OpenAI: gpt-oss-20b (free)
Analysis Summary
OpenAI gpt-oss-20b free is a compact text-to-text model with a 131K context window, tool use, and function calling. Its measured profile includes strong mathematical performance and a useful live coding result, while the general intelligence and coding indices are lower than those of premium models.
That combination makes it a candidate for high-volume SEO transformations, data extraction, lightweight coding assistance, and tool-routed automation where cost is the primary constraint. It should not be the default for complex reasoning or autonomous engineering because its broader capability is limited. Use it for routine traffic, with escalation to a stronger model when tasks become ambiguous or client-facing.
Assessed August 9, 2026
Editorial notes
The free gpt-oss-20b pairs strong mathematical and live coding results with tool use, function calling, and a 131K context. General reasoning and coding remain limited, but its zero-cost deployment supports high-volume experimentation.
Rankings consider pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, and real-world applicability and are refreshed as new models launch. Feedback?
DFO Verdict
The free gpt-oss-20b pairs strong mathematical and live coding results with tool use, function calling, and a 131K context. General reasoning and coding remain limited, but its zero-cost deployment supports high-volume experimentation.
Benchmark scores
Magenta = intelligence · Ink = technical/agentic · Cyan = content & long-context · Grey = community benchmarks. Data: Artificial Analysis, Hugging Face.
15.2 Intelligence Index·20.7 Coding Index·3.1 Agentic Index·89.3 Math Index
How OpenAI: gpt-oss-20b (free) compares
OpenAI: gpt-oss-20b (free) ranks #215 of 433 AI models we track for overall intelligence, #144 of 206 for coding, #143 of 188 for agentic tasks. Its 131K-token context window is larger than 49% of the models we list. OpenAI: gpt-oss-20b (free) is currently free to use via OpenRouter.
Dark bar = input · light bar = output, scaled to the priciest peer.
1M tokens ≈ 8 full-length novels or ~2,500 pages of business documents in a single request.
Strongest on business fit. The pulled-in value corner is the trade-off, and if the shape matters more than the price, this is your model.
Compare shapes side-by-side →About OpenAI: gpt-oss-20b (free)
gpt-oss-20b is an open-weight 21B parameter model released by OpenAI under the Apache 2.0 license. It uses a Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) architecture with 3.6B active parameters per forward pass, optimized for..
Frequently asked questions about OpenAI: gpt-oss-20b (free)
How much does OpenAI: gpt-oss-20b (free) cost?
OpenAI: gpt-oss-20b (free) is currently available for free via OpenRouter.
What is the context window of OpenAI: gpt-oss-20b (free)?
OpenAI: gpt-oss-20b (free) has a context window of 131,072 tokens (131K).
Is OpenAI: gpt-oss-20b (free) good for coding?
On our coding benchmark index, OpenAI: gpt-oss-20b (free) ranks #144 of 206 models, placing it in the broader range of the field for code generation and debugging.
What can OpenAI: gpt-oss-20b (free) do?
OpenAI: gpt-oss-20b (free) supports tool use and function calling.
Who created OpenAI: gpt-oss-20b (free)?
OpenAI: gpt-oss-20b (free) is developed by OpenAI and was released on August 5, 2025.