GPT-4 Turbo Preview vs Llama Guard 4 12B
GPT-4 Turbo Preview (2023) and Llama Guard 4 12B (2025) are compact production models from OpenAI and AI at Meta. GPT-4 Turbo Preview ships a 128k-token context window, while Llama Guard 4 12B ships a 164k-token context window. On pricing, Llama Guard 4 12B costs $0.18/1M input tokens versus $10/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
Llama Guard 4 12B is ~5456% cheaper at $0.18/1M; pay for GPT-4 Turbo Preview only for coding workflow support.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | GPT-4 Turbo Preview | Llama Guard 4 12B |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | multimodal apps and provider-routed production | provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | RAG, Long context, and Classification |
| Context window | 128k | 164k |
| Cheapest output | $30/1M tokens | $0.18/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 3 tracked | 3 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- GPT-4 Turbo Preview uniquely exposes Vision and Code execution in local model data.
- Local decision data tags GPT-4 Turbo Preview for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- Llama Guard 4 12B has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Llama Guard 4 12B has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.18/1M tokens.
- Local decision data tags Llama Guard 4 12B for RAG, Long context, and Classification.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
GPT-4 Turbo Preview
$15,500
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenAI API
Llama Guard 4 12B
$189
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $15,311. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Llama Guard 4 12B is $29.82/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision and Code execution before moving production traffic.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- GPT-4 Turbo Preview is $29.82/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- GPT-4 Turbo Preview adds Vision and Code execution in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023-11-06 | 2025-04-05 |
| Context window | 128k | 164k |
| Parameters | 1.76T (8x222B MoE)* | 12B |
| Architecture | mixture of experts | decoder only |
| License | Proprietary | Llama 2 Community |
| Openness | Proprietary | Open weights |
| Commercial use | Commercial use with conditions | Commercial use with conditions |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2023-12 | 2024-08 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | GPT-4 Turbo Preview | Llama Guard 4 12B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $10/1M tokens | $0.18/1M tokens |
| Output price | $30/1M tokens | $0.18/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | GPT-4 Turbo Preview | Llama Guard 4 12B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | No | No |
| Tool use | No | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | Yes | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on vision: GPT-4 Turbo Preview and code execution: GPT-4 Turbo Preview. Both models share structured outputs, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
For cost, GPT-4 Turbo Preview lists $10/1M input and $30/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Llama Guard 4 12B lists $0.18/1M input and $0.18/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Llama Guard 4 12B lower by about $15.82 per million blended tokens. Availability is 3 providers versus 3, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose GPT-4 Turbo Preview when coding workflow support are central to the workload. Choose Llama Guard 4 12B when long-context analysis, larger context windows, and lower input-token cost are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship. This keeps the decision grounded in measurable tradeoffs instead of brand-level assumptions. It also helps separate model capability from provider packaging, which can change cost and latency.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, GPT-4 Turbo Preview or Llama Guard 4 12B?
Llama Guard 4 12B supports 164k tokens, while GPT-4 Turbo Preview supports 128k tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Which is cheaper, GPT-4 Turbo Preview or Llama Guard 4 12B?
Llama Guard 4 12B is cheaper on tracked token pricing. GPT-4 Turbo Preview costs $10/1M input and $30/1M output tokens. Llama Guard 4 12B costs $0.18/1M input and $0.18/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is GPT-4 Turbo Preview or Llama Guard 4 12B open source?
GPT-4 Turbo Preview is listed under Proprietary. Llama Guard 4 12B is listed under Llama 2 Community. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Which is better for vision, GPT-4 Turbo Preview or Llama Guard 4 12B?
GPT-4 Turbo Preview has the clearer documented vision signal in this comparison. If vision is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for structured outputs, GPT-4 Turbo Preview or Llama Guard 4 12B?
Both GPT-4 Turbo Preview and Llama Guard 4 12B expose structured outputs. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Where can I run GPT-4 Turbo Preview and Llama Guard 4 12B?
GPT-4 Turbo Preview is available on OpenAI API, Azure OpenAI, and OpenRouter. Llama Guard 4 12B is available on NVIDIA NIM, Replicate API, and OpenRouter. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-22. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.