Model Comparison
GPT-5.6 Sol vs GPT-5.5Which is better in 2026?
GPT-5.6 Sol significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-5.6 Sol and GPT-5.5 cost the same.
Verdict: GPT-5.6 Sol vs GPT-5.5 — which is better?
GPT-5.6 Sol (by OpenAI) and GPT-5.5 (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-5.6 Sol outperforms in 8 benchmarks (BrowseComp, FrontierMath, GDPval-AA, GPQA, Graphwalks BFS >128k, MRCR v2 (8-needle), SWE-Bench Pro, Toolathlon), while GPT-5.5 is better at 1 benchmark (MMMU-Pro). GPT-5.6 Sol significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Choose GPT-5.6 Sol if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 8 of 9 shared benchmarks
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026
Choose GPT-5.5 if…
- you want predictable pricing at $5.00/M input and $30.00/M output
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT-5.6 Sol outperforms in 8 benchmarks (BrowseComp, FrontierMath, GDPval-AA, GPQA, Graphwalks BFS >128k, MRCR v2 (8-needle), SWE-Bench Pro, Toolathlon), while GPT-5.5 is better at 1 benchmark (MMMU-Pro).
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-5.6 Sol ($5.00/1M tokens) costs the same as GPT-5.5 ($5.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-5.6 Sol ($30.00/1M tokens) costs the same as GPT-5.5 ($30.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5.6 Sol and GPT-5.5 cost the same.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Both models have the same input context window of 1,050,000 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 128,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both GPT-5.6 Sol and GPT-5.5 support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
GPT-5.6 Sol
GPT-5.5
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-5.6 Sol was released on 2026-07-09, while GPT-5.5 was released on 2026-04-23.
GPT-5.6 Sol is 3 months newer than GPT-5.5.
Jul 9, 2026
1 weeks ago
2mo newerApr 23, 2026
2 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-5.6 Sol has a knowledge cutoff of 2026-02-16, while GPT-5.5 has a cutoff of 2025-12-01.
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-5.5 (2025-12-01).
Feb 2026
2 mo newerDec 2025
Provider Availability
GPT-5.6 Sol is available from OpenAI. GPT-5.5 is available from OpenAI.
GPT-5.6 Sol
GPT-5.5
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-5.6 Sol
View detailsOpenAI
GPT-5.5
View detailsOpenAI
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-5.6 Sol and GPT-5.5 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-5.6 Sol vs GPT-5.5.