GPT-5.4 vs GPT Realtime 2

GPT-5.4 and GPT Realtime 2 are both current openai production-tier models. GPT-5.4 is meaningfully cheaper at $2.5 / $15 per 1M. GPT-5.4 has a 400k context window — about 3× the 128k of GPT Realtime 2. GPT-5.4 leads on coding, reasoning, general knowledge.

Specs side by side

Metric
OpenAI
GPT-5.4
OpenAI
GPT Realtime 2
Input price (per 1M)$2.5$4
Output price (per 1M)$15$24
Context window400k tokens128k tokens
Speed tierbalancedultra
Open weightsNoNo
EU regionYesYes
Free tierNoNo
Prompt cachingYesNo
Vision inputYesNo
Extended thinkingYesNo

When to choose each

OpenAI

Choose GPT-5.4 if…

  • You need 400k context (3× more than GPT Realtime 2)
  • HIPAA eligibility is required
  • You need image input / vision
  • Coding is central to your workload
  • Reasoning is central to your workload
OpenAI

Choose GPT Realtime 2 if…

  • Low latency matters (ultra vs balanced)
  • You need realtime speech-to-speech

Benchmark delta

GPT-5.4 leads on

  • Coding
  • Reasoning
  • General knowledge
  • Long-context retrieval
  • Instruction following
  • Multilingual
  • Tool use

GPT Realtime 2 leads on

GPT Realtime 2 has no meaningful benchmark lead in this pair.

FAQ — GPT-5.4 vs GPT Realtime 2

GPT-5.4 vs GPT Realtime 2 — which is better?

GPT-5.4 and GPT Realtime 2 are both current openai production-tier models. GPT-5.4 is meaningfully cheaper at $2.5 / $15 per 1M. GPT-5.4 has a 400k context window — about 3× the 128k of GPT Realtime 2. GPT-5.4 leads on coding, reasoning, general knowledge. The right pick depends on your use case — see "When to choose each" above for a data-driven decision.

How does GPT-5.4 pricing compare to GPT Realtime 2?

GPT-5.4 costs $2.5 / $15 per 1M vs GPT Realtime 2 at $4 / $24 per 1M. GPT-5.4 is cheaper on output tokens by roughly 60%. Both support prompt caching, which reduces effective cost by 80-90% on repeat system prompts.

Does GPT-5.4 or GPT Realtime 2 have the bigger context window?

GPT-5.4 has a 400k-token context window — 3× the 128k context of GPT Realtime 2. Enough for long reports and multi-document analysis.

Is there a free tier for GPT-5.4 or GPT Realtime 2?

GPT-5.4: no — Free $5 credit for new accounts; paid thereafter. GPT Realtime 2: no — Paid-only.

Which is better for coding — GPT-5.4 or GPT Realtime 2?

GPT-5.4 leads on coding benchmarks (GPT-5.4: 93/100, GPT Realtime 2: 78/100). For production coding agents also weigh tool-use performance — GPT-5.4 scores 93, GPT Realtime 2 scores 84.