GPT-3.5 Turbo vs GPT-6 Astra
GPT-6 Astra leads the LLM Stats Score 60.7 to -9.3. GPT-3.5 Turbo is 26.7x cheaper per token.
OpenAI · OpenAI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GPT-6 Astra leads the overall LLM Stats Score 60.7 to -9.3, ranking #1 overall.
In the 1 individual benchmarks reported for both models, GPT-6 Astra wins 1; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, GPT-3.5 Turbo is roughly 26.7x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-6 Astra also accepts a larger context window (1,050,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose GPT-3.5 Turbo
- cost matters — it's about 26.7x cheaper per token
Choose GPT-6 Astra
- overall performance matters — it scores 60.7 and ranks #1 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning and coding — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 1 of 1 exact shared results
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,050,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Sep 2026
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
8 reported for GPT-3.5 Turbo · 22 for GPT-6 Astra
GPT-3.5 Turbo outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GPT-6 Astra is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA).
GPT-6 Astra significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-3.5 Turbo ($0.50/1M tokens) is 20.0x cheaper than GPT-6 Astra ($10.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-3.5 Turbo ($1.50/1M tokens) is 33.3x cheaper than GPT-6 Astra ($50.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-6 Astra is more expensive than GPT-3.5 Turbo.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-6 Astra accepts 1,050,000 input tokens compared to GPT-3.5 Turbo's 16,385 tokens. GPT-6 Astra can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while GPT-3.5 Turbo is limited to 4,096 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
GPT-6 Astra supports multimodal inputs, whereas GPT-3.5 Turbo does not.
GPT-6 Astra can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT-3.5 Turbo
GPT-6 Astra
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-6 Astra was released on 2026-09-03.
GPT-6 Astra is 42 months newer than GPT-3.5 Turbo.
Mar 21, 2023
3.5 years ago
Sep 3, 2026
0 days ago
3.5yr newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-3.5 Turbo has a knowledge cutoff of 2021-09-30, while GPT-6 Astra has a cutoff of 2026-04-30.
GPT-6 Astra has more recent training data (up to 2026-04-30), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to GPT-3.5 Turbo (2021-09-30).
Sep 2021
Apr 2026
4.6 yr newerProvider Availability
GPT-3.5 Turbo is available from Azure, OpenAI. GPT-6 Astra is available from OpenAI.
GPT-3.5 Turbo
GPT-6 Astra
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-3.5 Turbo and GPT-6 Astra side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about GPT-3.5 Turbo vs GPT-6 Astra.