GPT-4.5 vs IBM Granite 4.2 3B
GPT-4.5 and IBM Granite 4.2 3B are closely matched at 20.3 and 15.6 on the LLM Stats Score.
OpenAI · IBM · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GPT-4.5 and IBM Granite 4.2 3B are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 20.3 and 15.6.
In the 1 individual benchmarks reported for both models, GPT-4.5 wins 1; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose GPT-4.5
- your work emphasizes reasoning — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 1 of 1 exact shared results
Choose IBM Granite 4.2 3B
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2026
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
26 reported for GPT-4.5 · 13 for IBM Granite 4.2 3B
GPT-4.5 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while IBM Granite 4.2 3B is better at 0 benchmarks.
GPT-4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Only GPT-4.5 specifies input context (128,000 tokens). Only GPT-4.5 specifies output context (4,096 tokens).
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
GPT-4.5 supports multimodal inputs, whereas IBM Granite 4.2 3B does not.
GPT-4.5 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT-4.5
IBM Granite 4.2 3B
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-4.5 is licensed under a proprietary license, while IBM Granite 4.2 3B uses Apache 2.0.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
Apache 2.0
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
GPT-4.5 was released on 2025-02-27, while IBM Granite 4.2 3B was released on 2026-08-25.
IBM Granite 4.2 3B is 18 months newer than GPT-4.5.
Feb 27, 2025
1.5 years ago
Aug 25, 2026
6 days ago
1.5yr newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-4.5 and IBM Granite 4.2 3B side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about GPT-4.5 vs IBM Granite 4.2 3B.