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Head-to-head comparison

GPT-5.2 Chat vs Inkling

GPT-5.2 Chat (OpenAI) and Inkling (Thinking Machines) 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 17 August 2026

As of 17 August 2026, GPT-5.2 Chat holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#9 vs #24); Inkling is 3.5× cheaper per output token ($4.05/1M vs $14.00/1M); Inkling offers the longer context window (1M vs 128K tokens); and Inkling ships open weights.

Which should you choose?

Choose GPT-5.2 Chat if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #9 against #24 (74.9 vs 64.0 points).
  • Arena coding is your yardstick — 1515 against 1494.

Choose Inkling if…

  • API cost matters — $4.05/1M output tokens against $14.00/1M, about 3.5× cheaper.
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $0.95/1M against $1.75/1M.
  • you need the longer context window — 1M tokens against 128K.
  • you want to self-host: Inkling ships open weights while GPT-5.2 Chat is api only.
  • you want provider choice — 3 listed API providers against 1.
  • you want the more recently listed model — Inkling was listed 17 July 2026, GPT-5.2 Chat 10 December 2025.

GPT-5.2 Chat vs Inkling: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of GPT-5.2 Chat and Inkling
FieldGPT-5.2 ChatOpenAIInklingThinking Machines
ModelCap Index position#9#24
Index score74.964.0
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$1.75$0.95
Output price / 1M tokens$14.00$4.05
Context window128K tokens1M tokens
Max output tokens32K262K
API providers listed13
Weight accessAPI onlyOpen weights
Input modalitiesFile, Image, TextText, Image, Audio
First listed10 December 202517 July 2026
PublisherOpenAIThinking Machines

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 Inkling

Public benchmark boards where GPT-5.2 Chat or Inkling has a published result
BoardGPT-5.2 ChatInklingLeads
Arena codingArena (LMArena)15151508–152214941485–1504GPT-5.2 Chat
LMArena AgentLMArena—-6.6%-7.5%–-5.7%Only one result
ARC-AGI-2ARC Prize Foundation—36.5%Only one result
Artificial Analysis Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis—42.3intelligence-indexOnly 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 Inkling: common questions

Is GPT-5.2 Chat better than Inkling?

GPT-5.2 Chat ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 17 August 2026: #9 against #24. 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 Inkling?

Inkling is cheaper on output tokens: $4.05/1M against $14.00/1M. Input tokens are $1.75/1M for GPT-5.2 Chat and $0.95/1M for Inkling. 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 Inkling?

Inkling has the larger context window: 1M tokens against 128K.

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

Arena coding: GPT-5.2 Chat 1515, Inkling 1494 — GPT-5.2 Chat leads.

Are GPT-5.2 Chat and Inkling open-weight models?

GPT-5.2 Chat: API only. Inkling: Open weights. 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 Inkling?

ModelCap currently lists 1 API provider for GPT-5.2 Chat and 3 for Inkling, 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 Inkling comparison?

Every figure comes from the sealed ModelCap dataset published 17 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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