Model Comparison
GPT-3.5 Turbo vs GPT-5 nanoWhich is better in 2026?
GPT-5 nano significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-5 nano is 5.5x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GPT-3.5 Turbo vs GPT-5 nano — which is better?
GPT-3.5 Turbo (by OpenAI) and GPT-5 nano (by OpenAI) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.
GPT-3.5 Turbo outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GPT-5 nano is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA). GPT-5 nano significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, GPT-5 nano is roughly 5.5x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-5 nano also accepts a larger context window (400,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GPT-3.5 Turbo if…
- you want predictable pricing at $0.50/M input and $1.50/M output
Choose GPT-5 nano if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 5.5x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 400,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2025
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT-3.5 Turbo outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GPT-5 nano is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA).
GPT-5 nano significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-3.5 Turbo ($0.50/1M tokens) is 10.0x more expensive than GPT-5 nano ($0.05/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-3.5 Turbo ($1.50/1M tokens) is 3.8x more expensive than GPT-5 nano ($0.40/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-3.5 Turbo is more expensive than GPT-5 nano.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-5 nano accepts 400,000 input tokens compared to GPT-3.5 Turbo's 16,385 tokens. GPT-5 nano can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while GPT-3.5 Turbo is limited to 4,096 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
GPT-5 nano supports multimodal inputs, whereas GPT-3.5 Turbo does not.
GPT-5 nano can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT-3.5 Turbo
GPT-5 nano
License
Usage and distribution terms
Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.
Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.
Proprietary
Closed source
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
GPT-3.5 Turbo was released on 2023-03-21, while GPT-5 nano was released on 2025-08-07.
GPT-5 nano is 29 months newer than GPT-3.5 Turbo.
Mar 21, 2023
3.2 years ago
Aug 7, 2025
10 months ago
2.4yr newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-3.5 Turbo has a knowledge cutoff of 2021-09-30, while GPT-5 nano has a cutoff of 2024-05-30.
GPT-5 nano has more recent training data (up to 2024-05-30), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to GPT-3.5 Turbo (2021-09-30).
Sep 2021
May 2024
2.7 yr newerProvider Availability
GPT-3.5 Turbo is available from Azure, OpenAI. GPT-5 nano is available from OpenAI.
GPT-3.5 Turbo
GPT-5 nano
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.
GPT-5 nano
View detailsOpenAI
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-3.5 Turbo vs GPT-5 nano.