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BenchLM
Data

GPT-5.2 vs GPT-OSS 20B

Updated October 17, 2026. Rank says GPT-5.2 is ahead. Price, access, and your workload can each overturn that. Public scores include evidence status and uncertainty.

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Decision reading

GPT-5.2 has the higher public score, 59.86 versus 33.32, and the 90% score intervals do not overlap. 3 results are shared. Category rows resting on Estimated evidence or different benchmark sets are marked directional and do not name a winner.

Model A
OpenAI logo

OpenAI

59.86/100

Supported · Public rank #56

90% interval 52.7–67.0

Model B
OpenAI logo

OpenAI

33.32/100

Supported · Public rank #166

90% interval 20.0–46.6

Shared results
3
GPT-5.2 only
28
GPT-OSS 20B only
4
Like-for-like categories
1 / 8
Supported: GPT-5.2 and GPT-OSS 20BHow the comparison works

Which one for your work

Recommendations appear only when a shared evidence basis or an explicit operating constraint supports the call. Secondary and unsupported use cases stay disclosed below the initial list.

  • Long documents

    Prompts that approach the documented context limit

    GPT-5.2

    GPT-5.2 has the larger documented context window.

    Confidence: documented
Show secondary and unsupported calls
  • Coding work

    Code generation, repair, and software-engineering tasks

    Not enough matched evidence

    GPT-OSS 20B is scored on Estimated evidence for coding, so the reading is directional rather than like-for-like.

    Confidence: limited
  • Agentic work

    Tool use, computer use, and multi-step task completion

    Not enough matched evidence

    GPT-OSS 20B is scored on Estimated evidence for agentic, so the reading is directional rather than like-for-like.

    Confidence: limited
  • Chat turn cost

    1K fresh input + 500 output tokens

    Not enough matched evidence

    A complete comparable API-rate estimate is not available for both models.

    Confidence: listed-rates
  • Cache-heavy agent loop cost

    200K cached + 20K fresh input + 10K output tokens

    Not enough matched evidence

    The page does not recommend a cost winner because at least one model cannot fit the stated workload in one request. GPT-OSS 20B does not fit this workload in one request. GPT-5.2 has no published cached-input rate, so cached tokens use its listed input rate. GPT-OSS 20B has no comparable published API token rate.

    Confidence: rate-fallback
  • Repository review cost

    50K fresh input + 3K output tokens

    Not enough matched evidence

    A complete comparable API-rate estimate is not available for both models.

    Confidence: listed-rates

Which one for a specific job

Choose a job from the LLM Selector's task catalog to see the category row it rests on, under the same basis rules as the table below. A directional row stays directional; choosing a job never creates a winner.

The same task catalog as the LLM Selector. Each job names the evidence surface it rests on; nothing here adds a new score.

36.8GPT-5.218.2GPT-OSS 20B

Directional only · BenchAlign v5.8

GPT-5.2 has the higher coding point estimate. Conditional score ranges do not establish rank confidence.

Coding scores combine specific tasks and setups. Match the editor, harness, and effort to your workflow.

Same basis rules as the category table below

What is actually comparable

Shared results can support a head-to-head reading. Results present for only one model describe coverage, not superiority.

3 categories rest on Estimated evidence or different evidence sets. Those rows remain visible for coverage context but do not name a winner.

Shape of the matched evidence

Only shared public evidence is shown. Sparse evidence stays a ruled list rather than being closed into a radar shape.

Too few matched category axes support a radar. The ruled list below shows only shared benchmark results; positions use each benchmark’s normalized display scale when available.

Bars run 0–100 on each benchmark’s normalized display scale

Category results, on a stated basis

Each row shows the public-lane category score for both models: the BenchAlign v5.8 lane for agentic, coding, and knowledge, and the weighted public rows elsewhere, with the same rank each model page reports. A row is like-for-like only when both scores rest on Supported evidence or the same weighted set. Directional and not-comparable rows remain visible, but they never receive a winner.

