GPT-5 vs GPT 4.1 (2025-04-14)
GPT-5 vs GPT 4.1 (2025-04-14): GPT 4.1 (2025-04-14) is cheaper by 43% on average. GPT-5 from OpenAI (272,000-token context, reasoning, tool calls) vs. GPT 4.1 (2025-04-14) from Azure OpenAI (1,047,576-token context, tool calls). Use Agent Command Center to A/B both in shadow mode and pick the winner per workload.
Side-by-side cost
Live workload comparison
Same workload run through both models. The cheaper one is highlighted.
3,000
01,047,576
400
0128,000
5,000
01,000,000
At this workload, GPT-5 is 23% cheaper than GPT 4.1 (2025-04-14) — a savings of $361/month ($4,328/year).
Crossover: GPT-5 is cheaper when output/input ≤ 0.79 (input-heavy workloads — RAG, retrieval). GPT 4.1 (2025-04-14) wins above (long-form generation).
Current workload ratio: 0.13 (400/3000)
Production recipe — Agent Command Center
strategy: cost-optimized
primary:
model: gpt-5
provider: openai
fallback:
model: us-gpt-4-1-2025-04-14
provider: azure-openai
shadow: { sample_rate: 0.05 } # mirror 5% of traffic to compare quality live| GPT-5 | GPT 4.1 (2025-04-14) | |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $1.25/M | $2.20/M |
| Output price | $10.00/M | $8.80/M |
| Context window | 272,000 | 1,047,576 |
| Max output | 128,000 | 32,768 |
| Function calling | ✓ | ✓ |
| Vision | ✓ | ✓ |
| Audio input | — | — |
| Reasoning | ✓ | — |
| Prompt caching | ✓ | ✓ |
| Structured output | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pricing verified | May 12, 2026 | May 12, 2026 |
Benchmark comparison
Side-by-side public benchmark scores. Greener bar = winner.