GPT-5.5 vs GPT-6 Astra
Which one, when
Both gpt-5.5 and gpt-6-astra share identical capabilities, modalities, and 1050000 context windows with 128000 output limits. Choose gpt-5.5 to prioritize cost, as it charges $5 per million input tokens and $30 per million output tokens, while gpt-6-astra doubles the input rate to $10 and increases output to $50. Opt for gpt-6-astra if your application strictly needs its later 2026-04 knowledge cutoff rather than the 2025-12 cutoff of gpt-5.5.
Benchmarks
Vendor-published: Alibaba (Qwen) Anthropic ByteDance DeepSeek Google MiniMax Moonshot OpenAI Tencent Z.ai
Pricing
| GPT-5.5 | GPT-6 Astra | Δ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Input / 1M tokens | $5 | $10 | 0.5× |
| Output / 1M tokens | $30 | $50 | 0.6× |
| Cache read / 1M tokens | $0.5 | $1 | 0.5× |
| Cache write | no separate charge | no separate charge | - |
Rates from the live catalog at build time; each model page carries the current card.
Where they sit - input price per 1M tokens across all 68 chat models on this billing unit (log scale)
Capabilities
| GPT-5.5 | GPT-6 Astra | |
|---|---|---|
| Tool use | yes | yes |
| Thinking control | configurable | configurable |
| Structured output | yes | yes |
| Prompt caching | implicit (automatic) | implicit (automatic) |
| Cache lifetime | 5-10m, up to 1h | 5-10m, up to 1h |
| Minimum cached prefix | 1024 tokens | 1024 tokens |
Specs
| GPT-5.5 | GPT-6 Astra | |
|---|---|---|
| Input modalities | text image | text image |
| Output modalities | text | text |
| Released | 2026-04-24 | 2026-09-03 |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-12 | 2026-04 |
| Context window | 1.1M | 1.1M |
| Max output | 128K | 128K |
| Thinking parameter | reasoning.effort | reasoning.effort |
| Accepted values | reasoning.effort
| reasoning.effort
|
| Default | medium | medium |
Specs are transcribed from each vendor’s documentation; a row a vendor does not publish is left out rather than inferred. Full sources: GPT-5.5 · GPT-6 Astra
One prompt, both models - measured through the gateway
GPT-5.5 passed · 3 sentences
Enabling reasoning makes the model do additional internal “thinking” before producing the final answer, which consumes more compute and billable tokens. Even if user volume and output length stayed the same, each request now costs more because the model is spending extra capacity to solve the problem. In short, we bought higher-quality answers, but the unit cost per answer increased enough to double the total LLM bill.
out 131 tok (+42 thinking) latency 2.9 s
GPT-6 Astra passed · 3 sentences
Enabling reasoning makes the model do more work per request, often generating internal reasoning tokens that are billed even though they do not appear in the final answer. If traffic, model choice, and pricing stayed the same, those extra tokens likely explain why our bill doubled—not longer answers or more users. We should verify the usage breakdown, then reserve higher reasoning levels for tasks where improved results justify the added cost.
out 283 tok (+196 thinking) latency 17.2 s
Instruction following (exactly three sentences - countable), audience shaping (CFO register), and the hidden-thinking billing gap the token meters below expose.
GPT-5.5 passed · 8/8 cases
```python def longest_run(xs): if not xs: return 0 best = 1 cur = 1 for i in range(1, len(xs)): if xs[i] == xs[i - 1]: cur += 1 else: cur = 1 best = max(best, cur) return best ``` The bug was that `cur` and `best` were counting the number of equal *adjacent comparisons*, not the number of items in the run. A run of one item has length `1`, but the original code initialized both values to `0`, so single-element inputs returned `0`. Similarly, a run like `[2, 2, 2]` has length `3`, but only two adjacent equal comparisons, so the result was off by one. Also, `best` should be updated after every element is processed, not only inside the equality branch, so runs that continue through the final index are properly considered.
out 401 tok (+182 thinking) latency 5.9 s
GPT-6 Astra passed · 8/8 cases
```python def longest_run(xs): if not xs: return 0 best = cur = 1 for i in range(1, len(xs)): if xs[i] == xs[i - 1]: cur += 1 else: cur = 1 best = max(best, cur) return best ``` The original code counts equal adjacent pairs rather than items, so every nonempty run is undercounted by one: a single-element input returns `0`, and a run of three equal items returns `2`. Starting and resetting `cur` to `1` counts the first item of each run, while the empty-input check preserves a result of `0`. Updating `best` after each iteration includes runs ending at the last index without needing a final flush; the original also updated during trailing runs, but undercounted them.
out 321 tok (+131 thinking) latency 13.5 s
Whether the fix is actually correct (runnable), explanation density, and token efficiency on a bounded task.
GPT-5.5 passed · 5/5 fields, guidance "withheld pending the Q4 close"
{"company":"Meridian Robotics","quarter":"September quarter","revenue_usd_m":412,"growth_pct":11,"guidance":"withheld pending the Q4 close"}
out 557 tok (+512 thinking) latency 6.7 s
GPT-6 Astra passed · 5/5 fields, guidance "Formal guidance is withheld pending the "
{ "company": "Meridian Robotics", "quarter": "September quarter", "revenue_usd_m": null, "growth_pct": "eleven and change", "guidance": "Formal guidance is withheld pending the Q4 close." }
out 329 tok (+267 thinking) latency 16.9 s
Schema obedience (no invented fields), hallucination pressure (guidance is explicitly withheld), and structured-output path differences.
