GPT-5.6 Sol vs GPT-5

Detailed pricing comparison and cost analysis.

Updated July 2026

Cost Simulator

GPT-5.6 Sol Cost
$11.00
GPT-5 Cost
$3.25
GPT-5 is 70% cheaper
FeatureGPT-5.6 SolGPT-5
ProviderOpenAIOpenAI
Input Price (1M)$5.00$1.25
Output Price (1M)$30.00$10.00
Context Window1,000,000400,000

Verdict

GPT-5.6 Sol costs $5.00 per 1M input tokens and $30.00 per 1M output tokens. GPT-5 costs $1.25 per 1M input tokens and $10.00 per 1M output tokens. GPT-5 is 75% cheaper on input tokens than GPT-5.6 Sol. For output tokens, GPT-5 is the more affordable option at $10.00/1M vs $30.00.

On context window, GPT-5.6 Sol supports 1,000,000 tokens — meaning it can fit more conversation history, documents, or code in a single request. This matters for RAG pipelines, long document analysis, and agentic workflows where context builds up over many turns.

When to choose GPT-5.6 Sol

  • ✓ You need a larger context window (1,000,000 tokens)
  • ✓ You are already integrated with OpenAI

When to choose GPT-5

  • ✓ You need the lowest input token cost ($ 1.25/1M)
  • ✓ Your workload is output-heavy — GPT-5 generates text cheaper
  • ✓ You are already integrated with OpenAI

Use the calculator above to simulate your specific workload and find the exact break-even point. For most applications, the cheapest model is the one that minimises your total monthly bill given your input-to-output token ratio.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is GPT-5.6 Sol cheaper than GPT-5?

GPT-5 is cheaper on input tokens at $1.25/1M vs $5.00/1M for GPT-5.6 Sol — a 75% saving.

What is the context window of GPT-5.6 Sol vs GPT-5?

GPT-5.6 Sol has a 1,000,000-token context window. GPT-5 has a 400,000-token context window. GPT-5.6 Sol supports the larger context, suitable for longer documents and agentic workflows.

Which model is better: GPT-5.6 Sol or GPT-5?

The best choice depends on your use case. For cost efficiency on input tokens, GPT-5 is the cheaper option. For maximum context length, GPT-5.6 Sol supports 1,000,000 tokens. Use the comparison table above to find the right fit for your workload.