GPT-5.4 Nano vs Grok 4-20
Complete pricing and performance comparison between OpenAI's GPT-5.4 Nano and xAI's Grok 4-20.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
GPT-5.4 Nano
10.0x cheaper input, 4.8x cheaper output
Larger Context
GPT-5.4 Nano
400K vs 131K
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | GPT-5.4 Nano | Grok 4-20 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | xAI | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $0.2 | $2 | GPT-5.4 Nano is 90% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $1.25 | $6 | GPT-5.4 Nano is 79% more expensive |
| Context Window | 400K | 131K | 3x difference |
| Max Output | 128K | 16K | |
| Tokenizer | o200k_base | cl100k_base |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | GPT-5.4 Nano | Grok 4-20 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | -- | 49 | N/A |
| Output Speed | -- | 101 tok/s | N/A |
| Value (Quality/$) | -- | 24.3 | Higher = better value |
Benchmark data from Artificial Analysis. Quality Index is a composite score across reasoning, coding, and knowledge tasks.
Cost at Scale
Estimated cost at different usage levels (3:1 input-to-output token ratio, typical for chat).
| Usage | GPT-5.4 Nano | Grok 4-20 | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0006 | $0.0038 | GPT-5.4 Nano saves $0.0032 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.0057 | $0.038 | GPT-5.4 Nano saves $0.032 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.058 | $0.380 | GPT-5.4 Nano saves $0.323 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $0.575 | $3.80 | GPT-5.4 Nano saves $3.22 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $5.75 | $38.00 | GPT-5.4 Nano saves $32.25 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $575.00 | $3800.00 | GPT-5.4 Nano saves $3225.00 |
Pros & Cons
GPT-5.4 Nano Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Larger context window (400K vs 131K)
- +Higher max output tokens
Grok 4-20 Strengths
Part of the xAI ecosystem
When to Use Each Model
Choose GPT-5.4 Nano for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
- →Long documents, large codebases, or multi-turn conversations
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
Choose Grok 4-20 for
- →Projects already integrated with xAI's ecosystem
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, GPT-5.4 Nano or Grok 4-20?
For input tokens, GPT-5.4 Nano is 10.0x cheaper at $0.2/1M tokens. For output tokens, GPT-5.4 Nano is 4.8x cheaper at $1.25/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), GPT-5.4 Nano costs $0.575 vs Grok 4-20 at $3.80.
What's the context window difference?
GPT-5.4 Nano supports 400K context (400,000 tokens), while Grok 4-20 supports 131K (131,072 tokens). GPT-5.4 Nano can handle 3x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
When should I choose GPT-5.4 Nano over Grok 4-20?
Choose GPT-5.4 Nano when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Larger context window (400K vs 131K), Higher max output tokens. Choose Grok 4-20 when you need: a xAI ecosystem model.
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): GPT-5.4 Nano = $5.75, Grok 4-20 = $38.00. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): GPT-5.4 Nano = $32.50, Grok 4-20 = $260.00.