Comparison · Updated Oct 5, 2026
GPT-5 vs GPT-4o
GPT-5 vs GPT-4o: OpenAI's unified reasoning model against the fast multimodal model it replaced as ChatGPT's default.
At a glance
| Spec | GPT-5 | GPT-4o |
|---|---|---|
| Released | Aug 7, 2025 | May 13, 2024 |
| Context window | 400K tokens | 128K tokens |
| Licence | Closed / API | Closed / API |
| Inputs | text, image | text, image, audio |
| Public API | Yes | Yes |
Model A
GPT-5
OpenAI's next-generation flagship model succeeding GPT-4o.
Aug 7, 2025
Model B
GPT-4o
Omni-model unifying text, vision and audio in a single network with realtime capabilities.
May 13, 2024
Differences
| Attribute | GPT-5 | GPT-4o |
|---|---|---|
| Released | Aug 2025 | May 2024 |
| Context window | 400K | 128K |
| Built-in reasoning | Yes | No |
Verdict
GPT-5 is better on almost every task that needs reasoning, coding or long context. GPT-4o remains a fast, cheap option for simple chat and real-time voice.
Analysis
The short version GPT-4o (May 2024) made ChatGPT fast and multimodal. GPT-5 (August 2025) adds built-in reasoning, routing between quick answers and deeper thinking automatically.
Reasoning and coding GPT-5 is far stronger on maths, coding and multi-step tasks, and is less prone to hallucination.
Context GPT-5 supports up to 400K tokens through the API, against GPT-4o's 128K.
Speed and cost GPT-4o is still quick and inexpensive for lightweight tasks.
Frequently asked
- Is GPT-5 better than GPT-4o?
- Yes, for reasoning, coding and long context. GPT-4o is still useful for fast, cheap simple tasks.
- What is the GPT-5 context window?
- Up to 400K tokens through the API.