GPT-5.4 vs Inkling
OpenAI · US | Thinking Machines Lab · US · Updated June 2026
Quick verdict
Pick GPT-5.4 for strong general-purpose default or coding and software engineering. Pick Inkling for the first model release from mira murati's thinking machines lab (ex-openai cto) - one of the most closely-watched new labs in ai or a 975b-parameter moe (41b active) with native text, image, and audio reasoning in one model. Choose Inkling if you need self-hosting or data privacy; GPT-5.4 if you want a managed API.
GPT-5.4 (OpenAI) and Inkling (Thinking Machines Lab) are two of the models people most often weigh against each other in 2026. GPT-5.4 is openAI's 2026 workhorse — unifies Codex and GPT into a strong default that costs half of GPT-5.5. Inkling is mira Murati's Thinking Machines Lab debuts with Inkling - a 975B open-weight MoE with native multimodal reasoning and a dialable thinking-effort control. They diverge most on price and open vs. closed weights — each quantified below from the models' real specs.
Key differences at a glance
- ▸Cost model: Inkling ships open weights you can self-host (hardware cost only, no per-token fee), while GPT-5.4 is API-metered at $2.5/$15 per 1M tokens. Your choice depends on whether you want zero marginal cost at the price of running infrastructure.
- ▸Context window: both advertise 1M (~1,500 pages). Tie on paper — test on your own long inputs, since usable recall varies by model.
- ▸Recency: Inkling is the newer model by about 4 months (released July 15, 2026), usually meaning fresher training data and capabilities.
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | GPT-5.4 | Inkling |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI (US) | Thinking Machines Lab (US) |
| Released | March 5, 2026 | July 15, 2026 |
| Context window | 1M (~1,500 pages) | 1M (~1,500 pages) |
| Price (in/out) | $2.5/$15 per 1M tokens | Open weight (self-host / free) |
| Open weight? | No — API only | Yes — self-hostable |
| Modalities | text, image, code | text, image, audio, code |
| SWE-Bench Verified | Not published | Not published |
| MRCR v2 @ 1M | Not published | Not published |
Who wins what
Strong general-purpose default
GPT-5.4
GPT-5.4 lists strong general-purpose default among its strengths; Inkling does not.
Coding and software engineering
GPT-5.4
GPT-5.4 lists coding and software engineering among its strengths; Inkling does not.
Document understanding and tool use
GPT-5.4
GPT-5.4 lists document understanding and tool use among its strengths; Inkling does not.
The first model release from Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Lab (ex-OpenAI CTO) - one of the most closely-watched new labs in AI
Inkling
Open weights make this possible at all — GPT-5.4 is API-only, so it cannot leave the vendor's servers.
A 975B-parameter MoE (41B active) with native text, image, and audio reasoning in one model
Inkling
Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Lab debuts with Inkling - a 975B open-weight MoE with native multimodal reasoning and a dialable thinking-effort control — and its weights are open while GPT-5.4 is API-only.
A dialable 'thinking effort' knob (0.2-0.99) that lets you trade speed for depth of reasoning per-request
Inkling
Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Lab debuts with Inkling - a 975B open-weight MoE with native multimodal reasoning and a dialable thinking-effort control — and it is the newer of the two.
Lowest cost at scale
Inkling
Its weights are open, so at volume you pay for your own hardware instead of GPT-5.4's $2.5/$15 per 1M tokens.
Which should you pick?
A cost-sensitive startup shipping high volume
→ Inkling
At Open weight (self-host / free) it undercuts GPT-5.4, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.
A team with data-privacy or self-hosting needs
→ Inkling
Open weights let you run it on your own hardware; GPT-5.4 is API-only.
Anyone whose priority is strong general-purpose default
→ GPT-5.4
It is specifically built for that.
Anyone whose priority is the first model release from mira murati's thinking machines lab (ex-openai cto) - one of the most closely-watched new labs in ai
→ Inkling
That is its strongest area.
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 are real: 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.
Inkling: where it fits
Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Lab debuts with Inkling - a 975B open-weight MoE with native multimodal reasoning and a dialable thinking-effort control. Released July 15, 2026 by Thinking Machines Lab, it is built for the first model release from Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Lab (ex-OpenAI CTO) - one of the most closely-watched new labs in AI, a 975B-parameter MoE (41B active) with native text, image, and audio reasoning in one model, a dialable 'thinking effort' knob (0.2-0.99) that lets you trade speed for depth of reasoning per-request, and fully open weights (Apache 2.0) at frontier scale - unusual for a model this large and this new.
Its trade-offs: a brand-new lab's first release - no multi-generation track record yet, no official hosted API price - available via third-party hosts only at launch, and independent third-party benchmark verification is still limited given how recently it shipped. As an open-weight model, its running cost is your own hardware rather than a per-token fee.
The bottom line for this matchup
The defining split here is open vs. closed. Inkling gives you weights you control — self-host it, fine-tune it, keep data in-house, pay only for hardware. GPT-5.4 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-5.4 and Inkling 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.
See pricingFrequently asked questions
Is GPT-5.4 or Inkling 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-5.4 leans toward strong general-purpose default while Inkling leans toward the first model release from mira murati's thinking machines lab (ex-openai cto) - one of the most closely-watched new labs in ai, and that positioning usually predicts which feels better on your codebase.
Which is cheaper, GPT-5.4 or Inkling?
Inkling is open-weight, so self-hosting means no per-token fee (you pay for hardware instead), while GPT-5.4 is API-metered at $2.5/$15 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?
Both advertise 1M (~1,500 pages). Remember advertised ≠ usable: recall typically degrades before the ceiling.
Can I use both GPT-5.4 and Inkling together?
Yes — a multi-model platform like LumiChats gives you GPT-5.4, Inkling 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-5.4 or Inkling?
Inkling — released July 15, 2026, about 4 months after GPT-5.4.
Related comparisons
Specifications and benchmarks reflect publicly reported figures as of June 2026 and may change as providers release updates. Always verify on your own workload.