Knowledge

Like-for-like
GPT-5.2
59.7
Supported · #50/184
GPT-OSS 20B
33.9
Supported · #140/184
Basis
BenchAlign v5.8 lane · 1 vs 3 public rows
Reading
GPT-5.2 leads

Agentic

Directional only
GPT-5.2
44.4
Supported · #58/128
GPT-OSS 20B
14.9
Estimated · #115/128
Basis
BenchAlign v5.8 lane · 4 vs 0 public rows
Reading
Directional only

Coding

Directional only
GPT-5.2
36.8
Supported · #73/150
GPT-OSS 20B
18.2
Estimated · #123/150
Basis
BenchAlign v5.8 lane · 3 vs 2 public rows
Reading
Directional only

Instruction following

Directional only
GPT-5.2
92.6
#19/148
GPT-OSS 20B
79.2
#60/148
Basis
Provisional lane · 0 vs 0 weighted rows
Reading
Directional only

Reasoning

Not comparable
GPT-5.2
64.3
Unranked · 4 rankable rows
GPT-OSS 20B
49.7
Unranked · 2 rankable rows
Basis
Provisional lane · 1 vs 0 weighted rows
Reading
Not comparable

Multimodal

Not comparable
GPT-5.2
75.9
#22/54
GPT-OSS 20B
Not ranked
Basis
Provisional lane · 2 vs 0 weighted rows
Reading
Not comparable

Multilingual

Not comparable
GPT-5.2
Not ranked
GPT-OSS 20B
Not ranked
Basis
Provisional lane · 0 vs 0 weighted rows
Reading
Not comparable

Math

Not comparable
GPT-5.2
71.1
Unranked · 3 rankable rows
GPT-OSS 20B
Not ranked
Basis
Provisional lane · 2 vs 0 weighted rows
Reading
Not comparable

Ranks count the models scored in each category’s lane, so the agentic, coding, and knowledge denominators (BenchAlign v5.8) differ from the provisional-lane categories. Unranked scores sit on the provisional lane’s scale but never name a winner. Like-for-like rows within 0.5 points read as a practical tie.

Supported evidence per lane · bars run 0–100Methodology

What each workload costs

Three fixed token mixes turn per-token rates into comparable decisions. Each scenario states context fit and whether cached input had to fall back to the published list-input rate.

Chat turn

1K fresh input + 500 output tokens

GPT-5.2
$0.00875
Fits in one request
GPT-OSS 20B
Self-hosted; infrastructure cost varies
Fits in one request

GPT-OSS 20B has no comparable published API token rate.

Repository review

50K fresh input + 3K output tokens

GPT-5.2
$0.1295
Fits in one request
GPT-OSS 20B
Self-hosted; infrastructure cost varies
Fits in one request

GPT-OSS 20B has no comparable published API token rate.

Cache-heavy agent loop

200K cached + 20K fresh input + 10K output tokens

GPT-5.2
$0.525
Fits in one request
Cached input priced at the published list-input rate
GPT-OSS 20B
Self-hosted; infrastructure cost varies
Does not fit in one request
Cached-input rate unavailable

GPT-OSS 20B does not fit this workload in one request. GPT-5.2 has no published cached-input rate, so cached tokens use its listed input rate. GPT-OSS 20B has no comparable published API token rate.

Cached input falls back to the list input rate only where a cached rate is unpublished

Specification differences

Sourced differences are shown directly. Missing facts stay explicit instead of being inferred from a model name or family.

Context window

Maximum documented context; output-token limits may be lower.

GPT-5.2

400K

GPT-OSS 20B

128K

API model ID

GPT-5.2

Not sourced

GPT-OSS 20B

Not sourced

Cached-input rate

A missing cached-input rate falls back to the listed input rate only in the stated workload estimate.

GPT-5.2

Not published

GPT-OSS 20B

No comparable hosted API rate

Documented inputs

GPT-5.2

Not sourced

GPT-OSS 20B

Not sourced

Documented outputs

GPT-5.2

Not sourced

GPT-OSS 20B

Not sourced

Provider availability

GPT-5.2

Not sourced

GPT-OSS 20B

Not sourced

Reasoning profile

GPT-5.2

Reasoning

GPT-OSS 20B

Non-Reasoning

Weight access

GPT-5.2

Proprietary

GPT-OSS 20B

Open Weight

License

GPT-5.2

Proprietary

GPT-OSS 20B

Open Weight

Release date

GPT-5.2

2025-12-11

GPT-OSS 20B

2025-08-05

If you already use one of these models

Deployment change
Both entries list OpenAI as the provider. Confirm endpoint, model ID, limits, and feature support before switching.
Quality signal
GPT-5.2 has the higher public score, 59.86 versus 33.32, and the 90% score intervals do not overlap.
Workload cost
A complete comparable API-rate estimate is not available for both models.
Context tradeoff
GPT-5.2 has the larger documented window (400K).
Run the same representative tasks against both endpoints before changing production traffic.

