GPT-5 Nano vs Llama Guard 4 12B
Price and specs side by side · USD per 1M tokens · verified 2026-10-23
// side by side
| metric | GPT-5 Nano | Llama Guard 4 12B |
|---|
| input / 1M | $0.05 | $0.18 |
| output / 1M | $0.40 | $0.18 |
| blended (3:1) | $0.1375 | $0.18 |
| cache read / 1M | $0.005 | — |
| context | 400K | 163.8K |
| max output | 128K | 163.8K |
| input types | text · image | text · image |
| reasoning | yes | no |
| tool calling | yes | no |
| structured output | yes | no |
| open weights | no | yes |
| released | 2025-08-07 | 2025-04-29 |
| knowledge cutoff | 2024-05-30 | n/a |
| lab | OpenAI | Meta |
// monthly cost scenarios
| workload | tokens in / out | GPT-5 Nano | Llama Guard 4 12B |
|---|
| Chatbot | 10M / 2M | $1.30 | $2.16 |
| RAG app | 50M / 5M | $4.50 | $9.90 |
| Coding agent | 20M / 10M | $5.00 | $5.40 |
// verdict
- GPT-5 Nano is 23.6% cheaper than Llama Guard 4 12B on a blended 3:1 input/output basis.
- GPT-5 Nano has the larger context window (400K vs 163.8K tokens).
- Only GPT-5 Nano supports built-in reasoning.
- Only GPT-5 Nano supports tool calling.
- Only GPT-5 Nano supports structured output.
- Chatbot (10M input / 2M output tokens per month): GPT-5 Nano costs $1.30 vs $2.16 for Llama Guard 4 12B, saving $0.86 per month.
- RAG app (50M input / 5M output tokens per month): GPT-5 Nano costs $4.50 vs $9.90 for Llama Guard 4 12B, saving $5.40 per month.
- Coding agent (20M input / 10M output tokens per month): GPT-5 Nano costs $5.00 vs $5.40 for Llama Guard 4 12B, saving $0.40 per month.
// GPT-5 Nano or Llama Guard 4 12B: which one to choose
- Choose GPT-5 Nano for cost-sensitive, high-volume workloads.
- Choose GPT-5 Nano for long documents and large codebases (400K-token context).
- Choose GPT-5 Nano if you need built-in reasoning.
- Choose GPT-5 Nano if you need tool calling.
- Choose GPT-5 Nano if you need structured output.
- Choose Llama Guard 4 12B if you want open weights you can self-host.