GPT-6.1 Terra vs GPT-6 Astra
OpenAI · US | OpenAI · US · Updated June 2026
Quick verdict
Both are OpenAI models. GPT-6.1 Terra is the newer, generally stronger default; reach for GPT-6 Astra when a specific cost or latency profile matters more than the latest capabilities.
GPT-6.1 Terra and GPT-6 Astra are both OpenAI models, so the real question is not which lab to trust but which tier fits your workload and budget. GPT-6.1 Terra is openAI's October 26, 2026 mid-tier model - a 1.05M-context, computer-use-capable GPT at $1/$5 per million tokens, half the price of its predecessor. GPT-6 Astra is openAI's flagship reasoning model for computer use, browsing, coding and science, released September 3, 2026 with near-perfect scores on FrontierMath, ExploitBench and long-context recall benchmarks. 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-6.1 Terra is about 10× cheaper on input ($1/$5 per 1M tokens vs $10/$50 per 1M tokens) — a large enough gap that at scale it can be the single biggest line item in the decision.
- ▸Context window: both advertise 1.05M tokens (~1,575 pages). Tie on paper — test on your own long inputs, since usable recall varies by model.
- ▸Recency: GPT-6.1 Terra is the newer model by about 53 days (released October 26, 2026), usually meaning fresher training data and capabilities.
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | GPT-6.1 Terra | GPT-6 Astra |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI (US) | OpenAI (US) |
| Released | October 26, 2026 | September 3, 2026 |
| Context window | 1.05M tokens (~1,575 pages) | 1.05M tokens (~1,575 pages) |
| Price (in/out) | $1/$5 per 1M tokens | $10/$50 per 1M tokens |
| Open weight? | No — API only | No — API only |
| Modalities | text, image, code | text, image |
| SWE-Bench Verified | Not published | Not published |
| MRCR v2 @ 1M | Not published | 96.3% |
Who wins what
$1/$5 per million tokens (cached input $0.05) - half the price of GPT-6.1 Sol and GPT-5.6 Terra
GPT-6.1 Terra
At $1/$5 per 1M tokens it undercuts GPT-6 Astra ($10/$50 per 1M tokens), and that gap compounds at volume.
Terminal-Bench 4.0 of 50.3% at maximum reasoning effort, versus 21.5% for GPT-5.6 Terra (OpenAI-reported)
GPT-6.1 Terra
OpenAI's October 26, 2026 mid-tier model - a 1.05M-context, computer-use-capable GPT at $1/$5 per million tokens, half the price of its predecessor — and it runs cheaper at $1/$5 per 1M tokens.
1.05M-token context with up to 128K output tokens, plus image input and computer use via the Responses API
GPT-6.1 Terra
GPT-6 Astra is comparatively weak here — no native audio or video input
Computer & browser use (ScreenSpot-Pro 92.7%)
GPT-6 Astra
GPT-6 Astra lists computer & browser use (ScreenSpot-Pro 92.7%) among its strengths; GPT-6.1 Terra does not.
Cybersecurity exploit development (ExploitBench 100%)
GPT-6 Astra
GPT-6 Astra lists cybersecurity exploit development (ExploitBench 100%) among its strengths; GPT-6.1 Terra does not.
Frontier math reasoning (FrontierMath Tier 4: 97.6%)
GPT-6 Astra
GPT-6 Astra lists frontier math reasoning (FrontierMath Tier 4: 97.6%) among its strengths; GPT-6.1 Terra does not.
Lowest cost at scale
GPT-6.1 Terra
At $1/$5 per 1M tokens, it is the cheaper of the two — the gap dominates the bill on high-volume workloads.
Which should you pick?
A cost-sensitive startup shipping high volume
→ GPT-6.1 Terra
At $1/$5 per 1M tokens it undercuts GPT-6 Astra, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.
Anyone whose priority is $1/$5 per million tokens (cached input $0.05) - half the price of gpt-6.1 sol and gpt-5.6 terra
→ GPT-6.1 Terra
It is specifically built for that.
Anyone whose priority is computer & browser use (screenspot-pro 92.7%)
→ GPT-6 Astra
That is its strongest area.
GPT-6.1 Terra: where it fits
OpenAI's October 26, 2026 mid-tier model - a 1.05M-context, computer-use-capable GPT at $1/$5 per million tokens, half the price of its predecessor. Released October 26, 2026 by OpenAI, it is built for $1/$5 per million tokens (cached input $0.05) - half the price of GPT-6.1 Sol and GPT-5.6 Terra, terminal-Bench 4.0 of 50.3% at maximum reasoning effort, versus 21.5% for GPT-5.6 Terra (OpenAI-reported), 1.05M-token context with up to 128K output tokens, plus image input and computer use via the Responses API, and error rate on OpenAI's hard-prompt set falls from 53.6% (GPT-5.6 Terra) to 16.7% at low effort and 4.3% at max effort.
Its trade-offs are real: openAI still positions Sol and Astra as the higher-capability choices for demanding coding problems, requests above 272K input tokens are billed at 2x input and 1.5x output for the whole request, closed weights and no fine-tuning support, and benchmark figures are vendor-reported; no SWE-bench Verified or MRCR numbers published. At $1 in / $5 out per million tokens, it sits in the budget price band.
GPT-6 Astra: where it fits
OpenAI's flagship reasoning model for computer use, browsing, coding and science, released September 3, 2026 with near-perfect scores on FrontierMath, ExploitBench and long-context recall benchmarks. Released September 3, 2026 by OpenAI, it is built for computer & browser use (ScreenSpot-Pro 92.7%), cybersecurity exploit development (ExploitBench 100%), frontier math reasoning (FrontierMath Tier 4: 97.6%), and long-context recall (MRCR v2 512K-1M: 96.3%).
Its trade-offs: no native audio or video input, pricing doubles for prompts over 272K tokens (input/cache 2x, output 1.5x), trails Meta's Muse Spark 1.3 on some coding evals (DeepSWE v1.1: 74.1 vs 75.4), and a separate opt-in "Daybreak" program gives vetted cybersecurity defenders a less-restricted version for legitimate vulnerability research; the public version already refuses ~91.5% of offensive cyber jailbreak attempts by default. At $10 in / $50 out per million tokens, it sits in the premium price band.
The bottom line for this matchup
Because GPT-6.1 Terra and GPT-6 Astra come from the same lab (OpenAI), they share the same training philosophy and ecosystem — the decision is purely tier vs. cost. GPT-6.1 Terra 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-6.1 Terra and drop down only with a concrete reason.
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See pricingFrequently asked questions
Is GPT-6.1 Terra or GPT-6 Astra 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-6.1 Terra leans toward $1/$5 per million tokens (cached input $0.05) - half the price of gpt-6.1 sol and gpt-5.6 terra while GPT-6 Astra leans toward computer & browser use (screenspot-pro 92.7%), and that positioning usually predicts which feels better on your codebase.
Which is cheaper, GPT-6.1 Terra or GPT-6 Astra?
GPT-6.1 Terra is cheaper — $1/$5 per 1M tokens vs $10/$50 per 1M tokens, roughly 10× apart on input.
Which has the bigger context window?
Both advertise 1.05M tokens (~1,575 pages). Remember advertised ≠ usable: recall typically degrades before the ceiling.
Should I upgrade from GPT-6 Astra to GPT-6.1 Terra?
Since both are OpenAI models, the newer one (GPT-6.1 Terra) is usually the better default unless you need a specific cost or latency profile from the other.
Which is newer, GPT-6.1 Terra or GPT-6 Astra?
GPT-6.1 Terra — released October 26, 2026, about 53 days after GPT-6 Astra.
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.