comparison
GPT-5.4 nano vs gpt-oss-120b
Token pricing, context window and real monthly cost, side by side. gpt-oss-120b is the cheaper of the two for a typical workload — about 6.2× less.
| metric | GPT-5.4 nano | gpt-oss-120b |
|---|---|---|
| Input / 1M | $0.20 | $0.039 |
| Output / 1M | $1.25 | $0.18 |
| Context | 400K | 131K |
| Cost @ typical workload | $185/mo | $29.70/mo |
| Modality | text + image | Text only |
| Price source | list | routed |
| Provider | OpenAI | OpenAI |
Snapshot . Cost uses a typical workload; tune it in the calculator. How we measure →
Which should you pick?
On a typical workload, gpt-oss-120b costs $29.70/mo against GPT-5.4 nano's $185/mo — roughly 6.2× cheaper. But the ranking depends on your output-to-input ratio: output is the pricier direction for both, so an output-heavy job (code generation, long answers) widens the gap while an input-heavy one (summarization, retrieval) narrows it. If you need to fit more in a single prompt, GPT-5.4 nano has the larger 400K-token window (~600 pages). Only GPT-5.4 nano accepts image input — decisive if your prompts include images.
These are list and routed market prices, not measured outcomes. Two models at the same rate can still cost different amounts to finish the same task, because verbose or reasoning-heavy models emit more tokens. That gap is exactly what measured cost-per-task captures.
Frequently asked questions
Is GPT-5.4 nano or gpt-oss-120b cheaper?
For a typical workload (1,500 input + 500 output tokens × 200,000 requests/month), gpt-oss-120b costs $29.70/mo versus $185/mo for GPT-5.4 nano — about 6.2× less. Because output is priced higher than input, the winner can flip if your workload writes much more or less than this; check your own numbers in the calculator.
What's the main difference between GPT-5.4 nano and gpt-oss-120b?
On price, GPT-5.4 nano is $0.20/$1.25 per 1M (in/out) and gpt-oss-120b is $0.039/$0.18. GPT-5.4 nano has the larger context window at 400K tokens. GPT-5.4 nano also accepts image input, while gpt-oss-120b is text-only.
More comparisons
- GPT-5.5 vs GPT-5.4 nano
- GPT-5.5 vs gpt-oss-120b
- GPT-5.4 vs GPT-5.4 nano
- GPT-5.4 vs gpt-oss-120b
- GPT-5.4 mini vs GPT-5.4 nano
- GPT-5.4 mini vs gpt-oss-120b
Related
- GPT-5.4 nano and gpt-oss-120b — full specs and price history.
- API cost calculator — compare on your own workload.
- All comparisons — the full head-to-head index.