Model Comparison
GPT-5 Medium vs GPT-5.6 SolWhich is better in 2026?
GPT-5.6 Sol significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-5 Medium is 3.3x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GPT-5 Medium vs GPT-5.6 Sol — which is better?
GPT-5 Medium (by OpenAI) and GPT-5.6 Sol (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-5 Medium outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GPT-5.6 Sol is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA). GPT-5.6 Sol significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, GPT-5 Medium is roughly 3.3x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-5.6 Sol also accepts a larger context window (1,050,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GPT-5 Medium if…
- cost matters — it's about 3.3x cheaper per token
Choose GPT-5.6 Sol if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,050,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT-5 Medium outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GPT-5.6 Sol is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA).
GPT-5.6 Sol significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-5 Medium ($1.25/1M tokens) is 4.0x cheaper than GPT-5.6 Sol ($5.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-5 Medium ($10.00/1M tokens) is 3.0x cheaper than GPT-5.6 Sol ($30.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5.6 Sol is more expensive than GPT-5 Medium.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-5.6 Sol accepts 1,050,000 input tokens compared to GPT-5 Medium's 400,000 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 128,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both GPT-5 Medium and GPT-5.6 Sol support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
GPT-5 Medium
GPT-5.6 Sol
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-5 Medium was released on 2025-08-07, while GPT-5.6 Sol was released on 2026-07-09.
GPT-5.6 Sol is 11 months newer than GPT-5 Medium.
Aug 7, 2025
11 months ago
Jul 9, 2026
1 weeks ago
11mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-5 Medium has a knowledge cutoff of 2024-09-30, while GPT-5.6 Sol has a cutoff of 2026-02-16.
GPT-5.6 Sol has more recent training data (up to 2026-02-16), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to GPT-5 Medium (2024-09-30).
Sep 2024
Feb 2026
1.4 yr newerProvider Availability
GPT-5 Medium is available from OpenAI. GPT-5.6 Sol is available from OpenAI.
GPT-5 Medium
GPT-5.6 Sol
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-5 Medium
View detailsOpenAI
GPT-5.6 Sol
View detailsOpenAI
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-5 Medium and GPT-5.6 Sol side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-5 Medium vs GPT-5.6 Sol.