AI Model Overview

OpenAI GPT-5.2 — what it is, when to use it and what to use instead

Active

No. GPT-5.2 is active at OpenAI and has no announced end date.

gpt-5.2 last verified

Summary

GPT-5.2 is an older OpenAI flagship, at $1.75 per million input tokens and $14 per million output tokens with a 400K-token context window and 128K max output. OpenAI's documentation recommends GPT-6 Astra for new work.

GPT-5.2 runs on the default snapshot gpt-5.2-2025-12-11 and is described in OpenAI's catalogue as a previous flagship with configurable reasoning effort. Newer generations have landed since: GPT-5.4, GPT-5.5, the GPT-5.6 line and GPT-6 Astra. The flagship models among them carry a 1.05M-token context window against 400K here.

It accepts text and image input and returns text, with reasoning effort from none to xhigh, structured outputs and the usual tool set. The knowledge cutoff is 31 August 2025.

No deprecation has been announced, but the model page points to a newer generation, which is usually the step before one.

Modality
  • Text
  • Vision
Use case
  • Chat
  • Coding
  • Reasoning
  • Agents & tool use
  • Long context
  • Web search
Tier
  • Mid-tier
Access
  • Hosted API

Specifications

Input price
$1.75 / M tokens
Output price
$14.00 / M tokens
Price band
Premium
Context window
400K tokens
Max output
128K tokens
Input
Text, image
Output
Text
Knowledge cutoff
August 2025
Tool use
Yes
Structured output
Yes
Weights licence
not published
Model maker
OpenAI

“unknown” means the figure has not been published, or we have not verified it yet — never that the answer is no. “not published” under the weights licence means this model is not offered with downloadable weights. The price band is ours: it bands the blended price (three parts input to one part output) as budget (≤ $0.50), standard (≤ $3), premium (≤ $12) or flagship.

Lifecycle

OpenAI has not announced a deprecation or shutdown date for this model. That is a statement about what has been published, not a guarantee — providers typically announce a shutdown months ahead, and this page updates when they do.

  1. Released
  2. Deprecated not announced
  3. Retired not announced

Use it for

  • Keep an existing GPT-5.2 integration running while you evaluate a newer generation against it.
  • Stay on a pinned snapshot where output has to remain comparable.

Avoid it when

  • You are starting a new integration; OpenAI's own documentation points to GPT-6 Astra instead.
  • You need a context window above 400K tokens; the GPT-5.6 line offers 1.05M.
  • You want a long runway; the model page already flags it as a previous generation.

Alternatives to consider

  • GPT-5.6 Terra Curated

    OpenAI Active

    The current balanced tier at $2 / $12, a slightly higher input price for a 1.05M-token window and a February 2026 cutoff.

    $2.00 in · $12.00 out / M tokens 1.1M context

  • GPT-6 Astra Curated

    OpenAI Active

    The model OpenAI's documentation names for new work, at $10 / $50 with an April 2026 knowledge cutoff.

    $10.00 in · $50.00 out / M tokens 1.1M context

  • Claude Sonnet 5 Curated

    Anthropic Active

    Anthropic's mid tier at $2 / $10 with a 1M-token window and a January 2026 knowledge cutoff.

    $2.00 in · $10.00 out / M tokens 1M context

  • Gemini 3.6 Flash Curated

    Google (Gemini) Active

    Google's balanced tier at $0.75 / $3.75, less than half the input price, with audio, video and PDF input.

    $0.75 in · $3.75 out / M tokens 1M context

  • GPT-5 Derived

    Microsoft Azure AI Foundry Active

    Alternative from Microsoft Azure AI Foundry, same tier (mid-tier), similar price; shares chat, coding, reasoning, agents, long-context and search.

    $1.25 in · $10.00 out / M tokens 400K context

Curated suggestions were picked by a reviewer, with the reason written by hand. Derived suggestions are ranked from the data — shared tags, the same tier and a comparable price band — not from benchmark scores. Check the capability fit yourself: we track lifecycle, price and specifications.

Sources

Verified against the source on . Dataset snapshot . Providers can change a date without notice — the link above is always the final word.

About this profile

The specifications and dates above are facts from OpenAI, with the sources listed. The summary, the use-for and avoid-when lists and the curated alternatives are our assessment: editorial profile reviewed on by llm-researcher.

Common questions

What is GPT-5.2 for?
GPT-5.2 is an older OpenAI flagship, at $1.75 per million input tokens and $14 per million output tokens with a 400K-token context window and 128K max output. OpenAI's documentation recommends GPT-6 Astra for new work.
What does GPT-5.2 cost?
$1.75 per million input tokens and $14.00 per million output tokens, as last verified on 2026-09-10.
What is the context window of GPT-5.2?
400K tokens.
Is GPT-5.2 deprecated?
No. GPT-5.2 is active at OpenAI and has no announced end date.
What should I use instead of GPT-5.2?
OpenAI GPT-5.6 Terra — The current balanced tier at $2 / $12, a slightly higher input price for a 1.05M-token window and a February 2026 cutoff. OpenAI GPT-6 Astra — The model OpenAI's documentation names for new work, at $10 / $50 with an April 2026 knowledge cutoff. Anthropic Claude Sonnet 5 — Anthropic's mid tier at $2 / $10 with a 1M-token window and a January 2026 knowledge cutoff.

All OpenAI models and their end dates →