GPT-5.2 vs Inkling-Small
GPT-5.2 has a slight edge in benchmark performance. Inkling-Small is 9.2x cheaper per token.
OpenAI · Thinking Machines Lab · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GPT-5.2 outperforms in 6 benchmarks (ARC-AGI, ARC-AGI v2, CharXiv-R, GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam, MMMU-Pro), while Inkling-Small is better at 4 benchmarks (BrowseComp, MCP Atlas, SWE-Bench Verified, Toolathlon). GPT-5.2 has a slight edge in benchmark performance.
On price, Inkling-Small is roughly 9.2x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-5.2 also accepts a larger context window (400,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current benchmark, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose GPT-5.2
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 6 of 10 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 400,000 token context window
Choose Inkling-Small
- cost matters — it's about 9.2x cheaper per token
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT-5.2 outperforms in 6 benchmarks (ARC-AGI, ARC-AGI v2, CharXiv-R, GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam, MMMU-Pro), while Inkling-Small is better at 4 benchmarks (BrowseComp, MCP Atlas, SWE-Bench Verified, Toolathlon).
GPT-5.2 has a slight edge in benchmark performance.
Arena Performance
Playground indexes and blind preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-5.2 ($1.75/1M tokens) is 5.8x more expensive than Inkling-Small ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-5.2 ($14.00/1M tokens) is 11.7x more expensive than Inkling-Small ($1.20/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5.2 is more expensive than Inkling-Small.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-5.2 accepts 400,000 input tokens compared to Inkling-Small's 256,000 tokens. Inkling-Small can generate longer responses up to 256,000 tokens, while GPT-5.2 is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both GPT-5.2 and Inkling-Small support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
GPT-5.2
Inkling-Small
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-5.2 is licensed under a proprietary license, while Inkling-Small 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-5.2 was released on 2025-12-11, while Inkling-Small was released on 2026-07-30.
Inkling-Small is 8 months newer than GPT-5.2.
Dec 11, 2025
8 months ago
Jul 30, 2026
3 weeks ago
7mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-5.2 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2025-08-25, while Inkling-Small's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm GPT-5.2's training data extends to 2025-08-25, but cannot make a direct comparison without Inkling-Small's cutoff date.
Aug 2025
—
Provider Availability
GPT-5.2 is available from OpenAI. Inkling-Small is available from Thinking Machines Lab.
GPT-5.2
Inkling-Small
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-5.2 and Inkling-Small side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about GPT-5.2 vs Inkling-Small.