Pick Fugu Ultra v2.0 for sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the deepswe coding-repair benchmark or claims to outperform flagship models like gpt-6 astra and claude fable 5.1 despite its underlying orchestration pool reportedly excluding both of them. Pick GPT-5.3-Codex for dedicated coding agent or cli and ide integration. On a tight budget at scale, GPT-5.3-Codex is the value pick.
Fugu Ultra v2.0 (Sakana AI) and GPT-5.3-Codex (OpenAI) are two of the models people most often weigh against each other in 2026. Fugu Ultra v2.0 is sakana AI's flagship multi-agent orchestration model, claiming best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 self-reported benchmarks against monolithic frontier models — $5/$30 per million tokens. GPT-5.3-Codex is openAI's coding-specialized agent model for autonomous software engineering. They diverge most on price and context window — each quantified below from the models' real specs.
Key differences
Price: GPT-5.3-Codex is about 2.9× cheaper on input ($1.75/$14 per 1M tokens vs $5/$30 per 1M tokens) — meaningful once you are processing millions of tokens a month.
Context window: Fugu Ultra v2.0 holds 2.5× more — 1M tokens (~1,500 pages) vs 400K (~600 pages). But effective recall usually fades long before the advertised ceiling, so the bigger number only helps if the model reasons over it.
Recency: Fugu Ultra v2.0 is the newer model by about 7 months (released September 10, 2026), usually meaning fresher training data and capabilities.
Specifications
Spec
Fugu Ultra v2.0
GPT-5.3-Codex
Provider
Sakana AI (Global)
OpenAI (US)
Released
September 10, 2026
February 5, 2026
Context window
1M tokens (~1,500 pages)
400K (~600 pages)
Price (in/out)
$5/$30 per 1M tokens
$1.75/$14 per 1M tokens
Open weight?
No — API only
No — API only
Modalities
text
text, code
SWE-Bench Verified
Not published
Not published
MRCR v2 @ 1M
Not published
Not published
Who wins what
Sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the DeepSWE coding-repair benchmark: Fugu Ultra v2.0 — GPT-5.3-Codex is comparatively weak here — coding-specialized, narrower general use
Claims to outperform flagship models like GPT-6 Astra and Claude Fable 5.1 despite its underlying orchestration pool reportedly excluding both of them: Fugu Ultra v2.0 — Sakana AI's flagship multi-agent orchestration model, claiming best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 self-reported benchmarks against monolithic frontier models — $5/$30 per million tokens — and it carries the larger 1M tokens context.
1M-token context window: Fugu Ultra v2.0 — Its 1M tokens window holds about 2.5× more than GPT-5.3-Codex's 400K in a single prompt.
Dedicated coding agent: GPT-5.3-Codex — Fugu Ultra v2.0 is comparatively weak here — not a single trained model — Sakana describes Fugu as "a Multi-Agent System, Delivered as One Model" that dynamically routes tasks across a pool of other models, so head-to-head benchmark framing against monolithic frontier models should be read skeptically
CLI and IDE integration: GPT-5.3-Codex — OpenAI's coding-specialized agent model for autonomous software engineering — and it runs cheaper at $1.75/$14 per 1M tokens.
Autonomous software tasks: GPT-5.3-Codex — GPT-5.3-Codex lists autonomous software tasks among its strengths; Fugu Ultra v2.0 does not.
Lowest cost at scale: GPT-5.3-Codex — At $1.75/$14 per 1M tokens, it is the cheaper of the two — the gap dominates the bill on high-volume workloads.
Largest single-prompt input: Fugu Ultra v2.0 — Its 1M tokens window is about 2.5× larger than GPT-5.3-Codex's 400K, fitting roughly 1,500 pages in one prompt.
Which should you pick?
A cost-sensitive startup shipping high volume: GPT-5.3-Codex — At $1.75/$14 per 1M tokens it undercuts Fugu Ultra v2.0, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.
Someone analysing very long documents or codebases: Fugu Ultra v2.0 — Larger 1M tokens window fits more in one prompt.
Anyone whose priority is sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the deepswe coding-repair benchmark: Fugu Ultra v2.0 — It is specifically built for that.
Anyone whose priority is dedicated coding agent: GPT-5.3-Codex — That is its strongest area.
Fugu Ultra v2.0: where it fits
Sakana AI's flagship multi-agent orchestration model, claiming best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 self-reported benchmarks against monolithic frontier models — $5/$30 per million tokens. Released September 10, 2026 by Sakana AI, it is built for sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the DeepSWE coding-repair benchmark, claims to outperform flagship models like GPT-6 Astra and Claude Fable 5.1 despite its underlying orchestration pool reportedly excluding both of them, and 1M-token context window.
Its trade-offs are real: not a single trained model — Sakana describes Fugu as "a Multi-Agent System, Delivered as One Model" that dynamically routes tasks across a pool of other models, so head-to-head benchmark framing against monolithic frontier models should be read skeptically, pricing rises to roughly $10/$45 per million tokens for prompts above 272K tokens, and benchmark comparisons against GPT-6 Astra and Claude Fable 5.1 are Sakana's own self-reported figures, not independently verified head-to-head scores. At $5 in / $30 out per million tokens, it sits in the premium price band.
