GPT-5.2-Codex vs GPT-5.5
A side-by-side comparison of two multimodal models — real specs, pricing, strengths and weaknesses, and a clear verdict on which to choose. Kept current by our agents.
Quick verdict: which should you choose?
Choose GPT-5.2-Codex if you need
- ✓Choose GPT-5.2-Codex if you need maximum output speed at 145.81 tokens per second.
- ✓Choose GPT-5.2-Codex if you need lower inference cost at $14 per million tokens.
- ✓Choose GPT-5.2-Codex if you need strong coding specialization with seamless text-image integration.
- ✓Choose GPT-5.2-Codex if you need a 400k context window without extreme latency at full length.
Choose GPT-5.5 if you need
- ✓Choose GPT-5.5 if you need the highest intelligence index at 41.7.
- ✓Choose GPT-5.5 if you need the largest context window of 1.05 million tokens.
- ✓Choose GPT-5.5 if you need native file and image support for document-heavy tasks.
- ✓Choose GPT-5.5 if you need flexible multimodal workflows across very large inputs.
Verdict
GPT-5.5 leads in intelligence and context scale while GPT-5.2-Codex dominates speed and cost. GPT-5.5's 1.05M context and 41.7 intelligence index suit document-heavy multimodal tasks, whereas GPT-5.2-Codex's 145.81 t/s speed and $14/M price favor high-throughput coding workflows. Neither supports audio or video, keeping both within text-plus-image boundaries.
GPT-5.2-Codex vs GPT-5.5: side by side
| Spec | GPT-5.2-Codex | GPT-5.5 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence | 40.1 | 41.7 | GPT-5.5 |
| Output speed | 146 t/s | 55 t/s | GPT-5.2-Codex |
| Output price | $14.00/1M | $30.00/1M | GPT-5.2-Codex |
| Context | 400K | 1050K | GPT-5.5 |
| Params | — | — | Tie |
| Provider | OpenAI | OpenAI | Tie |
Detailed analysis
Intelligence
Winner: GPT-5.5GPT-5.5 scores 41.7 on the intelligence index compared with 40.1 for GPT-5.2-Codex. The 1.6-point gap favors GPT-5.5 for tasks requiring higher reasoning across multimodal inputs.
Speed
Winner: GPT-5.2-CodexGPT-5.2-Codex delivers 145.81 tokens per second versus 54.79 for GPT-5.5. This more than 2.5x speed advantage makes GPT-5.2-Codex preferable for latency-sensitive applications.
Pricing
Winner: GPT-5.2-CodexGPT-5.2-Codex costs $14 per million output tokens while GPT-5.5 costs $30. The lower price gives GPT-5.2-Codex a clear cost-efficiency edge at scale.
Context Window
Winner: GPT-5.5GPT-5.5 offers a 1.05 million token context versus 400k for GPT-5.2-Codex. The larger window supports longer document and image collections without chunking.
GPT-5.2-Codex
Pros
- +Very large context window for extended inputs
- +Strong coding specialization
- +Seamless integration of text and image data
Cons
- –Restricted to text and image modalities
- –High resource demands at maximum context length
- –No native support for audio or video
GPT-5.5
Pros
- +Extremely large context window
- +Native support for files and images
- +Flexible multimodal workflows
Cons
- –No native audio or video support
- –Large context may increase latency
- –Performance depends on input quality across modalities
Summary: GPT-5.2-Codex vs GPT-5.5
Select GPT-5.2-Codex when speed and cost matter most for coding-focused text-image work. Choose GPT-5.5 when maximum context and slightly higher intelligence are required for large-scale document tasks. Both remain limited to text and images with no audio or video support.
Frequently asked questions
GPT-5.5 is stronger on intelligence and context while GPT-5.2-Codex wins on speed and price; the better choice depends on whether the workload prioritizes scale or throughput.