Model Comparison
GPT OSS 120B High vs Nova 2 LiteWhich is better in 2026?
Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. GPT OSS 120B High is 4.3x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GPT OSS 120B High vs Nova 2 Lite — which is better?
GPT OSS 120B High (by OpenAI) and Nova 2 Lite (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 OSS 120B High outperforms in 2 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA), while Nova 2 Lite is better at 2 benchmarks (IFBench, MMLU-Pro). Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.
On price, GPT OSS 120B High is roughly 4.3x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Nova 2 Lite also accepts a larger context window (1,000,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GPT OSS 120B High if…
- cost matters — it's about 4.3x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Nova 2 Lite if…
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,000,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Dec 2025
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT OSS 120B High outperforms in 2 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA), while Nova 2 Lite is better at 2 benchmarks (IFBench, MMLU-Pro).
Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT OSS 120B High ($0.10/1M tokens) is 3.0x cheaper than Nova 2 Lite ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT OSS 120B High ($0.50/1M tokens) is 5.0x cheaper than Nova 2 Lite ($2.50/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Nova 2 Lite is more expensive than GPT OSS 120B High.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Nova 2 Lite accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to GPT OSS 120B High's 131,072 tokens. GPT OSS 120B High can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Nova 2 Lite is limited to 65,536 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Nova 2 Lite supports multimodal inputs, whereas GPT OSS 120B High does not.
Nova 2 Lite can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT OSS 120B High
Nova 2 Lite
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT OSS 120B High is licensed under Apache 2.0, while Nova 2 Lite uses a proprietary license.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Apache 2.0
Open weights
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
GPT OSS 120B High was released on 2025-08-05, while Nova 2 Lite was released on 2025-12-02.
Nova 2 Lite is 4 months newer than GPT OSS 120B High.
Aug 5, 2025
11 months ago
Dec 2, 2025
7 months ago
3mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
GPT OSS 120B High is available from OpenAI, Fireworks. Nova 2 Lite is available from Bedrock.
GPT OSS 120B High
Nova 2 Lite
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Nova 2 Lite
View detailsAmazon
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT OSS 120B High and Nova 2 Lite side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT OSS 120B High vs Nova 2 Lite.