OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo vs OpenAI: GPT-4o (2024-05-13): Which AI Model Is Better?
Updated March 2026· Based on independent benchmark data
Quick Verdict
OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo is 10.0x cheaper at $0.50/1M tokens vs $5.00/1M.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Metric | OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo | OpenAI: GPT-4o (2024-05-13) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | $5.00 |
| Output Price / 1M tokens | $1.50 | $15 |
| Context Window | 16K | 128K |
| Max Output Tokens | 4K | 4K |
| Input Modalities | Text | Text + Image + File |
| 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-4o (2024-05-13) costs $5.00/1M input ($15/1M output). That makes OpenAI: GPT-4o (2024-05-13) 10.0x 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 $30.00/month for OpenAI: GPT-4o (2024-05-13) in input costs alone.
Context Window
OpenAI: GPT-4o (2024-05-13) offers a larger context window at 128K tokens compared to OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo's 16K. This means OpenAI: GPT-4o (2024-05-13) 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-4o (2024-05-13) when you need larger context window (128K).
Choose OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo if:
- ✓Budget is a concern ($0.50/1M vs $5.00/1M)
Choose OpenAI: GPT-4o (2024-05-13) if:
- ✓You need a larger context window (128K vs 16K)
- ✓You need image understanding (Supports image input)
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo or OpenAI: GPT-4o (2024-05-13)?
OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo is cheaper at $0.50/1M input tokens vs $5.00/1M for OpenAI: GPT-4o (2024-05-13).
Can OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo process images?
No, OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo does not support image input. However, OpenAI: GPT-4o (2024-05-13) does support images.
Which has a larger context window, OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo or OpenAI: GPT-4o (2024-05-13)?
OpenAI: GPT-4o (2024-05-13) 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