OpenAI ships GPT-5.4 mini and nano, faster and more capable but up to 4x pricier

2026-03-17 · Source: The Decoder · Field: Technology & Digital — Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning · Depth: Intermediate, medium

Summary

OpenAI has released GPT-5.4 mini and nano, two new compact models optimized for coding, subagents, and computer control, offering significant performance improvements and faster execution. GPT-5.4 mini nearly matches the larger GPT-5.4 model on benchmarks like SWE-Bench Pro (54.4% vs 57.7%) and OSWorld-Verified (72.1% vs 75.0%), while running over twice as fast as its predecessor. These models are designed for subagent architectures where larger models handle planning and coordination, delegating simpler tasks to the mini/nano versions, potentially cutting costs for specific workloads. However, this enhanced capability comes with a substantial price increase, with GPT-5.4 mini costing up to three times more for input tokens and GPT-5.4 nano up to four times more than their respective predecessors. Both new models support a 400,000-token context window.

Key takeaway

OpenAI has launched GPT-5.4 mini and nano, compact models significantly improving performance for coding, subagents, and computer control. GPT-5.4 mini nearly matches the full GPT-5.4 on benchmarks like SWE-Bench Pro (54.4% vs 57.7%) and OSWorld-Verified (72.1% vs 75.0%), while being over twice as fast as GPT-5 mini. Despite enabling efficient subagent architectures, these models are up to 4x more expensive than their predecessors, necessitating careful cost-benefit evaluation for deployment.

Topics

• GPT-5.4 Models
• Subagent Architecture
• Model Performance Benchmarks
• API Pricing
• Coding Assistants

Best for: CTO, VP of Engineering/Data, AI Architect, AI Engineer, Machine Learning Engineer, AI Product Manager

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by The Decoder.