GPT-5.3-Codex: where it fits
OpenAI's coding-specialized agent model for autonomous software engineering. Released February 5, 2026 by OpenAI, it is built for dedicated coding agent, cLI and IDE integration, autonomous software tasks, and tool calling.
Its trade-offs: coding-specialized, narrower general use, and retired in favor of GPT-5.5 Codex. At $1.75 in / $14 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.
The bottom line for this matchup
Fugu Ultra v2.0 and GPT-5.3-Codex overlap enough that the right pick depends on your specific job. GPT-5.3-Codex costs less per token; Fugu Ultra v2.0 holds the larger context; and each leads in its own area — Fugu Ultra v2.0 for sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the deepswe coding-repair benchmark, GPT-5.3-Codex for dedicated coding agent. Rather than crowning one, run the same hard task through both once and let the results decide.
Frequently asked questions
Is Fugu Ultra v2.0 or GPT-5.3-Codex better for coding?
Public SWE-Bench figures are not available for either model, so the honest test is your own repository — run an identical real bug through both. By design, Fugu Ultra v2.0 leans toward sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the deepswe coding-repair benchmark while GPT-5.3-Codex leans toward dedicated coding agent, and that positioning usually predicts which feels better on your codebase.
Which is cheaper, Fugu Ultra v2.0 or GPT-5.3-Codex?
GPT-5.3-Codex is cheaper — $5/$30 per 1M tokens vs $1.75/$14 per 1M tokens, roughly 2.9× apart on input.
Which has the bigger context window?
Fugu Ultra v2.0 — 1M tokens vs 400K, about 2.5× larger. Useful only if the model actually reasons over the full window, which not all do.
Can I use both Fugu Ultra v2.0 and GPT-5.3-Codex together?
Yes — a multi-model platform like LumiChats gives you Fugu Ultra v2.0, GPT-5.3-Codex and 40+ others under one ₹69/day pass (about $1/day), so you can draft with one and cross-check with the other instead of buying two subscriptions.
Which is newer, Fugu Ultra v2.0 or GPT-5.3-Codex?
Fugu Ultra v2.0 — released September 10, 2026, about 7 months after GPT-5.3-Codex.
Fugu Ultra v2.0 vs GPT-5.3-Codex
Sakana AI · Global | OpenAI · US · Updated June 2026
Quick verdict
Pick Fugu Ultra v2.0 for sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the deepswe coding-repair benchmark or claims to outperform flagship models like gpt-6 astra and claude fable 5.1 despite its underlying orchestration pool reportedly excluding both of them. Pick GPT-5.3-Codex for dedicated coding agent or cli and ide integration. On a tight budget at scale, GPT-5.3-Codex is the value pick.
Fugu Ultra v2.0 (Sakana AI) and GPT-5.3-Codex (OpenAI) are two of the models people most often weigh against each other in 2026. Fugu Ultra v2.0 is sakana AI's flagship multi-agent orchestration model, claiming best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 self-reported benchmarks against monolithic frontier models — $5/$30 per million tokens. GPT-5.3-Codex is openAI's coding-specialized agent model for autonomous software engineering. They diverge most on price and context window — each quantified below from the models' real specs.
Key differences at a glance
▸Price: GPT-5.3-Codex is about 2.9× cheaper on input ($1.75/$14 per 1M tokens vs $5/$30 per 1M tokens) — meaningful once you are processing millions of tokens a month.
▸Context window: Fugu Ultra v2.0 holds 2.5× more — 1M tokens (~1,500 pages) vs 400K (~600 pages). But effective recall usually fades long before the advertised ceiling, so the bigger number only helps if the model reasons over it.
▸Recency: Fugu Ultra v2.0 is the newer model by about 7 months (released September 10, 2026), usually meaning fresher training data and capabilities.
Side-by-side specs
Spec
Fugu Ultra v2.0
GPT-5.3-Codex
Provider
Sakana AI (Global)
OpenAI (US)
Released
September 10, 2026
February 5, 2026
Context window
1M tokens (~1,500 pages)
400K (~600 pages)
Price (in/out)
$5/$30 per 1M tokens
$1.75/$14 per 1M tokens
Open weight?
No — API only
No — API only
Modalities
text
text, code
SWE-Bench Verified
Not published
Not published
MRCR v2 @ 1M
Not published
Not published
Who wins what
Sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the DeepSWE coding-repair benchmark
Fugu Ultra v2.0
GPT-5.3-Codex is comparatively weak here — coding-specialized, narrower general use
Claims to outperform flagship models like GPT-6 Astra and Claude Fable 5.1 despite its underlying orchestration pool reportedly excluding both of them
Fugu Ultra v2.0
Sakana AI's flagship multi-agent orchestration model, claiming best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 self-reported benchmarks against monolithic frontier models — $5/$30 per million tokens — and it carries the larger 1M tokens context.
1M-token context window
Fugu Ultra v2.0
Its 1M tokens window holds about 2.5× more than GPT-5.3-Codex's 400K in a single prompt.
