GPT-4.1 vs GPT-5.6 Terra
Whether the current mid-tier is worth moving to from GPT-4.1.
Side by side
| Attribute | GPT-4.1 | GPT-5.6 Terra |
|---|---|---|
| Input, per 1M tokens | $2.00 | $2.00 |
| Output, per 1M tokens | $8.00 | $12.00 |
| Context window | 1,047,576 | 1,050,000 |
| Provider | OpenAI | OpenAI |
| Tokenizer | o200k_base | o200k_base |
| Long-context tier | none | above 272,000 |
| Retires | no date announced | no date announced |
Which to choose
- On cost, input rates are identical, so the decision rests on output rate and capacity.
- On capacity, GPT-5.6 Terra holds more in one request. That matters only if you are near the smaller ceiling — below it, the extra room changes nothing.
- On long prompts, at least one of these bills the entire request at an elevated rate past a threshold. A comparison made on short prompts can invert once you cross it.
What this page does not tell you. Which model produces better answers. That depends on your task, and this site has no benchmark data — everything above is drawn from published pricing and specifications. Compare quality by running your own prompts through both.
Common questions
- Is GPT-4.1 or GPT-5.6 Terra cheaper?
- They cost the same on input, $2.00 per million. Compare output rates and context window instead.
- Which has the larger context window?
- GPT-5.6 Terra, at 1,050,000 tokens against 1,047,576.
- Can I compare them on my own prompt?
- Yes. The calculator counts any text against every model at once, so you can see both figures for your actual workload rather than for a generic example.