GPT-6 Astra (Xhigh) vs Inkling 2 Small
Which is better for the money: GPT-6 Astra (Xhigh) by OpenAI or Inkling 2 Small by Thinking Machines? Intelligence, total benchmark cost, and end-to-end time from Artificial Analysis & other sources, snapshot 2026-11-06.
Trade-off
Verdict
Depends on your budget
GPT-6 Astra (Xhigh) scores 24.7 points higher (55.3 vs 30.6) but costs 4.7× as much to run the benchmark ($3746 vs $792; flagship vs premium cost classes). They are not alternatives at one budget: pick GPT-6 Astra (Xhigh) when you need intelligence above 30.6, and Inkling 2 Small when 30.6 is enough.
| Metric | GPT-6 Astra (Xhigh) | Inkling 2 Small | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence (higher is better) | 55.3 | 30.6 | −44.7% Inkling 2 Small is 44.7% less intelligent |
| Total AA cost (lower is better) | $3,746.22 | $791.81 | −78.9% Inkling 2 Small is 78.9% cheaper |
| End-to-end time (lower is better) | 271.73s | 20.92s | −92.3% Inkling 2 Small is 92.3% faster |
| Price per 1M tokens (in / out) | $10.0 / $50.0 | $0.30 / $1.00 | |
| Input modalities | Text, Image | Text, Image |
Inkling 2 Small vs GPT-6 Astra (Xhigh): 44.7% less intelligence, 78.9% less cost to run the AA benchmark, and 92.3% faster end-to-end.
Today's Pareto frontier
Against the frontier
- GPT-6 Astra (Xhigh) is on today's frontier: nothing is both smarter and cheaper.
- Inkling 2 Small is off the frontier: at the same or lower cost, GPT-6.1 Sol (Xhigh) scores 52.50 for $718.
GPT-6 Astra (Xhigh)Inkling 2 SmallToday's Pareto frontierEvery other model
Matchup
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