OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo vs OpenAI: GPT-4 Turbo Preview: Which AI Model Is Better?
Updated March 2026· Based on independent benchmark data
Quick Verdict
OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo is 20.0x cheaper at $0.50/1M tokens vs $10/1M.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Metric | OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo | OpenAI: GPT-4 Turbo Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence Score | N/A | N/A |
| Coding Score | N/A | N/A |
| Math Score | N/A | N/A |
| Speed (tok/s) | N/A | N/A |
| Latency (TTFT) | N/A | N/A |
| Input Price / 1M tokens | $0.50 | $10 |
| Output Price / 1M tokens | $1.50 | $30 |
| Context Window | 16K | 128K |
| Max Output Tokens | 4K | 4K |
| Input Modalities | Text | Text |
| Output Modalities | Text | Text |
| Free Tier | No | No |
Detailed Analysis
Pricing
OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo is more affordable at $0.50/1M input tokens ($1.50/1M output), while OpenAI: GPT-4 Turbo Preview costs $10/1M input ($30/1M output). That makes OpenAI: GPT-4 Turbo Preview 20.0x more expensive per token, which can add up significantly at scale. For a typical workload of 100 requests per day at 2,000 tokens each, OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo would cost approximately $3.00/month vs $60.00/month for OpenAI: GPT-4 Turbo Preview in input costs alone.
Context Window
OpenAI: GPT-4 Turbo Preview offers a larger context window at 128K tokens compared to OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo's 16K. This means OpenAI: GPT-4 Turbo Preview can process roughly 64 pages of text in a single request vs 8 pages for OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo.
Best Use Cases
Choose OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo when you need lower cost. Choose OpenAI: GPT-4 Turbo Preview when you need larger context window (128K).
Choose OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo if:
- ✓Budget is a concern ($0.50/1M vs $10/1M)
Choose OpenAI: GPT-4 Turbo Preview if:
- ✓You need a larger context window (128K vs 16K)
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo or OpenAI: GPT-4 Turbo Preview?
OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo is cheaper at $0.50/1M input tokens vs $10/1M for OpenAI: GPT-4 Turbo Preview.
Can OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo process images?
No, OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo does not support image input. Neither model supports image input.
Which has a larger context window, OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo or OpenAI: GPT-4 Turbo Preview?
OpenAI: GPT-4 Turbo Preview has a larger context window at 128K compared to OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo's 16K.
Related Comparisons
Benchmark data by Artificial Analysis
Data last synced: March 2026