GPT-5.6 Terra vs Inkling-Small
GPT-5.6 Terra leads the LLM Stats Score 52.6 to 39.3. Inkling-Small is 8.6x cheaper per token.
OpenAI · Thinking Machines Lab · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GPT-5.6 Terra leads the overall LLM Stats Score 52.6 to 39.3, ranking #9 overall.
In the 7 individual benchmarks reported for both models, GPT-5.6 Terra wins 6; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, Inkling-Small is roughly 8.6x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-5.6 Terra also accepts a larger context window (1,050,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose GPT-5.6 Terra
- overall performance matters — it scores 52.6 and ranks #9 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning and coding — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 6 of 7 exact shared results
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,050,000 token context window
Choose Inkling-Small
- cost matters — it's about 8.6x 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.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
44 reported for GPT-5.6 Terra · 24 for Inkling-Small
GPT-5.6 Terra outperforms in 6 benchmarks (Artificial Analysis, BrowseComp, GPQA, MMMU-Pro, SWE-Bench Pro, Terminal-Bench 2.1), while Inkling-Small is better at 1 benchmark (Toolathlon).
GPT-5.6 Terra significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-5.6 Terra ($2.00/1M tokens) is 6.7x more expensive than Inkling-Small ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-5.6 Terra ($12.00/1M tokens) is 10.0x more expensive than Inkling-Small ($1.20/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5.6 Terra 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-5.6 Terra accepts 1,050,000 input tokens compared to Inkling-Small's 256,000 tokens. Inkling-Small can generate longer responses up to 256,000 tokens, while GPT-5.6 Terra is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both GPT-5.6 Terra and Inkling-Small support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
GPT-5.6 Terra
Inkling-Small
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-5.6 Terra 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-5.6 Terra was released on 2026-07-09, while Inkling-Small was released on 2026-07-30.
Inkling-Small is 1 month newer than GPT-5.6 Terra.
Jul 9, 2026
1 months ago
Jul 30, 2026
4 weeks ago
3w newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-5.6 Terra has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-02-16, while Inkling-Small's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm GPT-5.6 Terra's training data extends to 2026-02-16, but cannot make a direct comparison without Inkling-Small's cutoff date.
Feb 2026
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Provider Availability
GPT-5.6 Terra is available from OpenAI. Inkling-Small is available from Thinking Machines Lab.
GPT-5.6 Terra
Inkling-Small
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-5.6 Terra and Inkling-Small side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about GPT-5.6 Terra vs Inkling-Small.