GPT-5 Nano vs gpt-oss-120b
At a Glance
| Compare |  GPT-5 NanoOpenAI | gpt-oss-120bOpenAI |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence, Cost, and Efficiency | ||
| IntelligenceHigher is better · MM Intelligence v2.5 | #46 of 460.0 score · 2/3 sources · provisional · missing LiveBench · full-core range 0.0–33.3 | UnrankedNot in the 46-model eligible cohort |
| Pricing and Limits | ||
| Input priceFrom · USD / 1M tokens | $0.025Openrouter ↗ · Sep 3, 2026 | $0.037Deepinfra ↗ · Sep 22, 2026 |
| Output priceFrom · USD / 1M tokens | $0.20Openrouter ↗ · Sep 3, 2026 | $0.17Deepinfra ↗ · Sep 22, 2026 |
| Context windowMaximum documented tokens | 400K | 131K |
| Model facts checked | Sep 3, 2026View model evidence → | Aug 28, 2026View model evidence → |
Token prices are the lowest available sourced USD rates; input and output may use different providers. Cost ranking estimates output spend on LiveBench, not a full request bill. Ranking methodology →
Available Benchmarks
| Benchmark | GPT-5 Nano | gpt-oss-120b |
|---|---|---|
| LMArena Text Arenatext-2026-09-13-d25aabda0010 · arena_rating · leader | 1,319.7297% of row best · rating · gpt-5-nano-high; 95% CI [1312.87607943, 1326.57003978]; votes 8128; rank 218 | 1,365.87100% of row best · rating · gpt-oss-120b; 95% CI [1361.49487468, 1370.23719284]; votes 29955; rank 176 |
| ToneBench2026-09-11-10-task-4ef099199c9c · overall_score · unverified | 61.6291% of row best · points · GPT-5 nano · 7,465 output tokens / case | 68.01100% of row best · points · gpt-oss 120B (high) · 7,577 output tokens / case |
| Overall ResultCounted from the protocol-matched rows above | 0 benchmark winsNo overall winner | 1 benchmark winNo overall winner |
Third-party benchmark Only like-for-like primary-publisher results are shown; raw scores, relative scores, configuration, and token spend remain visible.
Side-by-Side Facts
| Field | GPT-5 Nano | gpt-oss-120b |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | OpenAI | OpenAI |
| Family | Gpt 5 | Gpt Oss 120b |
| Model | GPT-5 Nano | gpt-oss-120b |
| Version | GPT-5 Nano | gpt-oss-120b |
| Lifecycle | active | active |
| Released | 2025-08-07 | Unknown |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2024-05-31 | Unknown |
| Input modalities | Text, Image | Text |
| Output modalities | Text | Text |
| Context window | 400K | 131K |
| Total parameters | Unknown | 116.8B |
| Active parameters | Unknown | 5.1B |
| License | Unknown | apache-2.0 |
| Open weights | No | Yes |
| API available | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | No | Yes |
| Provider access | Openai (Standard), Openrouter (Standard) | Cerebras (Standard), Deepinfra (Standard), Fireworks Ai (Serverless, Standard), Groq (Standard), Hugging Face (Standard), Openrouter (Standard), Together Ai (Serverless, Standard) |
| Capabilities | chat, generation, reasoning, structured_outputs, tools | chat, generation, reasoning, tools |
GPT-5 Nano Capabilities
gpt-oss-120b Capabilities
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Primary Evidence
Sources and Freshness
Questions
GPT-5 Nano vs gpt-oss-120b FAQs
Is GPT-5 Nano or gpt-oss-120b better for coding?+
This comparison does not currently contain a protocol-matched coding benchmark for both GPT-5 Nano and gpt-oss-120b, so Model Markets cannot name a coding leader from pricing, context size, or capability labels alone.
Which is cheaper, GPT-5 Nano or gpt-oss-120b?+
GPT-5 Nano is $0.025 and gpt-oss-120b is $0.037 per million tokens, so GPT-5 Nano is cheaper on this metric. GPT-5 Nano is $0.20 and gpt-oss-120b is $0.17 per million tokens, so gpt-oss-120b is cheaper on this metric.
Which has a larger context window, GPT-5 Nano or gpt-oss-120b?+
GPT-5 Nano has the larger sourced context window. GPT-5 Nano supports 400K and gpt-oss-120b supports 131K.
Which performs better in benchmarks, GPT-5 Nano or gpt-oss-120b?+
There is no overall benchmark winner: At least two independently verified, protocol-matched benchmarks are required for an overall winner.
Can GPT-5 Nano or gpt-oss-120b be self-hosted?+
gpt-oss-120b is the only model in this pair currently marked as self-hostable. GPT-5 Nano is not marked open weight; gpt-oss-120b is open weight.
Can GPT-5 Nano and gpt-oss-120b understand images?+
GPT-5 Nano is documented with image input; gpt-oss-120b is not documented with image input. This reflects supported input modalities, not vision quality.
Which can generate longer answers, GPT-5 Nano or gpt-oss-120b?+
Neither has a larger sourced maximum output. GPT-5 Nano is 128K and gpt-oss-120b is —.
Do GPT-5 Nano and gpt-oss-120b support reasoning and tool use?+
GPT-5 Nano: reasoning, tool calling, and image input. gpt-oss-120b: reasoning and tool calling. Feature support does not establish relative quality.
Which is available from more inference providers, GPT-5 Nano or gpt-oss-120b?+
GPT-5 Nano has 2 sourced provider routes; gpt-oss-120b has 7, so gpt-oss-120b has broader tracked availability.
Which offers better value, GPT-5 Nano or gpt-oss-120b?+
There is no universal value winner. Compare the input and output prices above with the matched benchmark result for your workload: cheaper tokens can be offset by different quality, token usage, latency, or provider availability.