GPT-5.5 passed · 120 words, 0 banned, 1 question
Today we’re introducing Prompt Cache Routing, a new API gateway feature that stores reusable prompt prefixes and applies them across leading model providers. Teams can reduce latency, lower token spend, and keep application logic portable without rewriting requests for each vendor. Have you ever paid twice to send the same system instructions? With shared cache keys, provider-aware metadata, and automatic fallback handling, the gateway detects eligible prompt segments, reuses cached context, and records savings in your existing observability dashboards. Policies let admins set retention windows, data boundaries, and provider allowlists by workspace or environment. Prompt Cache Routing is available now in beta for Pro and Enterprise customers, with SDK support, Terraform resources, and clear migration guides included at launch worldwide.
out 859 tok (+700 thinking) latency 8.7 s
GPT-6 Astra passed · 120 words, 0 banned, 1 question
Introducing Cross Provider Prompt Cache, a new API gateway feature that reuses eligible prompt content across supported AI providers. Why pay to process the same context every time? Configure caching once at the gateway, then route requests between models while keeping shared instructions, reference material, and conversation prefixes ready for reuse. Caching controls let teams set expiration windows, isolate tenants, and exclude sensitive content. Cache analytics show hit rates, estimated savings, and latency trends, helping developers tune performance with confidence. Existing routing policies continue to work, so adoption fits your current architecture. Start with a single application, measure the results, and expand as needed. Available today in the dashboard and API, with documentation and examples to guide your first deployment.
out 665 tok (+516 thinking) latency 19.3 s
Constraint obedience (word budget, banned-word list, the single question), style fingerprint, and length control.
Switch between them with one line
Both ids are in every tab below - the highlighted pair of lines is the only edit. Same endpoint, same key, same request shape.
from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI(
base_url="https://synthorai.io/v1",
api_key="sk-syn-...",
)
resp = client.chat.completions.create(
model="gpt-5.5",
# model="gpt-6-astra", # uncomment this line, comment the one above
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Summarize this diff"}],
reasoning_effort="medium",
)
print(resp.choices[0].message.content)import OpenAI from "openai";
const client = new OpenAI({
baseURL: "https://synthorai.io/v1",
apiKey: "sk-syn-...",
});
const resp = await client.chat.completions.create({
model: "gpt-5.5",
// model: "gpt-6-astra", // uncomment this line, comment the one above
messages: [{ role: "user", content: "Summarize this diff" }],
reasoning_effort: "medium",
});
console.log(resp.choices[0].message.content);curl https://synthorai.io/v1/chat/completions \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sk-syn-..." \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"model": "gpt-5.5",
# "model": "gpt-6-astra", # uncomment this line, comment the one above
"messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}],
"reasoning_effort": "medium"
}'package main
import (
"context"
"fmt"
"github.com/openai/openai-go/v3"
"github.com/openai/openai-go/v3/option"
)
func main() {
client := openai.NewClient(
option.WithBaseURL("https://synthorai.io/v1"),
option.WithAPIKey("sk-syn-..."),
)
resp, _ := client.Chat.Completions.New(context.TODO(), openai.ChatCompletionNewParams{
Model: "gpt-5.5",
// Model: "gpt-6-astra", // uncomment this line, comment the one above
Messages: []openai.ChatCompletionMessageParamUnion{
openai.UserMessage("Summarize this diff"),
},
ReasoningEffort: openai.ReasoningEffortMedium,
})
fmt.Println(resp.Choices[0].Message.Content)
}import com.openai.client.OpenAIClient;
import com.openai.client.okhttp.OpenAIOkHttpClient;
import com.openai.models.chat.completions.*;
import com.openai.models.ReasoningEffort;
OpenAIClient client = OpenAIOkHttpClient.builder()
.baseUrl("https://synthorai.io/v1")
.apiKey("sk-syn-...")
.build();
ChatCompletion resp = client.chat().completions().create(
ChatCompletionCreateParams.builder()
.model("gpt-5.5")
// .model("gpt-6-astra") // uncomment this line, comment the one above
.addUserMessage("Summarize this diff")
.reasoningEffort(ReasoningEffort.MEDIUM)
.build());
System.out.println(resp.choices().get(0).message().content().orElse(""));FAQ
Which is cheaper, GPT-5.5 or GPT-6 Astra?
GPT-5.5 is cheaper on input / 1m tokens ($5 vs $10, 2.0× apart). Other rows may point the other way - the table above carries the full card, and real cost depends on your mix.
Can I A/B test GPT-5.5 against GPT-6 Astra without two integrations?
Yes. Both are served through the same OpenAI-compatible endpoint with one API key - switching is a one-line model-string change, so you can route a fraction of traffic to each and compare bills directly.
Do GPT-5.5 and GPT-6 Astra support prompt caching?
Yes - both bill cached reads below their input rate, so warm-prefix workloads cost less than the list rates suggest. The exact cache-read rows are in the pricing table above.