts and short answers. | $80 | $100 | GPT-4.1saves $20/mo (20%) |
| RAG over documentsRetrieval-augmented answering where each request stuffs several retrieved passages into the prompt, so input dominates. | $720 | $900 | GPT-4.1saves $180/mo (20%) |
| Coding agentAn agentic loop that reads files and writes patches, generating heavy output and re-sending large context on every turn. | $1,600 | $2,000 | GPT-4.1saves $400/mo (20%) |
What each one is for
GPT-4.1
by OpenAI
A million-token context window at a mid-tier price, which remains the reason to reach for it over newer models when the whole codebase has to fit in one request.
GPT-4o
by OpenAI
The natively multimodal model that set the mid-market price for over a year. Now more expensive than newer models that outperform it, but still the default in a great deal of shipped code.
Common questions
- Is GPT-4.1 or GPT-4o cheaper in 2026?
- GPT-4.1, for every workload modelled here. On a blended 3:1 basis it costs $3.50 per million tokens against GPT-4o's $4.38.
- Which has the larger context window?
- GPT-4.1, at 1M tokens against 128K. A larger window only helps if you can afford to fill it — the cost of one full-context request is in the table above.
- Which is cheaper for output-heavy work like agents?
- GPT-4.1, at $8.00 per million output tokens against $10.00. Reasoning tokens bill as output, so for agentic loops this axis usually decides the invoice regardless of what the input rates look like.
- What is not included in these figures?
- Batch-processing discounts, fine-tuning, long-context surcharges above a provider's standard tier, and any enterprise agreement. These are published pay-as-you-go list prices, checked against each provider's own pricing page on the date shown.