Pick GPT-5.1 for adaptive reasoning that scales compute to task difficulty or general-purpose reasoning, coding and tool use. Pick Microsoft Phi-4 for strong reasoning for a small 14b open-weight model or mit-licensed — fully self-hostable at no per-token cost. Choose Microsoft Phi-4 if you need self-hosting or data privacy; GPT-5.1 if you want a managed API.
GPT-5.1 (OpenAI) and Microsoft Phi-4 (Microsoft) are two of the models people most often weigh against each other in 2026. GPT-5.1 is openAI's late-2025 GPT-5.1 at $1.25/$10 — a capable general model since surpassed by the GPT-5.2–5.6 line. Microsoft Phi-4 is microsoft's MIT-licensed 14B open model — strong reasoning for its size and very cheap, but a tiny 16K context and text-only. They diverge most on price, context window and open vs. closed weights — each quantified below from the models' real specs.
Key differences
Price: Microsoft Phi-4 is about 18× cheaper on input ($0.07/$0.14 per 1M tokens vs $1.25/$10 per 1M tokens) — a large enough gap that at scale it can be the single biggest line item in the decision.
Context window: GPT-5.1 holds 24× more — 400K (~600 pages) vs 16K (~25 pages). But effective recall usually fades long before the advertised ceiling, so the bigger number only helps if the model reasons over it.
Recency: GPT-5.1 is the newer model by about 10 months (released November 13, 2025), usually meaning fresher training data and capabilities.
Specifications
Spec
GPT-5.1
Microsoft Phi-4
Provider
OpenAI (US)
Microsoft (US)
Released
November 13, 2025
January 10, 2025
Context window
400K (~600 pages)
16K (~25 pages)
Price (in/out)
$1.25/$10 per 1M tokens
$0.07/$0.14 per 1M tokens
Open weight?
No — API only
Yes — self-hostable
Modalities
text, image, code
text, code
SWE-Bench Verified
Not published
Not published
MRCR v2 @ 1M
Not published
Not published
Who wins what
Adaptive reasoning that scales compute to task difficulty: GPT-5.1 — OpenAI's late-2025 GPT-5.1 at $1.25/$10 — a capable general model since surpassed by the GPT-5.2–5.6 line — and it carries the larger 400K context.
General-purpose reasoning, coding and tool use: GPT-5.1 — OpenAI's late-2025 GPT-5.1 at $1.25/$10 — a capable general model since surpassed by the GPT-5.2–5.6 line — and it is the newer of the two.
A large ~400K context for long documents and sessions: GPT-5.1 — Its 400K window holds about 24× more than Microsoft Phi-4's 16K in a single prompt.
Strong reasoning for a small 14B open-weight model: Microsoft Phi-4 — Open weights make this possible at all — GPT-5.1 is API-only, so it cannot leave the vendor's servers.
MIT-licensed — fully self-hostable at no per-token cost: Microsoft Phi-4 — At $0.07/$0.14 per 1M tokens it undercuts GPT-5.1 ($1.25/$10 per 1M tokens), and that gap compounds at volume.
Runs on modest or local hardware: Microsoft Phi-4 — Microsoft's MIT-licensed 14B open model — strong reasoning for its size and very cheap, but a tiny 16K context and text-only — and it runs cheaper at $0.07/$0.14 per 1M tokens.
Lowest cost at scale: Microsoft Phi-4 — At $0.07/$0.14 per 1M tokens, it is the cheaper of the two — the gap dominates the bill on high-volume workloads.
Largest single-prompt input: GPT-5.1 — Its 400K window is about 24× larger than Microsoft Phi-4's 16K, fitting roughly 600 pages in one prompt.
Which should you pick?
A cost-sensitive startup shipping high volume: Microsoft Phi-4 — At $0.07/$0.14 per 1M tokens it undercuts GPT-5.1, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.
Someone analysing very long documents or codebases: GPT-5.1 — Larger 400K window fits more in one prompt.
A team with data-privacy or self-hosting needs: Microsoft Phi-4 — Open weights let you run it on your own hardware; GPT-5.1 is API-only.
Anyone whose priority is adaptive reasoning that scales compute to task difficulty: GPT-5.1 — It is specifically built for that.
Anyone whose priority is strong reasoning for a small 14b open-weight model: Microsoft Phi-4 — That is its strongest area.
GPT-5.1: where it fits
OpenAI's late-2025 GPT-5.1 at $1.25/$10 — a capable general model since surpassed by the GPT-5.2–5.6 line. Released November 13, 2025 by OpenAI, it is built for adaptive reasoning that scales compute to task difficulty, general-purpose reasoning, coding and tool use, a large ~400K context for long documents and sessions, and text and image input.
Its trade-offs are real: superseded by GPT-5.2 through GPT-5.6 — kept for compatibility rather than being current, no reliably published SWE-Bench Verified figure, exact context window unconfirmed (400K vs 410K across trackers), and premium output price at $10/1M for a now-older model. At $1.25 in / $10 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.
