In the ever-evolving world of AI chatbots, Meta has just dropped a major update — the release of Llama 4 Maverick and Llama 4 Scout. These new models are Meta’s bold attempt to challenge OpenAI GPT-4o and the incredibly popular ChatGPT with native image generation. But how do they actually compare?
Let’s break it down across benchmarks, image generation, reasoning ability, features, and availability.
Benchmarks: Meta Llama 4 Maverick vs GPT-4o
According to Meta, Llama 4 Maverick outperforms GPT-4o in several key areas like:
- 🧮 Coding
- 🧠 Reasoning
- 🌍 Multilingual capabilities
- 🧾 Long context understanding
- 🖼️ Image processing
On the LMarena leaderboard, Llama 4 Maverick is currently ahead of GPT-4o and GPT-4.5 Preview, sitting just below Gemini 2.5 Pro (Experimental). While these benchmarks offer some insight, they can shift frequently with new updates and model tweaks.
Image Generation: ChatGPT Still Leads
Meta has made big claims about Llama 4 being multimodal, capable of both understanding and generating images. But there’s a catch — this feature is only available in the U.S. and in English, at least for now.
Meanwhile, ChatGPT native image generator (powered by DALL·E) continues to impress. Users can:
- Generate photorealistic and stylized images
- Edit existing photos with simple prompts
- Tap into studio-quality visuals inspired by trends like Studio Ghibli art
Verdict: ChatGPT wins the image game — hands down.
Reasoning Power: ChatGPT Still Ahead (For Now)
One major limitation of Meta new release is the absence of a dedicated reasoning model. While Meta might unveil Llama 4 Reasoning at the LlamaCon 2025 conference on April 29, it’s not available yet.
OpenAI already has dedicated reasoning models like o1 and o3-mini, which are designed to simulate human-like thought processes — especially useful for math, science, and deep problem-solving.
💡 Plus, ChatGPT now features a Deep Research mode, which scours the web for research-level insights, giving it a serious edge for in-depth tasks.
Features & Integration: Meta Is Catching Up
Here how the two platforms stack up on usability and features:
| Feature | Meta Llama 4 | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Image Generation | Limited (US only) | Native, Global |
| Reasoning Model | Not yet | Available (o1, o3) |
| Web Research | Not available | Deep Research mode |
| Integration | WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger | Web, iOS, Android apps |
| Availability | Free (no cap) | Free with daily caps |
| UI Simplicity | Built into apps | Standalone platform |
Meta advantage lies in its native integration with apps billions already use — like Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. It’s more accessible to the everyday user, whereas OpenAI still requires a sign-up and app download.
Pricing and Limitations
Meta Llama 4 Maverick seems to have no major usage restrictions, even for free users, especially in text-based interactions.
ChatGPT free tier includes access to GPT-3.5 and limited GPT-4o queries per day. Free users also face:
- Image generation limit: 3 images/day
- Switching to older model (GPT-3.5) after cap
Paid plans like ChatGPT Plus offer extended access to GPT-4o and additional features for $20/month.
Final Verdict: Meta Llama 4 vs ChatGPT — Who Wins?
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Benchmarks | Meta Llama 4 Maverick |
| Image Generation | ChatGPT |
| Reasoning & Research | ChatGPT |
| App Integration | Meta |
| Free Usability | Meta |
While Meta Llama 4 Maverick shows great promise — especially in coding, reasoning, and free accessibility — ChatGPT still takes the lead in image generation, reasoning capabilities, and overall polish.
Still, with Llama 4 Behemoth and Llama 4 Reasoning on the horizon, Meta could soon shake up the chatbot space.
