Skip to main content

Model comparison

GPT-4.1 vs GPT-4o

Data verified

Head-to-head evidence from 13 shared benchmark results across 7 categories. Overall scores shown here use the public BenchAlign v5 ranking lane.

OpenAI
51.11/100
Margin
9.6pts
← winning
OpenAI
41.49/100
1 category wins0 category wins

Public leaderboard positions: GPT-4.1 #108 (Supported); GPT-4o #165 (Supported). Intervals and evidence labels describe ranking uncertainty, not a guarantee for a specific workload.

Evidence parity. GPT-4.1 and GPT-4o share 13 comparable benchmark results. 1 of 8 categories are comparable. 7 results are unique to GPT-4.1; 0 to GPT-4o.

Updated July 22, 2026
Shared results
13
GPT-4.1 only
7
GPT-4o only
0
Comparable categories
1 / 8

Pick GPT-4.1 if you want the stronger benchmark profile. GPT-4o only becomes the better choice if its workflow or ecosystem matters more than the raw scoreboard.

Confidence note. This is a partial-evidence comparison with 13 shared benchmark results across 7 evidence categories; 1 of 8 categories currently have scoreable aggregates for both models. Treat the verdict as directional until coverage is more balanced.

Why this result

GPT-4.1 is clearly ahead on the BenchAlign aggregate, 51.11 to 41.49. The gap is large enough that you do not need to squint at the spreadsheet to see the difference.

GPT-4.1's sharpest advantage is in mathematics, where it averages 4.1 against 0.3. The single biggest benchmark swing on the page is FrontierMath v2 (Tiers 1-3), 5.517% to 0.345%.

GPT-4o is also the more expensive model on tokens at $2.50 input / $10.00 output per 1M tokens, versus $2.00 input / $8.00 output per 1M tokens for GPT-4.1. GPT-4.1 gives you the larger context window at 1M, compared with 128K for GPT-4o.

Category breakdown

Exact category averages are shown below. Not measured means BenchLM does not have enough sourced public coverage for that model and category.

Category scores and score margins for GPT-4.1 and GPT-4o
CategoryGPT-4.1ΔGPT-4o
MathGPT-4.14.1Margin 3.8GPT-4o0.3
CodingGPT-4.154.6MarginNo overlapGPT-4oNot measured
KnowledgeGPT-4.166.3MarginNo overlapGPT-4oNot measured
Inst. FollowingGPT-4.187.4MarginNo overlapGPT-4oNot measured

Decisive benchmark drivers

The largest measured benchmark gaps in this matchup, with exact reported values.

More
A · GPT-4.1B · GPT-4o
  1. FrontierMath v2 (Tiers 1-3)

    Math
    Source ↗
    A 5.517%B 0.345%
    Winner: GPT-4.1Δ 5.2
    FrontierMath v2 (Tiers 1-3): GPT-4.1 scored 5.517%; GPT-4o scored 0.345%. GPT-4.1 wins this benchmark.

Operational comparison

Runtime and commercial metrics are compared only when both models have a complete sourced value.

MetricGPT-4.1GPT-4oComparison
Input / output priceUSD per 1M tokensGPT-4.1$2 input / $8 outputGPT-4o$2.5 input / $10 outputGPT-4.1 has the lower combined listed price.
Generation speedtokens per secondGPT-4.1108 tok/sGPT-4o131 tok/sGPT-4o has the higher measured throughput.
First-answer latencyseconds to first tokenGPT-4.11.02 sGPT-4o0.81 sGPT-4o reaches the first token sooner.
Context windowmaximum listed tokensGPT-4.11MGPT-4o128KGPT-4.1 lists the larger context window.

Benchmark Deep Dive

Agentic
BenchmarkGPT-4.1GPT-4oResult
τ²-bench resultsSource 47.1%25.1%GPT-4.1 leads
Gert LabsSource 25.65%Not comparable
Coding
BenchmarkGPT-4.1GPT-4oResult
SWE-bench VerifiedSource 54.6%Not comparable
AA-SciCodeSource 38.1%33.3%GPT-4.1 leads
Reasoning
BenchmarkGPT-4.1GPT-4oResult
AA-LCRSource 61.0%0.0%GPT-4.1 leads
CritPtSource 0.0%0.0%Tie
Knowledge
BenchmarkGPT-4.1GPT-4oResult
MMLUSource 90.2%Not comparable
GPQASource 66.3%Not comparable
Artificial Analysis Intelligence IndexSource 19.4%11.2%GPT-4.1 leads
AA-GPQA DiamondSource 66.6%54.3%GPT-4.1 leads
AA-HLESource 4.6%3.3%GPT-4.1 leads
AA-Omniscience IndexSource -36.2%-10.7%GPT-4o leads
AA-Omniscience AccuracySource 24.2%19.7%GPT-4.1 leads
AA-Omniscience Hallucination RateSource 79.6%37.9%GPT-4o leads
MathGPT-4.1 wins
BenchmarkGPT-4.1GPT-4oResult
FrontierMath v2 (Tiers 1-3)Source 5.517%0.345%GPT-4.1 leads
FrontierMath v2 (Tier 4)Source 0.000%Not comparable
Multimodal
BenchmarkGPT-4.1GPT-4oResult
AA-MMMU-ProSource 61.2%Not comparable
Design Arena WebsiteSource 1068861GPT-4.1 leads
Inst. Following
BenchmarkGPT-4.1GPT-4oResult
IFEvalSource 87.4%Not comparable
AA-IFBenchSource 43.0%34.3%GPT-4.1 leads
Frequently Asked Questions (2)

Which is better, GPT-4.1 or GPT-4o?

GPT-4.1 is ahead on BenchLM's BenchAlign leaderboard, 51.11 to 41.49. The biggest single separator in this matchup is FrontierMath v2 (Tiers 1-3), where the scores are 5.517% and 0.345%.

Which is better for math, GPT-4.1 or GPT-4o?

GPT-4.1 has the edge for math in this comparison, averaging 4.1 versus 0.3. Inside this category, FrontierMath v2 (Tiers 1-3) is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.

Related Comparisons

Last updated: July 22, 2026

Choose a model with this week’s evidence

Join 2,000+ readers for ranking moves, pricing changes, and the claims that still need proof.

One email each week. Unsubscribe anytime.