Model comparison
GPT-5.4 nano vs Inkling
Head-to-head evidence from 6 shared benchmark results across 3 categories. Overall scores shown here use the public BenchAlign v5 ranking lane.
Verified leaderboard positions: GPT-5.4 nano unranked; Inkling #17
BenchAlign evidence: GPT-5.4 nano supported; Inkling not scored. Intervals and evidence labels describe ranking uncertainty, not a guarantee for a specific workload.
Evidence parity. GPT-5.4 nano and Inkling share 6 comparable benchmark results. 4 of 8 categories are comparable. 24 results are unique to GPT-5.4 nano; 10 to Inkling.
Updated July 15, 2026- Shared results
- 6
- GPT-5.4 nano only
- 24
- Inkling only
- 10
- Comparable categories
- 4 / 8
Pick Inkling if you want the stronger benchmark profile. GPT-5.4 nano only becomes the better choice if you want the cheaper token bill or you want the stronger reasoning-first profile.
Confidence note. This is a partial-evidence comparison with 6 shared benchmark results across 3 evidence categories; 4 of 8 categories currently have scoreable aggregates for both models. Treat the verdict as directional until coverage is more balanced.
Why this result
Inkling is clearly ahead on the provisional aggregate, 69 to 60. The gap is large enough that you do not need to squint at the spreadsheet to see the difference.
Inkling's sharpest advantage is in mathematics, where it averages 97.1 against 21. The single biggest benchmark swing on the page is Terminal-Bench 2.0, 46.3% to 63.8%.
Inkling is also the more expensive model on tokens at $1.87 input / $4.68 output per 1M tokens, versus $0.20 input / $1.25 output per 1M tokens for GPT-5.4 nano. That is roughly 3.7x on output cost alone. GPT-5.4 nano is the reasoning model in the pair, while Inkling is not. That usually helps on harder chain-of-thought-heavy tests, but it can also mean more latency and more token spend in real use. Inkling gives you the larger context window at 1M, compared with 400K for GPT-5.4 nano.
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 | GPT-5.4 nano | Δ | Inkling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math | GPT-5.4 nano21.0 | Margin→ 76.1 | Inkling97.1 |
| Agentic | GPT-5.4 nano42.9 | Margin→ 26.5 | Inkling69.4 |
| Multimodal | GPT-5.4 nano66.1 | Margin→ 10.4 | Inkling76.5 |
| Knowledge | GPT-5.4 nano43.8 | Margin→ 7.9 | Inkling51.7 |
| Coding | GPT-5.4 nanoNot measured | MarginNo overlap | Inkling68.6 |
| Inst. Following | GPT-5.4 nanoNot measured | MarginNo overlap | Inkling79.8 |
Decisive benchmark drivers
The largest measured benchmark gaps in this matchup, with exact reported values.
More
- Source ↗
Terminal-Bench 2.0
AgenticA 46.3%B 63.8%Winner: InklingΔ 17.5Terminal-Bench 2.0: GPT-5.4 nano scored 46.3%; Inkling scored 63.8%. Inkling wins this benchmark. - Source ↗
HLE
KnowledgeA 37.7%B 46%Winner: InklingΔ 8.3HLE: GPT-5.4 nano scored 37.7%; Inkling scored 46%. Inkling wins this benchmark. - Source ↗
MMMU-Pro
MultimodalA 66.1%B 73.5%Winner: InklingΔ 7.4MMMU-Pro: GPT-5.4 nano scored 66.1%; Inkling scored 73.5%. Inkling wins this benchmark. - Source ↗
GPQA
KnowledgeA 82.8%B 87.9%Winner: InklingΔ 5.1GPQA: GPT-5.4 nano scored 82.8%; Inkling scored 87.9%. Inkling wins this benchmark.
