Model Comparison
GPT-4 Turbo vs GPT-4.1 miniWhich is better in 2026?
GPT-4.1 mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-4.1 mini is 21.4x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GPT-4 Turbo vs GPT-4.1 mini — which is better?
GPT-4 Turbo (by OpenAI) and GPT-4.1 mini (by OpenAI) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.
GPT-4 Turbo outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GPT-4.1 mini is better at 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MMLU). GPT-4.1 mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, GPT-4.1 mini is roughly 21.4x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-4.1 mini also accepts a larger context window (1,047,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GPT-4 Turbo if…
- you want predictable pricing at $10.00/M input and $30.00/M output
Choose GPT-4.1 mini if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 21.4x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,047,576 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Apr 2025
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT-4 Turbo outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GPT-4.1 mini is better at 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MMLU).
GPT-4.1 mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-4 Turbo ($10.00/1M tokens) is 25.0x more expensive than GPT-4.1 mini ($0.40/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-4 Turbo ($30.00/1M tokens) is 18.8x more expensive than GPT-4.1 mini ($1.60/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-4 Turbo is more expensive than GPT-4.1 mini.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-4.1 mini accepts 1,047,576 input tokens compared to GPT-4 Turbo's 128,000 tokens. GPT-4.1 mini can generate longer responses up to 32,768 tokens, while GPT-4 Turbo is limited to 4,096 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
GPT-4.1 mini supports multimodal inputs, whereas GPT-4 Turbo does not.
GPT-4.1 mini can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT-4 Turbo
GPT-4.1 mini
License
Usage and distribution terms
Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.
Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.
Proprietary
Closed source
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
GPT-4 Turbo was released on 2024-04-09, while GPT-4.1 mini was released on 2025-04-14.
GPT-4.1 mini is 12 months newer than GPT-4 Turbo.
Apr 9, 2024
2.2 years ago
Apr 14, 2025
1.2 years ago
1.0yr newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-4 Turbo has a knowledge cutoff of 2023-12-31, while GPT-4.1 mini has a cutoff of 2024-05-31.
GPT-4.1 mini has more recent training data (up to 2024-05-31), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to GPT-4 Turbo (2023-12-31).
Dec 2023
May 2024
5 mo newerProvider Availability
GPT-4 Turbo is available from Azure, OpenAI. GPT-4.1 mini is available from OpenAI.
GPT-4 Turbo
GPT-4.1 mini
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-4 Turbo
View detailsOpenAI
No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.
GPT-4.1 mini
View detailsOpenAI
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-4 Turbo vs GPT-4.1 mini.