Both are OpenAI models. GPT-5.4 is the newer, generally stronger default; reach for GPT-5.3-Codex when its lower price or specific profile matters more than the latest capabilities.
GPT-5.3-Codex and GPT-5.4 are both OpenAI models, so the real question is not which lab to trust but which tier fits your workload and budget. GPT-5.3-Codex is openAI's coding-specialized agent model for autonomous software engineering. GPT-5.4 is openAI's 2026 workhorse — unifies Codex and GPT into a strong default that costs half of GPT-5.5. Since both come from the same lab, the comparison below focuses on the tier-and-cost trade-offs that actually separate them.
Key differences
Price: GPT-5.3-Codex is about 1.7× cheaper on input ($1.5/$10 per 1M tokens vs $2.5/$15 per 1M tokens) — modest, but it adds up at steady volume.
Context window: GPT-5.4 holds 7.8× more — 1M (~1,500 pages) vs 128K (~192 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-5.4 is the newer model by about 18 days (released March 5, 2026), usually meaning fresher training data and capabilities.
Specifications
Spec
GPT-5.3-Codex
GPT-5.4
Provider
OpenAI (US)
OpenAI (US)
Released
February 2026
March 5, 2026
Context window
128K (~192 pages)
1M (~1,500 pages)
Price (in/out)
$1.5/$10 per 1M tokens
$2.5/$15 per 1M tokens
Open weight?
No — API only
No — API only
Modalities
text, code
text, image, code
SWE-Bench Verified
Not published
Not published
MRCR v2 @ 1M
Not published
Not published
Who wins what
Dedicated coding agent: GPT-5.3-Codex — A core design strength of GPT-5.3-Codex.
CLI and IDE integration: GPT-5.3-Codex — A core design strength of GPT-5.3-Codex.
Autonomous software tasks: GPT-5.3-Codex — A core design strength of GPT-5.3-Codex.
Strong general-purpose default: GPT-5.4 — A core design strength of GPT-5.4.
Coding and software engineering: GPT-5.4 — A core design strength of GPT-5.4.
Document understanding and tool use: GPT-5.4 — A core design strength of GPT-5.4.
Lowest cost at scale: GPT-5.3-Codex — At $1.5/$10 per 1M tokens, it is the cheaper of the two — the gap dominates the bill on high-volume workloads.
Largest single-prompt input: GPT-5.4 — Its 1M window is about 7.8× larger, fitting roughly 1,500 pages in one prompt.
Which should you pick?
A cost-sensitive startup shipping high volume: GPT-5.3-Codex — At $1.5/$10 per 1M tokens it undercuts GPT-5.4, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.
Someone analysing very long documents or codebases: GPT-5.4 — Larger 1M window fits more in one prompt.
Anyone whose priority is dedicated coding agent: GPT-5.3-Codex — It is specifically built for that.
Anyone whose priority is strong general-purpose default: GPT-5.4 — That is its strongest area.
GPT-5.3-Codex: where it fits
OpenAI's coding-specialized agent model for autonomous software engineering. Released February 2026 by OpenAI, it is built for dedicated coding agent, cLI and IDE integration, autonomous software tasks, and tool calling.
Its trade-offs are real: coding-specialized, narrower general use, and retired in favor of GPT-5.5 Codex. At $1.5 in / $10 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.
GPT-5.4: where it fits
OpenAI's 2026 workhorse — unifies Codex and GPT into a strong default that costs half of GPT-5.5. Released March 5, 2026 by OpenAI, it is built for strong general-purpose default, coding and software engineering, document understanding and tool use, and 1M context with good token efficiency.
Its trade-offs: topped by GPT-5.5 on the hardest tasks, and pricier than open-weight rivals. At $2.5 in / $15 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.
The bottom line for this matchup
Because GPT-5.3-Codex and GPT-5.4 come from the same lab (OpenAI), they share the same training philosophy and ecosystem — the decision is purely tier vs. cost. GPT-5.4 is the more capable, more recent option; the other earns its place only when its price or latency profile fits a specific job better. Most teams should default to GPT-5.4 and drop down only with a concrete reason.
Frequently asked questions
Is GPT-5.3-Codex or GPT-5.4 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-5.3-Codex leans toward dedicated coding agent while GPT-5.4 leans toward strong general-purpose default, and that positioning usually predicts which feels better on your codebase.
Which is cheaper, GPT-5.3-Codex or GPT-5.4?
GPT-5.3-Codex is cheaper — $1.5/$10 per 1M tokens vs $2.5/$15 per 1M tokens, roughly 1.7× apart on input.
Which has the bigger context window?
GPT-5.4 — 1M vs 128K, about 7.8× larger. Useful only if the model actually reasons over the full window, which not all do.
Should I upgrade from GPT-5.3-Codex to GPT-5.4?
Since both are OpenAI models, the newer one (GPT-5.4) is usually the better default unless you need a specific cost or latency profile from the other.
Which is newer, GPT-5.3-Codex or GPT-5.4?
GPT-5.4 — released March 5, 2026, about 18 days after GPT-5.3-Codex.
