Model Comparison

GPT-5.6 Luna vs Nova MicroWhich is better in 2026?

GPT-5.6 Luna significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Nova Micro is 39.1x cheaper per token.

Verdict: GPT-5.6 Luna vs Nova Micro — which is better?

GPT-5.6 Luna (by OpenAI) and Nova Micro (by Amazon) 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-5.6 Luna outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Nova Micro is better at 0 benchmarks. GPT-5.6 Luna significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Nova Micro is roughly 39.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

GPT-5.6 Luna also accepts a larger context window (1,050,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose GPT-5.6 Luna 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

Choose Nova Micro if…

  • cost matters — it's about 39.1x cheaper per token

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

1 benchmarks

GPT-5.6 Luna outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Nova Micro is better at 0 benchmarks.

GPT-5.6 Luna significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Nova Micro costs less

For input processing, GPT-5.6 Luna ($1.00/1M tokens) is 33.3x more expensive than Nova Micro ($0.03/1M tokens).

For output processing, GPT-5.6 Luna ($6.00/1M tokens) is 42.9x more expensive than Nova Micro ($0.14/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GPT-5.6 Luna is more expensive than Nova Micro.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com
OpenAI
GPT-5.6 Luna
Input tokens$1.00
Output tokens$6.00
Best providerOpenAI
Amazon
Nova Micro
Input tokens$0.03
Output tokens$0.14
Best providerAWS Bedrock
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

GPT-5.6 Luna accepts 1,050,000 input tokens compared to Nova Micro's 128,000 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 128,000 tokens.

OpenAI
GPT-5.6 Luna
Input1,050,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Amazon
Nova Micro
Input128,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

GPT-5.6 Luna supports multimodal inputs, whereas Nova Micro does not.

GPT-5.6 Luna can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

GPT-5.6 Luna

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Nova Micro

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.

Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.

GPT-5.6 Luna

Proprietary

Closed source

Nova Micro

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GPT-5.6 Luna was released on 2026-07-09, while Nova Micro was released on 2024-11-20.

GPT-5.6 Luna is 20 months newer than Nova Micro.

GPT-5.6 Luna

Jul 9, 2026

1 weeks ago

1.6yr newer
Nova Micro

Nov 20, 2024

1.7 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

GPT-5.6 Luna has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-02-16, while Nova Micro's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm GPT-5.6 Luna's training data extends to 2026-02-16, but cannot make a direct comparison without Nova Micro's cutoff date.

GPT-5.6 Luna

Feb 2026

Nova Micro

Provider Availability

GPT-5.6 Luna is available from OpenAI. Nova Micro is available from Bedrock.

GPT-5.6 Luna

openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $1.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $6.00/1M

Nova Micro

bedrock logo
AWS Bedrock
Input Price:Input: $0.03/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.14/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion

Key Takeaways

Larger context window (1,050,000 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
Higher GPQA score (92.3% vs 40.0%)
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against GPT-5.6 Luna and Nova Micro side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

GPT-5.6 Luna
✓ Preferred
Nova Micro
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
OpenAI
GPT-5.6 Luna
Amazon
Nova Micro

FAQ

Common questions about GPT-5.6 Luna vs Nova Micro.

Which is better, GPT-5.6 Luna or Nova Micro?

GPT-5.6 Luna significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-5.6 Luna is made by OpenAI and Nova Micro is made by Amazon. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does GPT-5.6 Luna compare to Nova Micro in benchmarks?

GPT-5.6 Luna scores Connectors: 99.9%, HealthBench Consensus: 95.1%, GPQA: 92.3%, Search and Function-Calling: 89.7%, Capture-the-Flag Challenges (Internal): 85.2%. Nova Micro scores GSM8k: 92.3%, ARC-C: 90.2%, Translation Set1→en COMET22: 88.7%, Translation en→Set1 COMET22: 88.5%, IFEval: 87.2%.

Is GPT-5.6 Luna cheaper than Nova Micro?

Nova Micro is 33.3x cheaper for input tokens. GPT-5.6 Luna costs $1.00/M input and $6.00/M output via openai. Nova Micro costs $0.03/M input and $0.14/M output via bedrock.

What are the context window sizes for GPT-5.6 Luna and Nova Micro?

GPT-5.6 Luna supports 1.1M tokens and Nova Micro supports 128K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between GPT-5.6 Luna and Nova Micro?

Key differences include context window (1.1M vs 128K), input pricing ($1.00 vs $0.03/M), multimodal support (yes vs no). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes GPT-5.6 Luna and Nova Micro?

GPT-5.6 Luna is developed by OpenAI and Nova Micro is developed by Amazon.