ChatGPT 3.5 vs ChatGPT 4: A Detailed Comparison

In this article, we will compare the features and capabilities of ChatGPT 3.5 vs 4 through a detailed comparison, highlighting their leap in AI’s deep learning and language processing prowess.

Key Takeaways 

ChatGPT 3.5 vs ChatGPT 4: Key difference

ChatGPT 3.5 and ChatGPT 4 are like upgraded versions of the same thing, but they have some key differences. ChatGPT 3.5 is really good at generating text and keeping conversations going in a small space. It’s great for simple tasks involving text. However, it struggles a bit with harder questions and complex problems.

ChatGPT 4, on the other hand, is a big step up. It’s got more power and can understand more complex conversations because it can look at more information at once. It’s like it has a bigger brain. It’s especially good at handling tricky tasks and can even understand and work with images, not just text. 

ChatGPT 3.5 vs ChatGPT 4: Pros and Cons

ChatGPT 3.5:

Pros:

• Free: It doesn’t cost anything to use, making it accessible for everyone.
• Good for Learning and Casual Use: Ideal for students, hobbyists, and casual users who don’t need advanced features.
• Wide Range of Applications: Can handle a variety of tasks like chatting, content creation, and coding.

Cons:

• Less Advanced: Not as sophisticated in understanding and generating complex text compared to ChatGPT 4.
• Limited by Training Data: Since it was trained on data only up to a certain point, it may not be as up-to-date on recent events or advancements.
• Not for Heavy-Duty Tasks: May not be the best choice for professional or industrial-scale projects.

ChatGPT 4:

Pros:

• More Sophisticated: It can comprehend and produce text that’s closer to human-level complexity.
• Multimodal Abilities: Can process and generate content based on both text and images.
• Larger Knowledge Base: Trained on more recent data, making it more informed on current events and information.

Cons:

• Subscription Cost: There is a fee for using ChatGPT 4, which may be a barrier for some users.
• Selective Accessibility: Not as readily available to everyone due to the subscription model.
• Potential Overkill for Simple Tasks: The advanced capabilities may not be necessary for simple, everyday AI needs.

ChatGPT 3.5 vs ChatGPT 4: In-depth Comparison

ChatGPT 3.5 and ChatGPT 4 have distinct differences in various aspects. Let’s look at each specific aspect one by one:

Pricing

ChatGPT 3.5:

• Free Version: Available without cost for the general ChatGPT application.
• Turbo API Pricing: a cost-effective plan that offers access to the advanced GPT-4 Turbo features, distinguishing itself from other packages by requiring only a minimum credit of $5 to start and providing more powerful AI capabilities at lower costs.
  • gpt-3.5-turbo-0125 costs $0.0005 per 1,000 input tokens and $0.0015 per 1,000 output tokens.
  • gpt-3.5-turbo-instruct costs $0.0015 per 1,000 input tokens and $0.0020 per 1,000 output tokens.

Read more: How to Make the Most of ChatGPT-3.5

ChatGPT 4:

• ChatGPT Plus Subscription: $20 per month, providing general access to GPT-4 through the ChatGPT Plus service.
• API Pricing:
  • gpt-4 standard model is priced at $0.03 per 1,000 input tokens and $0.06 per 1,000 output tokens.
  • gpt-4-32k, which offers a larger context window, costs $0.06 per 1,000 input tokens and $0.12 per 1,000 output tokens.

ChatGPT 4 Turbo:

• GPT-4 Turbo API Pricing: This seems to be a more cost-effective option compared to the standard GPT-4 API pricing and is available for users with GPT-4 access.
  • gpt-4-0125-preview is offered at $0.01 per 1,000 input tokens and $0.03 per 1,000 output tokens.
  • gpt-4-1106-preview has the same cost structure as the gpt-4-0125-preview.
  • gpt-4-1106-vision-preview also matches the pricing of the other Turbo models.

Commercial Products:

• ChatGPT Team: Priced at $25 per month per user.
• ChatGPT Enterprise: Pricing requires contact with OpenAI’s sales team for a quote.

Training Data and Knowledge Base

ChatGPT 3.5, updated until January 2022, offers reliable historical insights but lacks knowledge of recent developments, whereas ChatGPT 4, potentially trained up to December 2023, provides more current information and deeper context across various fields.

ChatGPT 3.5

It was last updated with new data in January 2022. This means it won’t be aware of events, advancements, or research that occurred after that point. Users seeking insights on developments from the past year wouldn’t find accurate answers.

The knowledge it has is extensive up to that date, so it might be reliable for historical information or well-established knowledge.