Microsoft Phi-4: where it fits
Microsoft's MIT-licensed 14B open model — strong reasoning for its size and very cheap, but a tiny 16K context and text-only. Released January 10, 2025 by Microsoft, it is built for strong reasoning for a small 14B open-weight model, mIT-licensed — fully self-hostable at no per-token cost, runs on modest or local hardware, and very cheap hosted inference at about $0.07/$0.14.
Its trade-offs: a tiny 16K context — by far the smallest window in this comparison, text only — no image, audio or video input, an early-2025 small model, outclassed on hard tasks by 2026 flagships, and no first-party per-token API; hosted prices are third-party. At $0.07 in / $0.14 out per million tokens, it sits in the budget price band.
The bottom line for this matchup
The defining split here is open vs. closed. Microsoft Phi-4 gives you weights you control — self-host it, fine-tune it, keep data in-house, pay only for hardware. GPT-5.1 gives you a managed, always-updated API with no infrastructure to run. Teams with GPUs, privacy requirements, or huge volume often favour the open model; teams that want zero ops and the latest capabilities favour the closed one. Capability is close enough that this operational question, not the benchmark, usually decides it.
Frequently asked questions
Is GPT-5.1 or Microsoft Phi-4 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, GPT-5.1 leans toward adaptive reasoning that scales compute to task difficulty while Microsoft Phi-4 leans toward strong reasoning for a small 14b open-weight model, and that positioning usually predicts which feels better on your codebase.
Which is cheaper, GPT-5.1 or Microsoft Phi-4?
Microsoft Phi-4 is open-weight, so self-hosting means no per-token fee (you pay for hardware instead), while GPT-5.1 is API-metered at $1.25/$10 per 1M tokens. For most teams without GPUs, the API model is cheaper to start; at very high volume, self-hosting can win.
Which has the bigger context window?
GPT-5.1 — 400K vs 16K, about 24× larger. Useful only if the model actually reasons over the full window, which not all do.
Can I use both GPT-5.1 and Microsoft Phi-4 together?
Yes — a multi-model platform like LumiChats gives you GPT-5.1, Microsoft Phi-4 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, GPT-5.1 or Microsoft Phi-4?
GPT-5.1 — released November 13, 2025, about 10 months after Microsoft Phi-4.
GPT-5.1 vs Microsoft Phi-4
OpenAI · US | Microsoft · US · Updated June 2026
Quick verdict
Pick GPT-5.1 for adaptive reasoning that scales compute to task difficulty or general-purpose reasoning, coding and tool use. Pick Microsoft Phi-4 for strong reasoning for a small 14b open-weight model or mit-licensed — fully self-hostable at no per-token cost. Choose Microsoft Phi-4 if you need self-hosting or data privacy; GPT-5.1 if you want a managed API.
GPT-5.1 (OpenAI) and Microsoft Phi-4 (Microsoft) are two of the models people most often weigh against each other in 2026. GPT-5.1 is openAI's late-2025 GPT-5.1 at $1.25/$10 — a capable general model since surpassed by the GPT-5.2–5.6 line. Microsoft Phi-4 is microsoft's MIT-licensed 14B open model — strong reasoning for its size and very cheap, but a tiny 16K context and text-only. They diverge most on price, context window and open vs. closed weights — each quantified below from the models' real specs.
Key differences at a glance
▸Price: Microsoft Phi-4 is about 18× cheaper on input ($0.07/$0.14 per 1M tokens vs $1.25/$10 per 1M tokens) — a large enough gap that at scale it can be the single biggest line item in the decision.
▸Context window: GPT-5.1 holds 24× more — 400K (~600 pages) vs 16K (~25 pages). But effective recall usually fades long before the advertised ceiling, so the bigger number only helps if the model reasons over it.
▸Recency: GPT-5.1 is the newer model by about 10 months (released November 13, 2025), usually meaning fresher training data and capabilities.
Side-by-side specs
Spec
GPT-5.1
Microsoft Phi-4
Provider
OpenAI (US)
Microsoft (US)
Released
November 13, 2025
January 10, 2025
Context window
400K (~600 pages)
16K (~25 pages)
Price (in/out)
$1.25/$10 per 1M tokens
$0.07/$0.14 per 1M tokens
Open weight?
No — API only
Yes — self-hostable
Modalities
text, image, code
text, code
SWE-Bench Verified
Not published
Not published
MRCR v2 @ 1M
Not published
Not published
Who wins what
Adaptive reasoning that scales compute to task difficulty
GPT-5.1
OpenAI's late-2025 GPT-5.1 at $1.25/$10 — a capable general model since surpassed by the GPT-5.2–5.6 line — and it carries the larger 400K context.
General-purpose reasoning, coding and tool use
GPT-5.1
OpenAI's late-2025 GPT-5.1 at $1.25/$10 — a capable general model since surpassed by the GPT-5.2–5.6 line — and it is the newer of the two.