GPT-5.3-Codex vs GPT-5.4
OpenAI · US | OpenAI · US · Updated June 2026
Quick verdict
Both are OpenAI models. GPT-5.4 is the newer, generally stronger default; reach for GPT-5.3-Codex when its lower price or specific profile matters more than the latest capabilities.
GPT-5.3-Codex and GPT-5.4 are both OpenAI models, so the real question is not which lab to trust but which tier fits your workload and budget. GPT-5.3-Codex is openAI's coding-specialized agent model for autonomous software engineering. GPT-5.4 is openAI's 2026 workhorse — unifies Codex and GPT into a strong default that costs half of GPT-5.5. Since both come from the same lab, the comparison below focuses on the tier-and-cost trade-offs that actually separate them.
Key differences at a glance
▸Price: GPT-5.3-Codex is about 1.7× cheaper on input ($1.5/$10 per 1M tokens vs $2.5/$15 per 1M tokens) — modest, but it adds up at steady volume.
▸Context window: GPT-5.4 holds 7.8× more — 1M (~1,500 pages) vs 128K (~192 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-5.4 is the newer model by about 18 days (released March 5, 2026), usually meaning fresher training data and capabilities.
Side-by-side specs
Spec
GPT-5.3-Codex
GPT-5.4
Provider
OpenAI (US)
OpenAI (US)
Released
February 2026
March 5, 2026
Context window
128K (~192 pages)
1M (~1,500 pages)
Price (in/out)
$1.5/$10 per 1M tokens
$2.5/$15 per 1M tokens
Open weight?
No — API only
No — API only
Modalities
text, code
text, image, code
SWE-Bench Verified
Not published
Not published
MRCR v2 @ 1M
Not published
Not published
Who wins what
Dedicated coding agent
GPT-5.3-Codex
A core design strength of GPT-5.3-Codex.
CLI and IDE integration
GPT-5.3-Codex
A core design strength of GPT-5.3-Codex.
Autonomous software tasks
GPT-5.3-Codex
A core design strength of GPT-5.3-Codex.
Strong general-purpose default
GPT-5.4
A core design strength of GPT-5.4.
Coding and software engineering
GPT-5.4
A core design strength of GPT-5.4.
Document understanding and tool use
GPT-5.4
A core design strength of GPT-5.4.
Lowest cost at scale
GPT-5.3-Codex
At $1.5/$10 per 1M tokens, it is the cheaper of the two — the gap dominates the bill on high-volume workloads.
Largest single-prompt input
GPT-5.4
Its 1M window is about 7.8× larger, fitting roughly 1,500 pages in one prompt.
Which should you pick?
A cost-sensitive startup shipping high volume
→ GPT-5.3-Codex
At $1.5/$10 per 1M tokens it undercuts GPT-5.4, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.
Someone analysing very long documents or codebases
→ GPT-5.4
Larger 1M window fits more in one prompt.
Anyone whose priority is dedicated coding agent
→ GPT-5.3-Codex
It is specifically built for that.
Anyone whose priority is strong general-purpose default
→ GPT-5.4
That is its strongest area.
GPT-5.3-Codex: where it fits
OpenAI's coding-specialized agent model for autonomous software engineering. Released February 2026 by OpenAI, it is built for dedicated coding agent, cLI and IDE integration, autonomous software tasks, and tool calling.
Its trade-offs are real: coding-specialized, narrower general use, and retired in favor of GPT-5.5 Codex. At $1.5 in / $10 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.
GPT-5.4: where it fits
OpenAI's 2026 workhorse — unifies Codex and GPT into a strong default that costs half of GPT-5.5. Released March 5, 2026 by OpenAI, it is built for strong general-purpose default, coding and software engineering, document understanding and tool use, and 1M context with good token efficiency.
Its trade-offs: topped by GPT-5.5 on the hardest tasks, and pricier than open-weight rivals. At $2.5 in / $15 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.
The bottom line for this matchup
Because GPT-5.3-Codex and GPT-5.4 come from the same lab (OpenAI), they share the same training philosophy and ecosystem — the decision is purely tier vs. cost. GPT-5.4 is the more capable, more recent option; the other earns its place only when its price or latency profile fits a specific job better. Most teams should default to GPT-5.4 and drop down only with a concrete reason.
Want both GPT-5.3-Codex and GPT-5.4 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-5.3-Codex leans toward dedicated coding agent while GPT-5.4 leans toward strong general-purpose default, and that positioning usually predicts which feels better on your codebase.
Which is cheaper, GPT-5.3-Codex or GPT-5.4?
GPT-5.3-Codex is cheaper — $1.5/$10 per 1M tokens vs $2.5/$15 per 1M tokens, roughly 1.7× apart on input.
Which has the bigger context window?
GPT-5.4 — 1M vs 128K, about 7.8× larger. Useful only if the model actually reasons over the full window, which not all do.
Should I upgrade from GPT-5.3-Codex to GPT-5.4?
Since both are OpenAI models, the newer one (GPT-5.4) is usually the better default unless you need a specific cost or latency profile from the other.
Which is newer, GPT-5.3-Codex or GPT-5.4?
GPT-5.4 — released March 5, 2026, about 18 days 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.