ChatGPT 4

Trained on data possibly up to December 2023, it can offer insights on very recent events and trends. This makes it invaluable for users needing current information, such as those in fields like finance, technology, and research where recent developments are crucial.

The extended knowledge base means it can also provide more depth and context in its responses, potentially making connections between newer and older pieces of information.

Capabilities and Features

ChatGPT 3.5 is designed for text-based tasks such as writing and content generation, while ChatGPT 4 is multimodal, capable of understanding and generating responses based on both text and images, suitable for a wider array of tasks including visual content creation.

• ChatGPT 3.5: Primarily text-based, good for conversations, content creation, and simpler tasks.
• ChatGPT 4: Multimodal, meaning it can understand and respond to both text and images, suitable for a broader range of tasks including content creation based on visual inputs.

For example:

ChatGPT 3.5 is adept at handling a wide variety of text-based tasks. For instance, it can generate blog posts, write poems, or even produce simple pieces of code. However, its abilities are confined to the text realm, which means it interprets and generates responses purely based on textual input.

• Prompt: “Write a poem about the sunset”.

• Expected Outcome: ChatGPT 3.5 would generate a text-based poem, focusing on descriptive language and emotional tones captured within the limits of its training data.

• Actual Outcome:

ChatGPT 4, on the other hand, introduces multimodal capabilities, significantly widening the scope of potential applications. Not only can it perform text-based tasks with enhanced proficiency, but it can also interpret images, making it possible to engage in tasks like creating detailed descriptions of pictures, generating stories based on visual prompts, or even solving visual puzzles.

• Prompt: “Describe what’s happening in this picture and write a short story based on it”.

• Expected Outcome: ChatGPT 4 would analyze the image, identify key elements, and weave these into a narrative, showcasing its ability to integrate visual information into its text generation process.

• Actual Outcome:

Model Size and Parameters

ChatGPT 4, with approximately one trillion parameters, offers a more nuanced language understanding and generation than ChatGPT 3.5, which has 175 billion parameters, especially in complex fields requiring precision.

• ChatGPT 3.5:

With 175 billion parameters, it has a broad ability to understand and generate language. It’s suitable for a range of conversations, content creation, and coding tasks, but may not grasp highly intricate topics as well as its successor.

• ChatGPT 4:

ChatGPT 4 with around one trillion parameters has vastly more ‘neural’ connections, allowing for more nuanced understanding and generation of language. This can be particularly noticeable in complex fields such as legal, medical, or technical writing, where precision and subtlety are paramount.

Complex Problem-Solving

ChatGPT 4 surpasses ChatGPT 3.5 in problem-solving, adeptly handling more complex, precise, and context-sensitive tasks across disciplines like law and academic research.

• ChatGPT 3.5: 

ChatGPT 3.5 can tackle problems within a certain complexity range. For example, it might help debug simple code or suggest solutions to common business scenarios but could falter with more sophisticated or unique problems.

• ChatGPT 4: 

Meanwhile, ChatGPT 4’s enhanced problem-solving skills mean it’s equipped to handle complex issues, such as generating a legal argument or creating content that synthesizes cross-disciplinary academic research. Its responses should be more precise, accurate, and contextual.

Performance in Tests and Assessments

ChatGPT 4 demonstrates superior performance in professional and academic test settings, making it a valuable tool for those preparing for high-stakes exams in fields like law or medicine.

• ChatGPT 3.5: 

ChatGPT 3.5, while capable, wasn’t designed to excel in tests that mimic professional or academic examinations. It could offer general assistance but wasn’t honed for high-stakes testing environments.

• ChatGPT 4: 

ChatGPT 4 has been tested and shown high performance in exams, even in challenging fields like law or medicine. This capability makes it a powerful tool for students and professionals preparing for exams or needing to understand complex material quickly.

Accuracy and Information Reliability

ChatGPT 4 offers enhanced accuracy and reliability in information, particularly in providing up-to-date factual content, compared to ChatGPT 3.5, which may lack the latest data beyond its last update in January 2022.

• ChatGPT 3.5: 

ChatGPT 3.5 generates responses with a good level of accuracy but might be limited to pre-January 2022 information. Meanwhile, ChatGPT 4 has improved accuracy and is better at providing factual information, with less likelihood of generating incorrect or misleading responses.

For example:

ChatGPT 3.5 provides answers with a commendable level of accuracy within the scope of its training data. However, given its cutoff in January 2022, it may not have the most current information or nuanced understanding of topics that have evolved significantly since then.

• Prompt: “What is the latest update on climate change efforts?”.

• Expected Outcome: It would offer general insights based on data up to September 2021, potentially missing more recent developments or changes in policy and public discourse.

