# GPT-4o API Rate Limits, Pricing & Performance (July 2026)

- Tool: AI API Limits & Performance Matrix
- Last updated: July 2026

## TL;DR

GPT-4o was dropped from OpenAI's current-models pricing view as of July 2026 and is now a legacy model. It remains callable but new projects should use GPT-5.x. Azure references it at $2.50 input / $10.00 output per MTok; OpenAI direct pricing is no longer prominently listed. Tier 1 starts at roughly 500 RPM and 30K TPM; its 128K context window and October 2023 knowledge cutoff are the main limitations versus GPT-5.5.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is GPT-4o still available to use?

Yes, GPT-4o remains callable as a legacy model as of July 2026. However, it was dropped from OpenAI's current-models pricing view and is no longer recommended for new integrations. Use GPT-5.5 (gpt-5.5) for new projects.

### What are the GPT-4o API rate limits?

Based on early-2026 third-party trackers, Tier 1 is approximately 500 RPM and 30,000 TPM; Tier 5 reaches roughly 10,000 RPM and 30M TPM. These figures are from community trackers — verify your actual limits in the OpenAI dashboard, as legacy model allocations may differ.

### What is the GPT-4o API price per token?

Azure references GPT-4o at $2.50/MTok input and $10.00/MTok output. OpenAI's primary pricing page no longer prominently lists GPT-4o as of July 2026. Verify current pricing on OpenAI direct before billing.

### How do I fix GPT-4o 429 rate limit errors?

Honor the Retry-After header on every 429 response. Implement exponential backoff with jitter starting at 1 second. The most durable fix is migrating to GPT-5.5, which receives current-gen capacity allocation and may have better rate limits for your tier.

### GPT-4o vs GPT-5 pricing: is GPT-4o still cheaper?

GPT-4o's Azure reference pricing ($2.50/$10.00/MTok) is cheaper per token than GPT-5.5 ($5.00/$30.00/MTok). However, GPT-5.5 adds prompt caching at $0.50/MTok and 1M context, which can offset the per-token cost gap for cache-heavy workloads.

### Will GPT-4o be shut down?

No official shutdown date has been announced for the GPT-4o API endpoint as of July 10, 2026. It is listed as a legacy model. OpenAI may add a sunset date in the future — build a model-string abstraction so you can swap to GPT-5.x in one config change.

### How do I increase my GPT-4o rate limits?

Limits advance automatically at $50 (Tier 2), $100 (Tier 3), $250 (Tier 4), and $1,000 + 30 days (Tier 5). At Tier 5, submit a manual limit-increase request via Settings → Limits in your OpenAI dashboard (3–10 business-day response). The most effective increase is migrating to GPT-5.5, which receives higher current-gen capacity.

### Can RapidDev help migrate our GPT-4o integration to GPT-5?

Yes. RapidDev engineers handle GPT-4o to GPT-5.5 migrations including prompt caching setup, Batch API pipelines, and rate-limit optimization. Book a free scoping call at rapidevelopers.com/contact.

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Source: https://www.rapidevelopers.com/ai-api-limits-performance-matrix/gpt-4o
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