A large ~400K context for long documents and sessions
GPT-5.1
Its 400K window holds about 24× more than Microsoft Phi-4's 16K in a single prompt.
Strong reasoning for a small 14B open-weight model
Microsoft Phi-4
Open weights make this possible at all — GPT-5.1 is API-only, so it cannot leave the vendor's servers.
MIT-licensed — fully self-hostable at no per-token cost
Microsoft Phi-4
At $0.07/$0.14 per 1M tokens it undercuts GPT-5.1 ($1.25/$10 per 1M tokens), and that gap compounds at volume.
Runs on modest or local hardware
Microsoft Phi-4
Microsoft's MIT-licensed 14B open model — strong reasoning for its size and very cheap, but a tiny 16K context and text-only — and it runs cheaper at $0.07/$0.14 per 1M tokens.
Lowest cost at scale
Microsoft Phi-4
At $0.07/$0.14 per 1M tokens, it is the cheaper of the two — the gap dominates the bill on high-volume workloads.
Largest single-prompt input
GPT-5.1
Its 400K window is about 24× larger than Microsoft Phi-4's 16K, fitting roughly 600 pages in one prompt.
Which should you pick?
A cost-sensitive startup shipping high volume
→ Microsoft Phi-4
At $0.07/$0.14 per 1M tokens it undercuts GPT-5.1, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.
Someone analysing very long documents or codebases
→ GPT-5.1
Larger 400K window fits more in one prompt.
A team with data-privacy or self-hosting needs
→ Microsoft Phi-4
Open weights let you run it on your own hardware; GPT-5.1 is API-only.
Anyone whose priority is adaptive reasoning that scales compute to task difficulty
→ GPT-5.1
It is specifically built for that.
Anyone whose priority is strong reasoning for a small 14b open-weight model
→ Microsoft Phi-4
That is its strongest area.
GPT-5.1: where it fits
OpenAI's late-2025 GPT-5.1 at $1.25/$10 — a capable general model since surpassed by the GPT-5.2–5.6 line. Released November 13, 2025 by OpenAI, it is built for adaptive reasoning that scales compute to task difficulty, general-purpose reasoning, coding and tool use, a large ~400K context for long documents and sessions, and text and image input.
Its trade-offs are real: superseded by GPT-5.2 through GPT-5.6 — kept for compatibility rather than being current, no reliably published SWE-Bench Verified figure, exact context window unconfirmed (400K vs 410K across trackers), and premium output price at $10/1M for a now-older model. At $1.25 in / $10 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.
Microsoft Phi-4: where it fits
Microsoft's MIT-licensed 14B open model — strong reasoning for its size and very cheap, but a tiny 16K context and text-only. Released January 10, 2025 by Microsoft, it is built for strong reasoning for a small 14B open-weight model, mIT-licensed — fully self-hostable at no per-token cost, runs on modest or local hardware, and very cheap hosted inference at about $0.07/$0.14.
Its trade-offs: a tiny 16K context — by far the smallest window in this comparison, text only — no image, audio or video input, an early-2025 small model, outclassed on hard tasks by 2026 flagships, and no first-party per-token API; hosted prices are third-party. At $0.07 in / $0.14 out per million tokens, it sits in the budget price band.
The bottom line for this matchup
The defining split here is open vs. closed. Microsoft Phi-4 gives you weights you control — self-host it, fine-tune it, keep data in-house, pay only for hardware. GPT-5.1 gives you a managed, always-updated API with no infrastructure to run. Teams with GPUs, privacy requirements, or huge volume often favour the open model; teams that want zero ops and the latest capabilities favour the closed one. Capability is close enough that this operational question, not the benchmark, usually decides it.
Want both GPT-5.1 and Microsoft Phi-4 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.
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, GPT-5.1 leans toward adaptive reasoning that scales compute to task difficulty while Microsoft Phi-4 leans toward strong reasoning for a small 14b open-weight model, and that positioning usually predicts which feels better on your codebase.
Which is cheaper, GPT-5.1 or Microsoft Phi-4?
Microsoft Phi-4 is open-weight, so self-hosting means no per-token fee (you pay for hardware instead), while GPT-5.1 is API-metered at $1.25/$10 per 1M tokens. For most teams without GPUs, the API model is cheaper to start; at very high volume, self-hosting can win.
Which has the bigger context window?
GPT-5.1 — 400K vs 16K, about 24× larger. Useful only if the model actually reasons over the full window, which not all do.
Can I use both GPT-5.1 and Microsoft Phi-4 together?
Yes — a multi-model platform like LumiChats gives you GPT-5.1, Microsoft Phi-4 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, GPT-5.1 or Microsoft Phi-4?
GPT-5.1 — released November 13, 2025, about 10 months after Microsoft Phi-4.
Specifications and benchmarks reflect publicly reported figures as of June 2026 and may change as providers release updates. Always verify on your own workload.