Llama 4 Maverick is Meta's best open-source model and runs free via Groq, Together AI, and Fireworks. GPT-5.4 is OpenAI's frontier paid API model. For most production use cases, GPT-5.4 wins on reliability and capability — but Llama 4 Maverick is a genuinely strong free alternative for developers who need low cost or on-premise deployment.
MetaBudget
Llama 4 Maverick
Best flexible option for teams that need open-weight portability.
VS
OpenAIPremium
GPT-5.4
Best for agentic automation and desktop control workflows.
Winner
At a glance
Llama 4 Maverick
GPT-5.4
Input cost / 1M tokens
$$0.60/1M
$$2.50/1M
Output cost / 1M tokens
$$1.60/1M
$$15.00/1M
Context window
256k tokens
272k tokens
Speed
Fast
Balanced
Price tier
Budget
Premium
Benchmarks
SWE-bench (coding)
32%
74.9%
Arena Elo
1,250
1,355
MMLU
85.5%
91%
How they compare
Which model wins for each use case — and why.
CodingGPT-5.4 wins
GPT-5.4 leads on SWE-bench (74.9%) vs Llama 4 Maverick (~50%). For production code, GPT-5.4 handles complex multi-file edits more reliably.
WritingGPT-5.4 wins
GPT-5.4 produces more consistent, polished prose. Llama 4 Maverick is capable but can be verbose and less tonally precise.
CostLlama 4 Maverick wins
Llama 4 Maverick is open-source and free via self-hosting, or extremely cheap (~$0.20/1M input) on inference providers. GPT-5.4 costs $2.50/1M.
Privacy / On-PremiseLlama 4 Maverick wins
Llama 4 Maverick can be self-hosted — your data never leaves your infrastructure. Essential for regulated industries and sensitive workloads.
ReliabilityGPT-5.4 wins
OpenAI's API has enterprise SLAs, fine-tuning support, and consistent output quality. Open-source hosting reliability depends on your infrastructure.
Which should you pick?
Pick Llama 4 Maverick if…
You're building at high volume and API costs are a real constraint
You need on-premise deployment for privacy or compliance reasons
You're a developer comfortable self-hosting or using inference APIs like Groq/Together
For most workflows, GPT-5.4 is the stronger choice.
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.
The case for each model
What each one is genuinely good at, where it falls down, and when we would steer you away from it.
Our overall pick in this comparison. Against Llama 4 Maverick it costs about 87% more per token and takes 1x the context.
OpenAI's latest flagship with unique desktop-control capabilities — it can see your screen, click, and navigate apps via the API.
Input
$2.50/1M
Output
$15.00/1M
Context
272k tokens
Speed
Balanced
What people actually use it for
Building agents that browse the web and operate desktop software autonomously via the API
Complex multi-step reasoning for financial modeling and decision analysis
Autonomous test-run-debug loops for coding with computer-use control
Where it wins
Only frontier model that can control a desktop via API (click, type, navigate)
Strong at multi-step agentic tasks and autonomous workflows
Competitive coding performance with 74.9% SWE-bench score
Where it falls down
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
Skip it if
You need the highest current coding benchmark scores — Claude Opus 4.7 and GPT-5.5 are newer premium picks.
Our verdict
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.
Frequently asked questions
Is Llama as good as ChatGPT?
For general use, Llama 4 Maverick is competitive on many tasks but falls behind GPT-5.4 on complex coding, nuanced writing, and reliability. The gap has narrowed significantly in 2025-2026.
Is Llama 4 free?
Yes — Llama 4 is open-source (Meta license) and can be self-hosted for free. Hosted inference via Groq, Together AI, or Fireworks starts at ~$0.20/1M input tokens.
Which is better for developers — Llama or ChatGPT?
Depends on priorities. For maximum quality and simplicity, GPT-5.4. For cost efficiency, customisation, or on-premise deployment, Llama 4 Maverick is compelling.
Can I use Llama commercially?
Yes, Meta's Llama 4 license allows commercial use with some restrictions above 700M monthly users. For most businesses, it's fully free to use commercially.