OpenAI: GPT-5 Image vs OpenAI: GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst
A side-by-side comparison of OpenAI: GPT-5 Image ($35.00 / 1M tokens) and OpenAI: GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst ($28.00 / 1M tokens) using current USD prices and capabilities from the api14 catalog. Both run through the same OpenAI-compatible API.
Specifications
| OpenAI: GPT-5 Image | OpenAI: GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | OpenAI |
| Input | $35.00 / 1M tokens | $28.00 / 1M tokens |
| Output | $35.00 / 1M tokens | $28.00 / 1M tokens |
| Cache read | $4.38 / 1M tokens | $7.00 / 1M tokens |
| Image output | $140.00 / 1M tokens | $105.00 / 1M tokens |
| Web search | $35.00 / 1K searches | $35.00 / 1K searches |
| Context window | 400,000 | 400,000 |
| Max output | 128,000 | 360,000 |
| Input | image, text, file | text, image |
| Output | image, text | image |
| Tool calling | ||
| Structured output | ||
| Reasoning control | ||
| Added | Oct 14, 2025 | Sep 9, 2026 |
Key differences
- OpenAI: GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst is 20% cheaper on input tokens.
- OpenAI: GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst is 20% cheaper on output tokens.
- Only OpenAI: GPT-5 Image supports reasoning effort control.
In depth
OpenAI: GPT-5 Image and OpenAI: GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst are both image models from OpenAI, served through api14 under the model ids openai/gpt-5-image and openai/gpt-image-2.5-sunburst. GPT-5 Image was released by the provider on 2025-10-14, while GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst carries a provider release date of 2026-09-09, so the Sunburst model is the newer of the two. Both sit in the image category, and both are reached through the same OpenAI-compatible surface on api14.
The two models share a 400000 token context length, so there is no meaningful difference in how much they can hold at once. Where they diverge is in modalities and parameters. GPT-5 Image accepts image, text and file inputs and can return either image or text, while GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst accepts text and image inputs and returns image only. GPT-5 Image also exposes reasoning, which the Sunburst model does not, along with a wider parameter set that includes include_reasoning, logprobs, reasoning, temperature, top_p, top_logprobs and verbosity. GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst supports a narrower set: max_tokens, response_format, seed and structured_outputs. On price, the Sunburst model is the cheaper of the two for both input and output.
For a developer choosing between them, the deciding factor is usually what the call needs to return and how much control it needs. If the task is pure image generation and you want the lower cost, GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst is the straightforward pick, and its structured_outputs and seed support are enough for reproducible, schema-shaped image requests. If the task needs the model to reason about the input, to accept a file alongside text and images, or to produce text as well as an image in the same response, GPT-5 Image is the one that fits, since those capabilities are not available on the Sunburst model. Work that mixes analysis with generation, or that depends on sampling controls like temperature and top_p, points to GPT-5 Image despite the higher price.
Calling either model through api14 works the same way, because the gateway speaks the OpenAI-compatible API. You point your client at the api14 base URL, send your request to the chat completions endpoint, and set the model field to openai/gpt-5-image or openai/gpt-image-2.5-sunburst. Everything else in the request body stays as it is, so switching between the two is a one-line change to the model id. The only thing to watch is that parameters are not identical across the two: a request that sends reasoning or temperature will be valid for GPT-5 Image but not for GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst, which accepts only max_tokens, response_format, seed and structured_outputs.
There are still cases where the newer, cheaper model is not the right call. If you need text output from an image model, or you need to pass a file as input, GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst cannot do it, because its output modality is image only and its inputs are limited to text and image. In those situations GPT-5 Image remains the better pick even though it costs more, and the reasoning parameter gives you a way to have the model work through a problem before producing its result.
Switch with one string
Both models use the same endpoint and request shape. Change the model value from "openai/gpt-5-image" to "openai/gpt-image-2.5-sunburst" and prompts, streaming and tools keep working.
import OpenAI from "openai";
const client = new OpenAI({
baseURL: "https://api14.com/api/v1",
apiKey: process.env.API14_API_KEY,
});
const result = await client.images.generate({
"model": "openai/gpt-image-2.5-sunburst",
"prompt": "A minimalist product photo of a ceramic mug on a wooden table",
"n": 1,
"aspect_ratio": "1:1"
});
import { writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
await writeFile("image.png", Buffer.from(result.data[0].b64_json, "base64"));
More comparisons
- OpenAI: GPT Image 2.6 Flare vs OpenAI: GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst
- OpenAI: GPT Image 2.6 Flare vs Auto Router
- OpenAI: GPT Image 2.6 Flare vs Auto Code
- OpenAI: GPT Image 2.6 Flare vs Sourceful: Riverflow V2.6 Pro
- OpenAI: GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst vs Auto Router
- OpenAI: GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst vs Auto Code
- OpenAI: GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst vs Sourceful: Riverflow V2.6 Pro
- Auto Router vs Auto Code