GPT-5.5 Pro vs Llama 4 Maverick
OpenAI vs Meta — Llama 4 Maverick is 99% cheaper on both input and output, with the same 1M context window. Open-source alternative.
Pricing data verified: Jun 21, 2026
| Specification | GPT-5.5 Pro | Llama 4 Maverick |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price (per 1M tokens) | $30.00 | $0.27 |
| Output Price (per 1M tokens) | $180.00 | $0.85 |
| Context Window | 1.05M tokens | 1M tokens |
| Tier | Premium | Budget |
| Provider | OpenAI | Meta (Together.ai) |
| Input Savings | Baseline | 99.1% cheaper |
| Output Savings | Baseline | 99.5% cheaper |
| Cost at 1M input + 500K output | $120.00 | $0.70 |
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Which Model for Which Use Case?
Cost-Sensitive Workloads
Llama 4 Maverick is 99% cheaper across the board. At $0.27/M input vs $30.00/M, it delivers strong quality at less than 1% of the cost. For most production workloads, Llama is the clear winner.
Premium Reasoning Tasks
GPT-5.5 Pro's enhanced chain-of-thought reasoning excels at complex multi-step analytical tasks. If your use case demands the absolute highest quality reasoning and cost is secondary, GPT-5.5 Pro is the choice.
Enterprise Cost Optimization
At 1M requests/month, Llama 4 Maverick saves $1,432/year compared to GPT-5.5 Pro. For enterprise-scale deployments, the 99% cost difference translates to massive annual savings.
Self-Hosting Option
Llama 4 Maverick is fully open-source from Meta. You can self-host it on your own infrastructure via providers like Together.ai, Fireworks, or your own GPU cluster. Self-hosting eliminates per-token API costs entirely.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Llama 4 Maverick really that much cheaper than GPT-5.5 Pro?
Yes, dramatically so. Llama 4 Maverick costs $0.27/M input (99.1% cheaper than GPT-5.5 Pro's $30.00) and $0.85/M output (99.5% cheaper than GPT-5.5 Pro's $180.00). For output-heavy workloads, Llama 4 Maverick is roughly 212x cheaper.
What's the quality difference between GPT-5.5 Pro and Llama 4 Maverick?
GPT-5.5 Pro is OpenAI's most capable model with enhanced chain-of-thought reasoning, generally outperforming Llama 4 Maverick on complex multi-step tasks. Llama 4 Maverick offers strong quality for most production workloads — text classification, summarization, general chat, and code generation — at a fraction of the cost. As an open-source model, you can also self-host it to eliminate API costs entirely.
When should I choose GPT-5.5 Pro over Llama 4 Maverick?
Choose GPT-5.5 Pro when: (1) you need the absolute best reasoning capabilities, (2) cost is not a primary concern, (3) you need enhanced chain-of-thought for complex multi-step problems. Choose Llama 4 Maverick when: (1) you want 99% cost savings, (2) similar context windows (1M) meet your needs, (3) you need strong quality at a fraction of the price, or (4) you want the option to self-host.
How much would I save switching from GPT-5.5 Pro to Llama 4 Maverick?
For a typical workload of 1M input + 500K output tokens/month, GPT-5.5 Pro costs $120.00 vs Llama 4 Maverick's $0.70 — saving $119.30/month (99.4%). At scale (10M input + 5M output), you save $1,193.00/month — over $14,300/year.