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Head-to-head comparison

GPT-5.2 Chat vs GPT-5.6 Terra

GPT-5.2 Chat (OpenAI) and GPT-5.6 Terra (OpenAI) compared on the ModelCap Index, API price, context window, provider availability, weight access and every public benchmark board they share. Figures are the same ones shown on the live rankings; nothing here is a hidden score.

Snapshot as of 11 August 2026

As of 11 August 2026, GPT-5.2 Chat holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#9 vs #15); GPT-5.6 Terra is 2.3× cheaper per output token ($6.00/1M vs $14.00/1M); and GPT-5.6 Terra offers the longer context window (1M vs 128K tokens).

Which should you choose?

Choose GPT-5.2 Chat if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #9 against #15 (74.1 vs 69.5 points).

Choose GPT-5.6 Terra if…

  • API cost matters — $6.00/1M output tokens against $14.00/1M, about 2.3× cheaper.
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $1.00/1M against $1.75/1M.
  • you need the longer context window — 1M tokens against 128K.
  • you want provider choice — 3 listed API providers against 1.
  • Arena coding is your yardstick — 1518 against 1515.
  • you want the more recently listed model — GPT-5.6 Terra was listed 9 July 2026, GPT-5.2 Chat 10 December 2025.

GPT-5.2 Chat vs GPT-5.6 Terra: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of GPT-5.2 Chat and GPT-5.6 Terra
FieldGPT-5.2 ChatOpenAIGPT-5.6 TerraOpenAI
ModelCap Index position#9#15
Index score74.169.5
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$1.75$1.00
Output price / 1M tokens$14.00$6.00
Context window128K tokens1M tokens
Max output tokens32K128K
API providers listed13
Weight accessAPI onlyAPI only
Input modalitiesFile, Image, TextFile, Image, Text
First listed10 December 20259 July 2026
PublisherOpenAIOpenAI

Evidence: 2 public benchmark observations across 2 boards · 5 public benchmark observations across 5 boards. Prices are the lowest listed API offer per million tokens observed on the OpenRouter catalogue.

Benchmark scores: GPT-5.2 Chat vs GPT-5.6 Terra

Public benchmark boards where GPT-5.2 Chat or GPT-5.6 Terra has a published result
BoardGPT-5.2 ChatGPT-5.6 TerraLeads
Arena textArena (LMArena)14761472–1480—Only one result
Arena codingArena (LMArena)15151508–152215181509–1528X-HighGPT-5.6 Terra
LMArena AgentLMArena—3.1%1.8%–4.4%X-HighOnly one result
ARC-AGI-2ARC Prize Foundation—83.9%MaxOnly one result
ARC-AGI-3ARC Prize Foundation—0.8%MaxOnly one result

Scores are the sources' own published figures for each model's best evaluated configuration; ModelCap never re-runs a benchmark.

Want a different pairing? Open the interactive comparison tool to swap either model for any current ranked language model.

GPT-5.2 Chat vs GPT-5.6 Terra: common questions

Is GPT-5.2 Chat better than GPT-5.6 Terra?

GPT-5.2 Chat ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 11 August 2026: #9 against #15. That is a capability ranking built from public benchmark evidence with published uncertainty; whether it is "better" for you also depends on price, context and where you can run it.

Is GPT-5.2 Chat cheaper than GPT-5.6 Terra?

GPT-5.6 Terra is cheaper on output tokens: $6.00/1M against $14.00/1M. Input tokens are $1.75/1M for GPT-5.2 Chat and $1.00/1M for GPT-5.6 Terra. Prices are the lowest listed API offer ModelCap observed, in USD per million tokens.

Which has the bigger context window, GPT-5.2 Chat or GPT-5.6 Terra?

GPT-5.6 Terra has the larger context window: 1M tokens against 128K.

Which is better for coding, GPT-5.2 Chat or GPT-5.6 Terra?

Arena coding: GPT-5.2 Chat 1515, GPT-5.6 Terra 1518 — GPT-5.6 Terra leads.

Are GPT-5.2 Chat and GPT-5.6 Terra open-weight models?

GPT-5.2 Chat: API only. GPT-5.6 Terra: API only. Open weights mean the checkpoint can be downloaded and self-hosted under its licence; API-only models are available solely through hosted endpoints.

Where can I run GPT-5.2 Chat and GPT-5.6 Terra?

ModelCap currently lists 1 API provider for GPT-5.2 Chat and 3 for GPT-5.6 Terra, from the OpenRouter catalogue snapshot the site serves; each model page lists the providers and their prices.

How current is this GPT-5.2 Chat vs GPT-5.6 Terra comparison?

Every figure comes from the sealed ModelCap dataset published 11 August 2026; the page re-renders within a minute of each data refresh, and the ModelCap Index positions are the same ones shown on the live rankings.

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