GPT-5.4 wins on coding (90 vs 58) and writing quality and context window (272K vs 128K). For most workflows, GPT-5.4 is the stronger default — best for agentic automation and desktop control workflows.
The safest GPT-4o vs GPT-5.4 default, the cheaper option worth trying first, and the specialist pick — before you read the detail below.
GPT-5.4 is the strongest answer here for GPT-4o vs GPT-5.4 — pick it when quality of output matters more than the $2.50/1M/1M input you pay for it.
GPT-4o handles the same job for about 29% less per token. Start here and only move up if the output is not good enough.
GPT-4o is the fastest of these for GPT-4o vs GPT-5.4 — worth it when latency is what the reader notices, not the last few points of reasoning depth.
GPT-5.4 leads on coding with a score of 90 vs 58 for GPT-4o.
GPT-5.4 has the larger context window: 272K vs 128K for GPT-4o.
Both models are similarly priced — the decision comes down to capability, not cost.
GPT-5.4 is the safer default: it is built for agentic workflows, desktop automation, and complex multi-step reasoning, which covers most of what people bring to this comparison.
Switch to GPT-4o when your work is mostly multimodal tasks and image-adjacent workflows; on that narrower brief it is the better tool.
GPT-4o is the more cost-efficient option at $2.5/1M input — GPT-5.4 costs 1x more per input token, so the gap is worth taking seriously wherever token volume rather than peak quality drives the bill.
Switch the scoring lens to see whether the GPT-4o vs GPT-5.4 answer changes when cost, speed, or long-document depth leads the decision.
OpenAI / Premium / Sep 3, 2026
Best for agentic automation and desktop control workflows.
Ranks models by the broadest mix of coding, writing, research, and long-context usefulness.
You need the highest current coding benchmark scores — Claude Opus 4.7 and GPT-5.5 are newer premium picks.
Where the GPT-4o vs GPT-5.4 recommendation shifts once you weigh price or latency differently.
Best all-around pick for image-heavy and multimodal workflows.
Best for agentic automation and desktop control workflows.
List prices and published scores — the numbers this page's pick is built from.
| Model | Input | Output | Est. month | Context | Speed | Coding | Writing | Research |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-5.4OpenAI | $2.50/1M | $15.00/1M | $55 | 272k tokens | Balanced | 90 | 88 | 88 |
| GPT-4oOpenAI | $2.50/1M | $10.00/1M | $45 | 128k tokens | Fast | 58 | 76 | 65 |
Scores out of 100 — how we evaluate models. “Est. month” is 10M in / 2M out at list price: a ceiling, no discounts.
Why each one is on the shortlist for GPT-4o vs GPT-5.4, what it is genuinely good at, and where we would steer you away from it.
Ranked first here for GPT-4o vs GPT-5.4: 90/100 on coding, with the widest margin of anything in this line-up.
OpenAI's latest flagship with unique desktop-control capabilities — it can see your screen, click, and navigate apps via the API.
You need the highest current coding benchmark scores — Claude Opus 4.7 and GPT-5.5 are newer premium picks.
Best choice when you need a model that can operate software autonomously at the older GPT-5.4 price tier. For current premium coding quality, Claude Opus 4.7 leads.
Full pricing, benchmark table and release notes on the GPT-5.4 page.
The value option for GPT-4o vs GPT-5.4: about 29% less per token than GPT-5.4, at 58/100 on coding. Worth starting here and moving up only if the output disappoints.
Versatile multimodal model that handles image-related workflows and mixed-media prompts well.
You need the latest reasoning or coding performance — GPT-5.4 replaces it for serious work.
Still a reliable multimodal pick, especially for teams already in the OpenAI ecosystem.
Full pricing, benchmark table and release notes on the GPT-4o page.
UseRightAI recommendations are based on practical decision factors people actually feel in day-to-day use.
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GPT-5.4 wins on more of the categories we score — coding, research, reasoning — so it is the better default of the two. GPT-4o is the better pick when your work is mostly multimodal tasks and image-adjacent workflows. Neither is universally "better": GPT-5.4 is aimed at agentic workflows and desktop automation, GPT-4o at multimodal tasks and image-adjacent workflows.
Both models are similarly priced at $2.5/1M input tokens. The decision should come down to capability, not cost.
GPT-5.4 has the larger context window at 272K tokens vs GPT-4o's 128K. For large document analysis, GPT-5.4 is the stronger pick.
GPT-5.4 is better for coding with a score of 90 vs GPT-4o's 58 (out of 100). GPT-6 Astra is the overall coding leader in this directory at 100/100.
GPT-4o is faster with a fast speed rating (score: 4) vs GPT-5.4's balanced rating (score: 3). Speed matters most for interactive and high-throughput work; for batch jobs the GPT-5.4 latency penalty is usually invisible.
Claude Opus 4.7 and GPT-5.5 now outperform it on current premium coding benchmarks. Smaller context window (272K) vs Gemini 3.1 Pro (2M) for research. Avoid it if you need the highest current coding benchmark scores — Claude Opus 4.7 and GPT-5.5 are newer premium picks. That is the main case for looking at GPT-4o instead.
Outclassed by newer models on pure coding and reasoning. Gemini 3.1 Pro now handles multimodal at a lower price. Avoid it if you need the latest reasoning or coding performance — GPT-5.4 replaces it for serious work. Against GPT-5.4 specifically, the gap shows up most on coding (90 vs 58).
Take a moderate workload of 10M input and 2M output tokens a month. GPT-4o runs $45.00 (at $2.5/1M in and $10/1M out); GPT-5.4 runs $55.00 (at $2.5/1M in and $15/1M out). That is a $10.00/month difference — GPT-4o is the cheaper of the two at this volume, and the gap scales linearly as you send more. Output tokens dominate the bill on both, so prompt length matters far less than response length.
Yes, and for most teams that beats picking one. A common split is GPT-5.4 for agentic workflows and desktop automation, with GPT-4o handling multimodal tasks and image-adjacent workflows. Routing high-volume, low-stakes calls to GPT-4o at $2.5/1M and reserving GPT-5.4 for the hard cases is usually the cheapest arrangement that does not cost you quality.