GPT-4 vs Llama Guard 4 12B
GPT-4 (2023) and Llama Guard 4 12B (2025) are compact production models from OpenAI and AI at Meta. GPT-4 ships a 8k-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 $30/1M 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 ~16567% cheaper at $0.18/1M; pay for GPT-4 only for coding workflow support.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | GPT-4 | Llama Guard 4 12B |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | multimodal apps, tool-calling agents, and provider-routed production | provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Coding, Agents, and Vision | RAG, Long context, and Classification |
| Context window | 8k | 164k |
| Cheapest output | $60/1M tokens | $0.18/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 4 tracked | 3 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- GPT-4 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- GPT-4 uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling in local model data.
- Local decision data tags GPT-4 for Coding, Agents, and Vision.
- 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
$39,000
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenAI API
Llama Guard 4 12B
$189
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $38,811. 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 $59.82/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling before moving production traffic.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- GPT-4 is $59.82/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- GPT-4 adds Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023-03-14 | 2025-04-05 |
| Context window | 8k | 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 | 2021-09 | 2024-08 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | GPT-4 | Llama Guard 4 12B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $30/1M tokens | $0.18/1M tokens |
| Output price | $60/1M tokens | $0.18/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | GPT-4 | Llama Guard 4 12B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Multimodal | Yes | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | Yes | 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, multimodal input: GPT-4, function calling: GPT-4, and code execution: GPT-4. 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 lists $30/1M input and $60/1M 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 $38.82 per million blended tokens. Availability is 4 providers versus 3, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose GPT-4 when coding workflow support and broader provider choice 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 or Llama Guard 4 12B?
Llama Guard 4 12B supports 164k tokens, while GPT-4 supports 8k 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 or Llama Guard 4 12B?
Llama Guard 4 12B is cheaper on tracked token pricing. GPT-4 costs $30/1M input and $60/1M 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 or Llama Guard 4 12B open source?
GPT-4 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 or Llama Guard 4 12B?
GPT-4 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. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is better for multimodal input, GPT-4 or Llama Guard 4 12B?
GPT-4 has the clearer documented multimodal input signal in this comparison. If multimodal input is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run GPT-4 and Llama Guard 4 12B?
GPT-4 is available on OpenAI API, Azure OpenAI, Salesforce Einstein Generative AI, 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.