Model Comparison

GPT-4.1 mini vs GPT-5 CodexWhich is better in 2026?

GPT-5 Codex significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Verdict: GPT-4.1 mini vs GPT-5 Codex — which is better?

GPT-4.1 mini (by OpenAI) and GPT-5 Codex (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-4.1 mini outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GPT-5 Codex is better at 1 benchmark (SWE-Bench Verified). GPT-5 Codex significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Choose GPT-4.1 mini if…

  • you want predictable pricing at $0.40/M input and $1.60/M output

Choose GPT-5 Codex if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Sep 2025
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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

1 benchmarks

GPT-4.1 mini outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GPT-5 Codex is better at 1 benchmark (SWE-Bench Verified).

GPT-5 Codex significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Thu Jun 25 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Only GPT-4.1 mini specifies input context (1,047,576 tokens). Only GPT-4.1 mini specifies output context (32,768 tokens).

OpenAI
GPT-4.1 mini
Input1,047,576 tokens
Output32,768 tokens
OpenAI
GPT-5 Codex
Input- tokens
Output- tokens
Thu Jun 25 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

GPT-4.1 mini supports multimodal inputs, whereas GPT-5 Codex does not.

GPT-4.1 mini can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

GPT-4.1 mini

Text
Images
Audio
Video

GPT-5 Codex

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.

Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.

GPT-4.1 mini

Proprietary

Closed source

GPT-5 Codex

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GPT-4.1 mini was released on 2025-04-14, while GPT-5 Codex was released on 2025-09-15.

GPT-5 Codex is 5 months newer than GPT-4.1 mini.

GPT-4.1 mini

Apr 14, 2025

1.2 years ago

GPT-5 Codex

Sep 15, 2025

9 months ago

5mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

GPT-4.1 mini has a knowledge cutoff of 2024-05-31, while GPT-5 Codex has a cutoff of 2024-09-30.

GPT-5 Codex has more recent training data (up to 2024-09-30), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to GPT-4.1 mini (2024-05-31).

GPT-4.1 mini

May 2024

GPT-5 Codex

Sep 2024

4 mo newer

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

OpenAI
Larger context window (1,047,576 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
OpenAI
Higher SWE-Bench Verified score (74.5% vs 23.6%)
OpenAIGPT-4.1 mini
OpenAIGPT-5 Codex
Compare in Playground

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
OpenAI
GPT-4.1 mini
OpenAI
GPT-5 Codex

FAQ

Common questions about GPT-4.1 mini vs GPT-5 Codex.

Which is better, GPT-4.1 mini or GPT-5 Codex?

GPT-5 Codex significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-4.1 mini is made by OpenAI and GPT-5 Codex is made by OpenAI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does GPT-4.1 mini compare to GPT-5 Codex in benchmarks?

GPT-4.1 mini scores CharXiv-D: 88.4%, MMLU: 87.5%, IFEval: 84.1%, MMMLU: 78.5%, MathVista: 73.1%. GPT-5 Codex scores SWE-Bench Verified: 74.5%.

What are the context window sizes for GPT-4.1 mini and GPT-5 Codex?

GPT-4.1 mini supports 1.0M tokens and GPT-5 Codex supports an unknown number of tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between GPT-4.1 mini and GPT-5 Codex?

Key differences include multimodal support (yes vs no). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

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