GPT-5.6 Luna (Non-reasoning) vs Solar Mini 4
Which is better for the money: GPT-5.6 Luna (Non-reasoning) by OpenAI or Solar Mini 4 by Upstage? Intelligence, total benchmark cost, and end-to-end time from Artificial Analysis & other sources, snapshot 2026-10-26.
Trade-off
Verdict
Depends on your budget
Solar Mini 4 scores 8.6 points higher (24.1 vs 15.5) but costs 22× as much to run the benchmark ($502 vs $23.0; premium vs budget cost classes). They are not alternatives at one budget: pick Solar Mini 4 when you need intelligence above 15.5, and GPT-5.6 Luna (Non-reasoning) when 15.5 is enough.
| Metric | GPT-5.6 Luna (Non-reasoning) | Solar Mini 4 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence (higher is better) | 15.5 | 24.1 | +55.5% Solar Mini 4 is 55.5% more intelligent |
| Total AA cost (lower is better) | $22.97 | $502.02 | +2085.5% Solar Mini 4 is 22× more expensive |
| End-to-end time (lower is better) | 4.98s | 22.38s | +349.4% Solar Mini 4 is 349.4% slower |
| Price per 1M tokens (in / out) | $0.20 / $1.20 | $0.10 / $0.40 | |
| Input modalities | Text, Image | Text |
Solar Mini 4 vs GPT-5.6 Luna (Non-reasoning): 55.5% more intelligence, 2085.5% more cost to run the AA benchmark, and 349.4% slower end-to-end.
Today's Pareto frontier
Against the frontier
- GPT-5.6 Luna (Non-reasoning) is off the frontier: at the same or lower cost, GPT-6 Luna (Low) scores 21.50 for $10.6.
- Solar Mini 4 is off the frontier: at the same or lower cost, GPT-6.1 Sol (Medium) scores 47.80 for $361.
GPT-5.6 Luna (Non-reasoning)Solar Mini 4Today's Pareto frontierEvery other model
Matchup
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