Questions

Which is better, GPT-5.2 or GPT-OSS 20B?

GPT-5.2 has the higher public score, 59.86 versus 33.32, and the 90% score intervals do not overlap. That is the clearest overall quality signal in the current public data.

Which is better for coding, GPT-5.2 or GPT-OSS 20B?

GPT-5.2 scores higher for coding on the public lane, 36.8 to 18.2. GPT-OSS 20B is scored on Estimated evidence for coding, so the reading is directional rather than like-for-like. BenchLM does not name a winner for coding from a directional reading; read the shared benchmark rows directly and test the models on the same task set.

Which is better for agentic tasks, GPT-5.2 or GPT-OSS 20B?

GPT-5.2 scores higher for agentic tasks on the public lane, 44.4 to 14.9. GPT-OSS 20B is scored on Estimated evidence for agentic tasks, so the reading is directional rather than like-for-like. BenchLM does not name a winner for agentic tasks from a directional reading; read the shared benchmark rows directly and test the models on the same task set.

Which costs less, GPT-5.2 or GPT-OSS 20B?

Both models do not have comparable published API token rates, so this page does not name a universal price winner.

Which has the larger context window, GPT-5.2 or GPT-OSS 20B?

GPT-5.2 has the larger documented context window: 400K, compared with 128K.

Benchmark evidence

The full public result ledger is available for audit without forcing a wide desktop table onto a phone.

Browse raw public benchmark evidence35 rows

Agentic

  • BrowseComp

    GPT-5.265.8%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • OSWorld-Verified

    GPT-5.247.3%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • Gert Labs

    GPT-5.246.54%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • JobBench

    GPT-5.234.3%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

Coding

  • SWE-bench Verified

    GPT-5.280%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B60.7%
    Source

    GPT-5.2 leads this result

  • SWE-bench Pro

    GPT-5.255.6%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • Vibe Code Bench

    GPT-5.253.50%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • React Native Evals

    GPT-5.2—
    GPT-OSS 20B71%
    Source

    Not directly comparable

Reasoning

  • ARC-AGI-2

    GPT-5.252.9%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • ARC-AGI-1

    GPT-5.286.17%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

Multimodal

  • MMMU

    GPT-5.286.7%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • MMMU-Pro

    GPT-5.279.5%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • RealWorldQA

    GPT-5.283.3%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • OmniDocBench 1.5

    GPT-5.285.7%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • Video-MME (with subtitle)

    GPT-5.286.0%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • Video-MME (w/o subtitle)

    GPT-5.285.8%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • MathVision

    GPT-5.283.0%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • We-Math

    GPT-5.279.0%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • DynaMath

    GPT-5.286.8%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • SimpleVQA

    GPT-5.255.8%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • CC-OCR

    GPT-5.270.3%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • AI2D_TEST

    GPT-5.292.2%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • CountBench

    GPT-5.291.9%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • ERQA

    GPT-5.259.8%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • VideoMMMU

    GPT-5.285.9%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • MLVU (M-Avg)

    GPT-5.285.6%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • CharXiv

    GPT-5.282.1%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • V*

    GPT-5.275.9%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

Knowledge

  • GPQA

    GPT-5.292.4%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B71.5%
    Source

    GPT-5.2 leads this result

  • MMLU

    GPT-5.2—
    GPT-OSS 20B85.3%
    Source

    Not directly comparable

  • HLE

    GPT-5.2—
    GPT-OSS 20B10.9%
    Source

    Not directly comparable

Math

  • AIME 2025

    GPT-5.2100%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B91.7%
    Source

    GPT-5.2 leads this result

  • FrontierMath v2 (Tiers 1-3)

    GPT-5.267.400%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • FrontierMath v2 (Tier 4)

    GPT-5.231.700%
    Source
    GPT-OSS 20B—

    Not directly comparable

  • AIME 2024

    GPT-5.2—
    GPT-OSS 20B92.1%
    Source

    Not directly comparable

35 public results · 3 shared

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Last updated October 17, 2026