Operational comparison
Runtime and commercial metrics are compared only when both models have a complete sourced value.
| Metric | GPT-5.4 nano | Inkling | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Input / output priceUSD per 1M tokens | GPT-5.4 nano$0.2 input / $1.25 output | Inkling$1.87 input / $4.68 output | GPT-5.4 nano has the lower combined listed price. |
| Generation speedtokens per second | GPT-5.4 nano191 tok/s | InklingNot available | A complete speed comparison is not available. |
| First-answer latencyseconds to first token | GPT-5.4 nano3.64 s | InklingNot available | A complete latency comparison is not available. |
| Context windowmaximum listed tokens | GPT-5.4 nano400K | Inkling1M | Inkling lists the larger context window. |
Benchmark Deep Dive
AgenticInkling wins11 benchmarks
| Benchmark | GPT-5.4 nano | Inkling | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal-Bench 2.0Source | 46.3% | 63.8% | Inkling leads |
| OSWorld-VerifiedSource | 39% | — | Not comparable |
| MCP AtlasSource | 56.1% | 74.1% | Inkling leads |
| ToolathlonSource | 35.5% | — | Not comparable |
| τ²-bench resultsSource | 92.5% | — | Not comparable |
| AA Agentic IndexSource | 27.5% | — | Not comparable |
| APEX-Agents-AASource | 24.9% | — | Not comparable |
| GDPval-AASource | 30.0% | — | Not comparable |
| GDPval-AASource | 1100 | — | Not comparable |
| BrowseCompSource | — | 77.1% | Not comparable |
| Design Arena Agentic Web DevSource | — | 1258 | Not comparable |
Coding7 benchmarks
| Benchmark | GPT-5.4 nano | Inkling | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vibe Code BenchSource | 26.10% | — | Not comparable |
| AA Coding IndexSource | 56.1% | — | Not comparable |
| Terminal-Bench HardSource | 42.4% | — | Not comparable |
| AA-SciCodeSource | 46.9% | — | Not comparable |
| SWE-bench VerifiedSource | — | 77.6% | Not comparable |
| SWE-bench ProSource | — | 54.3% | Not comparable |
| Terminal-Bench 2.0Source | — | 63.8% | Not comparable |
Reasoning2 benchmarks
KnowledgeInkling wins10 benchmarks
| Benchmark | GPT-5.4 nano | Inkling | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPQASource | 82.8% | 87.9% | Inkling leads |
| HLESource | 37.7% | 46% | Inkling leads |
| HLE w/o toolsSource | 24.3% | 30% | Inkling leads |
| Artificial Analysis Intelligence IndexSource | 38.2% | — | Not comparable |
| AA-GPQA DiamondSource | 81.7% | — | Not comparable |
| AA-HLESource | 26.5% | — | Not comparable |
| AA-Omniscience IndexSource | -29.5% | — | Not comparable |
| AA-Omniscience AccuracySource | 25.4% | — | Not comparable |
| AA-Omniscience Hallucination RateSource | 73.6% | — | Not comparable |
| GPQA-DSource | — | 87.9% | Not comparable |
MathInkling wins3 benchmarks
MultimodalInkling wins5 benchmarks
Frequently Asked Questions (5)
Which is better, GPT-5.4 nano or Inkling?
Inkling is ahead on BenchLM's provisional leaderboard, 69 to 60. The biggest single separator in this matchup is Terminal-Bench 2.0, where the scores are 46.3% and 63.8%.
Which is better for knowledge tasks, GPT-5.4 nano or Inkling?
Inkling has the edge for knowledge tasks in this comparison, averaging 51.7 versus 43.8. Inside this category, HLE is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.
Which is better for math, GPT-5.4 nano or Inkling?
Inkling has the edge for math in this comparison, averaging 97.1 versus 21. GPT-5.4 nano stays close enough that the answer can still flip depending on your workload.
Which is better for agentic tasks, GPT-5.4 nano or Inkling?
Inkling has the edge for agentic tasks in this comparison, averaging 69.4 versus 42.9. Inside this category, MCP Atlas is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.
Which is better for multimodal and grounded tasks, GPT-5.4 nano or Inkling?
Inkling has the edge for multimodal and grounded tasks in this comparison, averaging 76.5 versus 66.1. Inside this category, MMMU-Pro is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.
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