Model Comparison
GPT-4 vs GPT-3.5 TurboWhich is better in 2026?
GPT-4 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. GPT-3.5 Turbo is 50.0x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GPT-4 vs GPT-3.5 Turbo — which is better?
GPT-4 (by OpenAI) and GPT-3.5 Turbo (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-4 outperforms in 4 benchmarks (DROP, GPQA, MGSM, MMLU), while GPT-3.5 Turbo is better at 2 benchmarks (HumanEval, MATH). GPT-4 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
On price, GPT-3.5 Turbo is roughly 50.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-4 also accepts a larger context window (32,768 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GPT-4 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 of 6 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 32,768 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jun 2023
Choose GPT-3.5 Turbo if…
- cost matters — it's about 50.0x cheaper per token
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT-4 outperforms in 4 benchmarks (DROP, GPQA, MGSM, MMLU), while GPT-3.5 Turbo is better at 2 benchmarks (HumanEval, MATH).
GPT-4 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-4 ($30.00/1M tokens) is 60.0x more expensive than GPT-3.5 Turbo ($0.50/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-4 ($60.00/1M tokens) is 40.0x more expensive than GPT-3.5 Turbo ($1.50/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-4 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-4 accepts 32,768 input tokens compared to GPT-3.5 Turbo's 16,385 tokens. GPT-4 can generate longer responses up to 32,768 tokens, while GPT-3.5 Turbo is limited to 4,096 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
GPT-4 supports multimodal inputs, whereas GPT-3.5 Turbo does not.
GPT-4 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT-4
GPT-3.5 Turbo
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-4 was released on 2023-06-13, while GPT-3.5 Turbo was released on 2023-03-21.
GPT-4 is 3 months newer than GPT-3.5 Turbo.
Jun 13, 2023
3.0 years ago
2mo newerMar 21, 2023
3.2 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-4 has a knowledge cutoff of 2022-12-31, while GPT-3.5 Turbo has a cutoff of 2021-09-30.
GPT-4 has more recent training data (up to 2022-12-31), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to GPT-3.5 Turbo (2021-09-30).
Dec 2022
1.3 yr newerSep 2021
Provider Availability
GPT-4 is available from Azure, OpenAI. GPT-3.5 Turbo is available from Azure, OpenAI.
GPT-4
GPT-3.5 Turbo
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-4
View detailsOpenAI
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-4 vs GPT-3.5 Turbo.