• Actual Outcome:

• ChatGPT 4: 

ChatGPT 4 not only accesses a broader and more recent dataset but also benefits from improved training methodologies, including feedback loops that enhance its accuracy. This makes it a more reliable source for up-to-date information and complex analysis.

• Prompt: “Summarize the latest research findings on climate change from the past year”.

• Expected Outcome: Given its more current dataset and sophisticated understanding, ChatGPT 4 could provide a summary that includes recent research findings, discussions, and possibly even emerging viewpoints, reflecting developments up to December 2023.

• Actual Outcome:

Safety and Alignment

ChatGPT 3.5:

• Equipped with initial safety protocols to filter out explicit and harmful content, though some risks remain.
• Designed to align with user queries but may not fully grasp contemporary or complex ethical considerations.
• Responses are based on data up to early 2022, potentially missing context on recent societal changes.
• Suitable for a broad range of topics but with a cautious approach to sensitive subjects.

ChatGPT 4:

• Enhanced safety features significantly decrease the probability of producing unsafe or biased outputs.
• Improved understanding of nuances in prompts allows for better adherence to user intent.
• Updated with more recent data, providing a well-rounded perspective on newer societal developments.
• Optimal for generating content in sensitive public domains, with a more nuanced approach to ethical content generation.

Scalability and Versatility

ChatGPT 3.5:

• Handles inquiries and tasks consistently well on a small scale and for individual users.
• Supports a variety of use cases from casual conversation to content creation and basic coding.
• Functions effectively within the constraints of its parameter count, making it a versatile tool for personal or small business use.
• May not perform as efficiently under the pressure of high demand or with extremely complex subject matter.

ChatGPT 4:

• Engineered for extensive scalability, handling simultaneous requests and complex tasks without performance drop.
• Increased parameter size allows for a more profound understanding and generation of intricate content.
• Can support enterprise-level usage, making it ideal for sophisticated applications like data analysis and comprehensive customer service systems.
• Vastly improved versatility means it can adapt to various industries and specialized tasks, from technical support to creative writing involving in-depth research.

Context Window Size

ChatGPT 4 improves on handling long discussions and complex tasks by retaining more information, unlike ChatGPT 3.5, which has a smaller memory span.

• ChatGPT 3.5:

ChatGPT 3.5 with a smaller context window might require users to repeat or summarize previous parts of a conversation in longer interactions, as it can’t remember as much information.

• ChatGPT 4:

ChatGPT 4 has a larger context window. That means it’s much better for long-form conversations, detailed document analysis, and complex content generation that requires keeping track of many points over a longer interaction.

Read more: How To Reverse Prompt Engineering With ChatGPT

Who should use ChatGPT 3.5? And who should use ChatGPT 4?

Who Should Use ChatGPT 3.5?

• Individuals Exploring AI: Users new to AI who want to explore the capabilities of language models without a financial commitment.
• Students and Educators: For educational purposes, such as learning about AI, generating learning materials, or assistance with coding and writing.
• Hobbyists and Creatives: Those interested in writing, casual coding, creating content, and other creative endeavors that don’t require the latest model’s capabilities.
• Developers on a Budget: Developers or startups that need AI assistance while working with limited funds.
• Users with General Inquiries: Individuals using AI for general questions and tasks that do not require the latest information or cutting-edge features.

Who Should Use ChatGPT 4?

• Professionals and Enterprises: Businesses and professionals who require the most advanced AI tools for complex problem-solving, analytics, or customer service applications.
• Researchers: Those involved in research who need up-to-date information and the ability to synthesize complex material.
• Developers Needing Advanced AI: Programmers who want more sophisticated coding assistance, debugging, and performance optimization.
• Innovators in AI: Users looking to integrate AI with other advanced technologies, such as generating AI art or working with multimodal applications.
• Content Creators: Writers, marketers, or media creators needing more nuanced and contextually aware content generation.

ChatGPT 3.5 vs ChatGPT 4: Table Comparison

FAQs: ChatGPT 3.5 vs 4

ChatGPT 3.5 vs ChatGPT 4: Conclusion

In summary, the transition from ChatGPT 3.5 to ChatGPT 4 illustrates notable advancements in language model technology, reflecting substantial progress in the AI field. This detailed comparison underscores ChatGPT 4’s superior capabilities in handling complex tasks and providing more relevant and timely content, reinforcing its utility for both casual users and developers. Although ChatGPT 3.5 continues to offer valuable features for free, upgrading to ChatGPT 4—with its promise of faster, more accurate responses and support for multiple languages—presents new opportunities for enhanced interaction with AI.