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GPT-5 (low) vs GPT-5 (medium): The Ultimate Performance & Pricing Comparison

Deep dive into reasoning, benchmarks, and latency insights.

The Final Verdict in the GPT-5 (low) vs GPT-5 (medium) ShowdownGPT-5 (medium) leads on 1 of 7 metrics

GPT-5 (medium) takes this matchup on raw intelligence and reasoning. Pick GPT-5 (low) when faster response times and cost-efficiency matters more.

Model Snapshot

Key decision metrics at a glance.

GPT-5 (low)GPT-5 (medium)
8.0
Reasoning
9.0
6.0
Coding
6.0
3.0
Multimodal
3.0
4.0
Long Context
4.0
$0.003
Blended Price / 1M tokens
$0.003
1000ms
P95 Latency
1000ms
Tokens per second

GPT-5 (medium) leads on 1 of 7 metrics

Data provided by artificialanalysis.ai

Overall Capabilities

This radar chart visually maps the core capabilities (reasoning, coding, math proxy, multimodal, long context) of `GPT-5 (low)` vs `GPT-5 (medium)`.

IntelligenceCodingMathMultimodalLong Context
GPT-5 (low)GPT-5 (medium)

Benchmark Breakdown

This grouped bar chart provides a side-by-side comparison for each benchmark metric.

GPT-5 (low)GPT-5 (medium)

Speed & Latency

Lower time to first token is better; higher tokens per second is better.

Time to First Token · GPT-5 (low)
300ms
Time to First Token · GPT-5 (medium)
300ms
Tokens per Second · GPT-5 (low)
22
Tokens per Second · GPT-5 (medium)
65
Head to the playground to validate these results yourself

The Economics of GPT-5 (low) vs GPT-5 (medium)

Pricing Breakdown

Compare input and output pricing at a glance.

GPT-5 (low)GPT-5 (medium)

Real-World Cost Scenario

Per run: 1M input tokens + 250k output tokens

GPT-5 (low)$0.004

GPT-5 (medium)$0.004

Review the complete pricing and packaging strategy

Which Model Wins the GPT-5 (low) vs GPT-5 (medium) Battle for You?

Choose GPT-5 (low) if...

No measurable edge on these metrics

Choose GPT-5 (medium) if...

  • Stronger reasoning (9.0 vs 8.0)

Your Questions about the GPT-5 (low) vs GPT-5 (medium) Comparison

Is `GPT-5 (low)` a direct replacement for `GPT-5 (medium)`?

Based on our GPT-5 (low) vs GPT-5 (medium) analysis, they serve different niches. GPT-5 (low) is positioned as a more powerful option, but GPT-5 (medium)'s distinct advantages in areas like speed or cost ensure it remains relevant.

For coding, which is better in the `GPT-5 (low) vs GPT-5 (medium)` debate?

The benchmark data in our GPT-5 (low) vs GPT-5 (medium) comparison shows GPT-5 (medium) has a clear advantage, scoring 60 on LiveCodeBench versus 60.

How was this `GPT-5 (low) vs GPT-5 (medium)` comparison conducted?

Our GPT-5 (low) vs GPT-5 (medium) comparison uses standardized benchmark data and pricing information directly from the model creators to ensure objectivity and accuracy.