Model Comparison
GPT-5.4 vs LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601Which is better in 2026?
GPT-5.4 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 is 10.7x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GPT-5.4 vs LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 — which is better?
GPT-5.4 (by OpenAI) and LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 (by Meituan) 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-5.4 outperforms in 3 benchmarks (BrowseComp, GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam), while LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 is better at 1 benchmark (Tau2 Telecom). GPT-5.4 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
On price, LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 is roughly 10.7x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-5.4 also accepts a larger context window (1,000,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GPT-5.4 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 4 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,000,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Mar 2026
Choose LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 if…
- cost matters — it's about 10.7x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT-5.4 outperforms in 3 benchmarks (BrowseComp, GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam), while LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 is better at 1 benchmark (Tau2 Telecom).
GPT-5.4 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-5.4 ($2.50/1M tokens) is 8.3x more expensive than LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-5.4 ($15.00/1M tokens) is 12.5x more expensive than LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 ($1.20/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5.4 is more expensive than LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-5.4 accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601's 128,000 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 128,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
GPT-5.4 supports multimodal inputs, whereas LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 does not.
GPT-5.4 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT-5.4
LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-5.4 is licensed under a proprietary license, while LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 uses MIT.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
MIT
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
GPT-5.4 was released on 2026-03-05, while LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 was released on 2026-01-14.
GPT-5.4 is 2 months newer than LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601.
Mar 5, 2026
3 months ago
1mo newerJan 14, 2026
4 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
GPT-5.4 is available from OpenAI. LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601 is available from Meituan.
GPT-5.4
LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-5.4
View detailsOpenAI
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-5.4 vs LongCat-Flash-Thinking-2601.