Dedicated coding agent
GPT-5.3-Codex
Fugu Ultra v2.0 is comparatively weak here — not a single trained model — Sakana describes Fugu as "a Multi-Agent System, Delivered as One Model" that dynamically routes tasks across a pool of other models, so head-to-head benchmark framing against monolithic frontier models should be read skeptically
CLI and IDE integration
GPT-5.3-Codex
OpenAI's coding-specialized agent model for autonomous software engineering — and it runs cheaper at $1.75/$14 per 1M tokens.
Autonomous software tasks
GPT-5.3-Codex
GPT-5.3-Codex lists autonomous software tasks among its strengths; Fugu Ultra v2.0 does not.
Lowest cost at scale
GPT-5.3-Codex
At $1.75/$14 per 1M tokens, it is the cheaper of the two — the gap dominates the bill on high-volume workloads.
Largest single-prompt input
Fugu Ultra v2.0
Its 1M tokens window is about 2.5× larger than GPT-5.3-Codex's 400K, fitting roughly 1,500 pages in one prompt.
Which should you pick?
A cost-sensitive startup shipping high volume
→ GPT-5.3-Codex
At $1.75/$14 per 1M tokens it undercuts Fugu Ultra v2.0, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.
Someone analysing very long documents or codebases
→ Fugu Ultra v2.0
Larger 1M tokens window fits more in one prompt.
Anyone whose priority is sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the deepswe coding-repair benchmark
→ Fugu Ultra v2.0
It is specifically built for that.
Anyone whose priority is dedicated coding agent
→ GPT-5.3-Codex
That is its strongest area.
Fugu Ultra v2.0: where it fits
Sakana AI's flagship multi-agent orchestration model, claiming best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 self-reported benchmarks against monolithic frontier models — $5/$30 per million tokens. Released September 10, 2026 by Sakana AI, it is built for sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the DeepSWE coding-repair benchmark, claims to outperform flagship models like GPT-6 Astra and Claude Fable 5.1 despite its underlying orchestration pool reportedly excluding both of them, and 1M-token context window.
Its trade-offs are real: not a single trained model — Sakana describes Fugu as "a Multi-Agent System, Delivered as One Model" that dynamically routes tasks across a pool of other models, so head-to-head benchmark framing against monolithic frontier models should be read skeptically, pricing rises to roughly $10/$45 per million tokens for prompts above 272K tokens, and benchmark comparisons against GPT-6 Astra and Claude Fable 5.1 are Sakana's own self-reported figures, not independently verified head-to-head scores. At $5 in / $30 out per million tokens, it sits in the premium price band.
GPT-5.3-Codex: where it fits
OpenAI's coding-specialized agent model for autonomous software engineering. Released February 5, 2026 by OpenAI, it is built for dedicated coding agent, cLI and IDE integration, autonomous software tasks, and tool calling.
Its trade-offs: coding-specialized, narrower general use, and retired in favor of GPT-5.5 Codex. At $1.75 in / $14 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.
The bottom line for this matchup
Fugu Ultra v2.0 and GPT-5.3-Codex overlap enough that the right pick depends on your specific job. GPT-5.3-Codex costs less per token; Fugu Ultra v2.0 holds the larger context; and each leads in its own area — Fugu Ultra v2.0 for sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the deepswe coding-repair benchmark, GPT-5.3-Codex for dedicated coding agent. Rather than crowning one, run the same hard task through both once and let the results decide.
Want both Fugu Ultra v2.0 and GPT-5.3-Codex without two subscriptions? LumiChats gives you these plus 40+ models under one ₹69/day pass (about $1/day) — draft with one, cross-check with the other.
Is Fugu Ultra v2.0 or GPT-5.3-Codex better for coding?
Public SWE-Bench figures are not available for either model, so the honest test is your own repository — run an identical real bug through both. By design, Fugu Ultra v2.0 leans toward sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the deepswe coding-repair benchmark while GPT-5.3-Codex leans toward dedicated coding agent, and that positioning usually predicts which feels better on your codebase.
Which is cheaper, Fugu Ultra v2.0 or GPT-5.3-Codex?
GPT-5.3-Codex is cheaper — $5/$30 per 1M tokens vs $1.75/$14 per 1M tokens, roughly 2.9× apart on input.
Which has the bigger context window?
Fugu Ultra v2.0 — 1M tokens vs 400K, about 2.5× larger. Useful only if the model actually reasons over the full window, which not all do.
Can I use both Fugu Ultra v2.0 and GPT-5.3-Codex together?
Yes — a multi-model platform like LumiChats gives you Fugu Ultra v2.0, GPT-5.3-Codex and 40+ others under one ₹69/day pass (about $1/day), so you can draft with one and cross-check with the other instead of buying two subscriptions.
Which is newer, Fugu Ultra v2.0 or GPT-5.3-Codex?
Fugu Ultra v2.0 — released September 10, 2026, about 7 months after GPT-5.3-Codex.
Specifications and benchmarks reflect publicly reported figures as of June 2026 and may change as providers release updates. Always verify on your own workload.