Model Comparison

GPT-5 vs Phi 4Which is better in 2026?

GPT-5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Phi 4 is 39.3x cheaper per token.

Verdict: GPT-5 vs Phi 4 — which is better?

GPT-5 (by OpenAI) and Phi 4 (by Microsoft) 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-5 outperforms in 4 benchmarks (GPQA, HumanEval, MATH, MMLU), while Phi 4 is better at 0 benchmarks. GPT-5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Phi 4 is roughly 39.3x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

GPT-5 also accepts a larger context window (400,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose GPT-5 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 of 4 shared benchmarks
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 400,000 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2025

Choose Phi 4 if…

  • cost matters — it's about 39.3x cheaper per token
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

4 benchmarks

GPT-5 outperforms in 4 benchmarks (GPQA, HumanEval, MATH, MMLU), while Phi 4 is better at 0 benchmarks.

GPT-5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Tue Jul 28 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Phi 4 costs less

For input processing, GPT-5 ($1.25/1M tokens) is 17.9x more expensive than Phi 4 ($0.07/1M tokens).

For output processing, GPT-5 ($10.00/1M tokens) is 71.4x more expensive than Phi 4 ($0.14/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GPT-5 is more expensive than Phi 4.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Tue Jul 28 2026 • llm-stats.com
OpenAI
GPT-5
Input tokens$1.25
Output tokens$10.00
Best providerOpenAI
Microsoft
Phi 4
Input tokens$0.07
Output tokens$0.14
Best providerDeepinfra
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

GPT-5 accepts 400,000 input tokens compared to Phi 4's 16,000 tokens. GPT-5 can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while Phi 4 is limited to 16,000 tokens.

OpenAI
GPT-5
Input400,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Microsoft
Phi 4
Input16,000 tokens
Output16,000 tokens
Tue Jul 28 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

GPT-5 supports multimodal inputs, whereas Phi 4 does not.

GPT-5 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

GPT-5

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Phi 4

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

GPT-5 is licensed under a proprietary license, while Phi 4 uses MIT.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

GPT-5

Proprietary

Closed source

Phi 4

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GPT-5 was released on 2025-08-07, while Phi 4 was released on 2024-12-12.

GPT-5 is 8 months newer than Phi 4.

GPT-5

Aug 7, 2025

11 months ago

7mo newer
Phi 4

Dec 12, 2024

1.6 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

GPT-5 has a knowledge cutoff of 2024-09-30, while Phi 4 has a cutoff of 2024-06-01.

GPT-5 has more recent training data (up to 2024-09-30), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to Phi 4 (2024-06-01).

GPT-5

Sep 2024

3 mo newer
Phi 4

Jun 2024

Provider Availability

GPT-5 is available from OpenAI. Phi 4 is available from DeepInfra.

GPT-5

openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $1.25/1MOutput Price:Output: $10.00/1M

Phi 4

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.07/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.14/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

OpenAI
Larger context window (400,000 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
Higher GPQA score (85.7% vs 56.1%)
Higher HumanEval score (93.4% vs 82.6%)
Higher MATH score (84.7% vs 80.4%)
Higher MMLU score (92.5% vs 84.8%)
Microsoft
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against GPT-5 and Phi 4 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

GPT-5
✓ Preferred
Phi 4
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
OpenAI
GPT-5
Microsoft
Phi 4

FAQ

Common questions about GPT-5 vs Phi 4.

Which is better, GPT-5 or Phi 4?

GPT-5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-5 is made by OpenAI and Phi 4 is made by Microsoft. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does GPT-5 compare to Phi 4 in benchmarks?

GPT-5 scores SWE-Lancer (IC-Diamond subset): 100.0%, COLLIE: 99.0%, Tau2 Telecom: 96.7%, OpenAI-MRCR: 2 needle 128k: 95.2%, AIME 2025: 94.6%. Phi 4 scores MMLU: 84.8%, HumanEval+: 82.8%, HumanEval: 82.6%, MGSM: 80.6%, MATH: 80.4%.

Is GPT-5 cheaper than Phi 4?

Phi 4 is 17.9x cheaper for input tokens. GPT-5 costs $1.25/M input and $10.00/M output via openai. Phi 4 costs $0.07/M input and $0.14/M output via deepinfra.

What are the context window sizes for GPT-5 and Phi 4?

GPT-5 supports 400K tokens and Phi 4 supports 16K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between GPT-5 and Phi 4?

Key differences include context window (400K vs 16K), input pricing ($1.25 vs $0.07/M), multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (Proprietary vs MIT). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes GPT-5 and Phi 4?

GPT-5 is developed by OpenAI and Phi 4 is developed by Microsoft.

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