GPT-5.6 Terra Max vs GPT-6 Astra Max compared

GPT-6 Astra Max leads the intelligence index 56.9 to 32.3. GPT-5.6 Terra Max costs 78% less on blended price. See token costs, speed and which to pick.

Metric	GPT-5.6 Terra (Max)	GPT-6 Astra (Max)
Intelligence Index	32.3	56.9
Input price (per 1M tokens)	$2.00	$10.00
Output price (per 1M tokens)	$12.00	$50.00
Output speed (tokens/s)	116	46
Time to first token	3.4 min	6.8 min
Release date	2026-07-09	2026-09-03

Metric

GPT-5.6 Terra (Max)

GPT-6 Astra (Max)

Intelligence Index

32.3

56.9

Input price (per 1M tokens)

$2.00

$10.00

Output price (per 1M tokens)

$12.00

$50.00

Output speed (tokens/s)

116

Time to first token

3.4 min

6.8 min

Release date

2026-07-09

2026-09-03

GPT-5.6 Terra (Max) and GPT-6 Astra (Max) both come from OpenAI, so this is a choice inside one lineup rather than between vendors. Their widest difference is the intelligence index, with GPT-6 Astra Max ahead by 24.6 points (56.9 versus 32.3). This page is written automatically from catalogue numbers only: benchmark scores, list prices and measured speed.

GPT-6 Astra Max leads on the intelligence index

The catalogue puts GPT-5.6 Terra Max at 32.3 and GPT-6 Astra Max at 56.9 on its intelligence index. A gap this large suggests the two are built for different jobs.

Among 109 active scored models, GPT-5.6 Terra Max sits 46th and GPT-6 Astra Max 5th.

Neither model has a separate coding or math index recorded yet, so those narrower comparisons will have to wait for more data.

GPT-5.6 Terra Max is the faster writer

GPT-5.6 Terra Max generates about 116 tokens per second and GPT-6 Astra Max about 46 tokens per second. That makes GPT-5.6 Terra Max roughly 2.5 times as fast at writing. Time to first token is 3.4 minutes for GPT-5.6 Terra Max and 6.8 minutes for GPT-6 Astra Max. GPT-6 Astra Max waits twice as long before its first token. A first-token wait of that length suits background work better than live conversation.

For a 1,500-token response, first token plus generation comes to roughly 3.6 minutes on GPT-5.6 Terra Max and 7.3 minutes on GPT-6 Astra Max.

What they cost

Per million tokens, GPT-5.6 Terra Max charges $2.00 for input and $12.00 for output, while GPT-6 Astra Max charges $10.00 and $50.00. For output tokens, GPT-6 Astra Max is 4.2 times the price of GPT-5.6 Terra Max.

Take 1 million input tokens and 200,000 output tokens: that comes to $4.40 on GPT-5.6 Terra Max and $20.00 on GPT-6 Astra Max. A bigger example, a chat app with 50,000 sessions of 800 input and 300 output tokens, costs $260 on GPT-5.6 Terra Max and $1,150 on GPT-6 Astra Max: a gap of $890. On a 3:1 blend of input to output tokens, that works out to $4.50 versus $20.00 per million.

Release timing

GPT-5.6 Terra Max came first, on July 9, 2026; GPT-6 Astra Max followed on September 3, 2026.

Is the price in proportion?

Dividing the blended price by the intelligence index gives a rough cost per point: $0.14 for GPT-5.6 Terra Max and $0.35 for GPT-6 Astra Max, per million tokens. So GPT-6 Astra Max buys its higher score at a premium, while GPT-5.6 Terra Max is the value pick, paying 60% less per point.

Quick answers

Is GPT-5.6 Terra Max better than GPT-6 Astra Max?

Not across the board: GPT-6 Astra Max scores higher on the intelligence index, 56.9 to 32.3; GPT-5.6 Terra Max is 78% cheaper on blended price; and GPT-5.6 Terra Max streams output 2.5 times as fast.

Which is newer, GPT-5.6 Terra Max or GPT-6 Astra Max?

GPT-6 Astra Max is newer. It was released on September 3, 2026, about 2 months after GPT-5.6 Terra Max (July 9, 2026).

Which model has lower latency?

GPT-5.6 Terra Max generates output faster, at 116 tokens per second against 46 tokens per second. GPT-5.6 Terra Max reaches its first token sooner (3.4 minutes against 6.8 minutes).

Which is cheaper, GPT-5.6 Terra Max or GPT-6 Astra Max?

GPT-5.6 Terra Max is cheaper on a blended basis. GPT-5.6 Terra Max lists $2.00 per million input tokens and $12.00 per million output tokens; GPT-6 Astra Max lists $10.00 and $50.00. For 1 million input and 200,000 output tokens that is $4.40 against $20.00.

Was this comparison tested by hand?

The figures are the recorded benchmark, price and speed data in Franklin AI's model catalogue. This page is written from that data automatically; neither model was tested by hand for it.

Final whistle

In one line: on balance the numbers favour GPT-6 Astra Max, though GPT-5.6 Terra Max keeps a case of its own. Pick GPT-5.6 Terra Max if cost matters ($12.00 against $50.00 per million output tokens) and long outputs need to finish quickly. Pick GPT-6 Astra Max if you need the higher overall score (56.9 against 32.3) and you want the more recent release.

Where the numbers come from

The scores, speed and prices in this comparison come from independent third-party model evaluations that Franklin AI syncs each day, and the article was written from a snapshot of them. For the latest results, open the GPT-5.6 Terra (Max) and GPT-6 Astra (Max) pages. The AI Benchmark methodology explains how that data is collected and shown.