Model Comparison

GPT-4.1 mini vs Llama 3.2 11B InstructWhich is better in 2026?

GPT-4.1 mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Llama 3.2 11B Instruct is 14.0x cheaper per token.

Verdict: GPT-4.1 mini vs Llama 3.2 11B Instruct — which is better?

GPT-4.1 mini (by OpenAI) and Llama 3.2 11B Instruct (by Meta) 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 4 benchmarks (GPQA, MathVista, MMLU, MMMU), while Llama 3.2 11B Instruct is better at 0 benchmarks. GPT-4.1 mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Llama 3.2 11B Instruct is roughly 14.0x 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-4.1 mini if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 of 4 shared benchmarks
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 1,047,576 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Apr 2025

Choose Llama 3.2 11B Instruct if…

  • cost matters — it's about 14.0x cheaper per token
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

4 benchmarks

GPT-4.1 mini outperforms in 4 benchmarks (GPQA, MathVista, MMLU, MMMU), while Llama 3.2 11B Instruct is better at 0 benchmarks.

GPT-4.1 mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sat Jun 27 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Llama 3.2 11B Instruct costs less

For input processing, GPT-4.1 mini ($0.40/1M tokens) is 8.0x more expensive than Llama 3.2 11B Instruct ($0.05/1M tokens).

For output processing, GPT-4.1 mini ($1.60/1M tokens) is 32.0x more expensive than Llama 3.2 11B Instruct ($0.05/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GPT-4.1 mini is more expensive than Llama 3.2 11B Instruct.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Sat Jun 27 2026 • llm-stats.com
OpenAI
GPT-4.1 mini
Input tokens$0.40
Output tokens$1.60
Best providerOpenAI
Meta
Llama 3.2 11B Instruct
Input tokens$0.05
Output tokens$0.05
Best providerDeepinfra
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

GPT-4.1 mini accepts 1,047,576 input tokens compared to Llama 3.2 11B Instruct's 128,000 tokens. Llama 3.2 11B Instruct can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while GPT-4.1 mini is limited to 32,768 tokens.

OpenAI
GPT-4.1 mini
Input1,047,576 tokens
Output32,768 tokens
Meta
Llama 3.2 11B Instruct
Input128,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Sat Jun 27 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both GPT-4.1 mini and Llama 3.2 11B Instruct support multimodal inputs.

They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.

GPT-4.1 mini

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Llama 3.2 11B Instruct

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

GPT-4.1 mini is licensed under a proprietary license, while Llama 3.2 11B Instruct uses Llama 3.2 Community License.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

GPT-4.1 mini

Proprietary

Closed source

Llama 3.2 11B Instruct

Llama 3.2 Community License

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GPT-4.1 mini was released on 2025-04-14, while Llama 3.2 11B Instruct was released on 2024-09-25.

GPT-4.1 mini is 7 months newer than Llama 3.2 11B Instruct.

GPT-4.1 mini

Apr 14, 2025

1.2 years ago

6mo newer
Llama 3.2 11B Instruct

Sep 25, 2024

1.8 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

GPT-4.1 mini has a knowledge cutoff of 2024-05-31, while Llama 3.2 11B Instruct has a cutoff of 2023-12-31.

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 Llama 3.2 11B Instruct (2023-12-31).

GPT-4.1 mini

May 2024

5 mo newer
Llama 3.2 11B Instruct

Dec 2023

Provider Availability

GPT-4.1 mini is available from OpenAI. Llama 3.2 11B Instruct is available from DeepInfra, Sambanova, Bedrock, Groq, Together, Fireworks.

GPT-4.1 mini

openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $0.40/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.60/1M

Llama 3.2 11B Instruct

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.05/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.05/1M
sambanova logo
Sambanova
Input Price:Input: $0.15/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.30/1M
bedrock logo
AWS Bedrock
Input Price:Input: $0.16/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.16/1M
groq logo
Groq
Input Price:Input: $0.18/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.18/1M
together logo
Together
Input Price:Input: $0.18/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.18/1M
fireworks logo
Fireworks
Input Price:Input: $0.20/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.20/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

OpenAI
Larger context window (1,047,576 tokens)
Higher GPQA score (65.0% vs 32.8%)
Higher MathVista score (73.1% vs 51.5%)
Higher MMLU score (87.5% vs 73.0%)
Higher MMMU score (72.7% vs 50.7%)
Meta
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
OpenAIGPT-4.1 mini
MetaLlama 3.2 11B Instruct
Compare in Playground

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against GPT-4.1 mini and Llama 3.2 11B Instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

GPT-4.1 mini
✓ Preferred
Llama 3.2 11B Instruct
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
OpenAI
GPT-4.1 mini
Meta
Llama 3.2 11B Instruct

FAQ

Common questions about GPT-4.1 mini vs Llama 3.2 11B Instruct.

Which is better, GPT-4.1 mini or Llama 3.2 11B Instruct?

GPT-4.1 mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-4.1 mini is made by OpenAI and Llama 3.2 11B Instruct is made by Meta. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does GPT-4.1 mini compare to Llama 3.2 11B Instruct in benchmarks?

GPT-4.1 mini scores CharXiv-D: 88.4%, MMLU: 87.5%, IFEval: 84.1%, MMMLU: 78.5%, MathVista: 73.1%. Llama 3.2 11B Instruct scores AI2D: 91.1%, DocVQA: 88.4%, ChartQA: 83.4%, VQAv2 (test): 75.2%, MMLU: 73.0%.

Is GPT-4.1 mini cheaper than Llama 3.2 11B Instruct?

Llama 3.2 11B Instruct is 8.0x cheaper for input tokens. GPT-4.1 mini costs $0.40/M input and $1.60/M output via openai. Llama 3.2 11B Instruct costs $0.05/M input and $0.05/M output via deepinfra.

What are the context window sizes for GPT-4.1 mini and Llama 3.2 11B Instruct?

GPT-4.1 mini supports 1.0M tokens and Llama 3.2 11B Instruct supports 128K 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 Llama 3.2 11B Instruct?

Key differences include context window (1.0M vs 128K), input pricing ($0.40 vs $0.05/M), licensing (Proprietary vs Llama 3.2 Community License). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes GPT-4.1 mini and Llama 3.2 11B Instruct?

GPT-4.1 mini is developed by OpenAI and Llama 3.2 11B Instruct is developed by Meta.

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