Model Comparison

GPT-4o vs Pixtral-12BWhich is better in 2026?

GPT-4o significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Pixtral-12B is 29.2x cheaper per token.

Verdict: GPT-4o vs Pixtral-12B — which is better?

GPT-4o (by OpenAI) and Pixtral-12B (by Mistral AI) 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-4o outperforms in 4 benchmarks (HumanEval, MATH, MathVista, MMLU), while Pixtral-12B is better at 0 benchmarks. GPT-4o significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Pixtral-12B is roughly 29.2x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Choose GPT-4o if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 of 4 shared benchmarks

Choose Pixtral-12B if…

  • cost matters — it's about 29.2x cheaper per token
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Sep 2024
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

4 benchmarks

GPT-4o outperforms in 4 benchmarks (HumanEval, MATH, MathVista, MMLU), while Pixtral-12B is better at 0 benchmarks.

GPT-4o significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sat Jun 27 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Pixtral-12B costs less

For input processing, GPT-4o ($2.50/1M tokens) is 16.7x more expensive than Pixtral-12B ($0.15/1M tokens).

For output processing, GPT-4o ($10.00/1M tokens) is 66.7x more expensive than Pixtral-12B ($0.15/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GPT-4o is more expensive than Pixtral-12B.*

* 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-4o
Input tokens$2.50
Output tokens$10.00
Best providerAzure
Mistral AI
Pixtral-12B
Input tokens$0.15
Output tokens$0.15
Best providerMistral
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Both models have the same input context window of 128,000 tokens. Pixtral-12B can generate longer responses up to 8,192 tokens, while GPT-4o is limited to 4,096 tokens.

OpenAI
GPT-4o
Input128,000 tokens
Output4,096 tokens
Mistral AI
Pixtral-12B
Input128,000 tokens
Output8,192 tokens
Sat Jun 27 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both GPT-4o and Pixtral-12B support multimodal inputs.

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

GPT-4o

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Pixtral-12B

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

GPT-4o is licensed under a proprietary license, while Pixtral-12B uses Apache 2.0.

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

GPT-4o

Proprietary

Closed source

Pixtral-12B

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GPT-4o was released on 2024-05-13, while Pixtral-12B was released on 2024-09-17.

Pixtral-12B is 4 months newer than GPT-4o.

GPT-4o

May 13, 2024

2.1 years ago

Pixtral-12B

Sep 17, 2024

1.8 years ago

4mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.

Unable to compare the recency of their training data.

No cutoff dates available

Provider Availability

GPT-4o is available from Azure, OpenAI. Pixtral-12B is available from Mistral AI.

GPT-4o

azure logo
Azure
Input Price:Input: $2.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $10.00/1M
openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $2.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $10.00/1M

Pixtral-12B

mistral logo
Mistral
Input Price:Input: $0.15/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.15/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion

Key Takeaways

Higher HumanEval score (90.2% vs 72.0%)
Higher MATH score (76.6% vs 48.1%)
Higher MathVista score (63.8% vs 58.0%)
Higher MMLU score (88.7% vs 69.2%)
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
OpenAIGPT-4o
Mistral AIPixtral-12B

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against GPT-4o and Pixtral-12B side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

GPT-4o
✓ Preferred
Pixtral-12B
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
OpenAI
GPT-4o
Mistral AI
Pixtral-12B

FAQ

Common questions about GPT-4o vs Pixtral-12B.

Which is better, GPT-4o or Pixtral-12B?

GPT-4o significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-4o is made by OpenAI and Pixtral-12B is made by Mistral AI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does GPT-4o compare to Pixtral-12B in benchmarks?

GPT-4o scores MGSM: 90.5%, HumanEval: 90.2%, MMLU: 88.7%, DROP: 83.4%, MATH: 76.6%. Pixtral-12B scores DocVQA: 90.7%, ChartQA: 81.8%, VQAv2: 78.6%, MT-Bench: 76.8%, HumanEval: 72.0%.

Is GPT-4o cheaper than Pixtral-12B?

Pixtral-12B is 16.7x cheaper for input tokens. GPT-4o costs $2.50/M input and $10.00/M output via azure. Pixtral-12B costs $0.15/M input and $0.15/M output via mistral.

What are the context window sizes for GPT-4o and Pixtral-12B?

GPT-4o supports 128K tokens and Pixtral-12B 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-4o and Pixtral-12B?

Key differences include input pricing ($2.50 vs $0.15/M), licensing (Proprietary vs Apache 2.0). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes GPT-4o and Pixtral-12B?

GPT-4o is developed by OpenAI and Pixtral-12B is developed by Mistral AI.