Model Comparison

GPT-4o vs Phi-3.5-mini-instructWhich is better in 2026?

GPT-4o significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Phi-3.5-mini-instruct is 43.8x cheaper per token.

Verdict: GPT-4o vs Phi-3.5-mini-instruct — which is better?

GPT-4o (by OpenAI) and Phi-3.5-mini-instruct (by Microsoft) 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 (GPQA, MMLU, MMLU-Pro, MMMLU), while Phi-3.5-mini-instruct is better at 0 benchmarks. GPT-4o significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Phi-3.5-mini-instruct is roughly 43.8x 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 Phi-3.5-mini-instruct if…

  • cost matters — it's about 43.8x cheaper per token
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2024
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

4 benchmarks

GPT-4o outperforms in 4 benchmarks (GPQA, MMLU, MMLU-Pro, MMMLU), while Phi-3.5-mini-instruct is better at 0 benchmarks.

GPT-4o significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sun Jun 14 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Phi-3.5-mini-instruct costs less

For input processing, GPT-4o ($2.50/1M tokens) is 25.0x more expensive than Phi-3.5-mini-instruct ($0.10/1M tokens).

For output processing, GPT-4o ($10.00/1M tokens) is 100.0x more expensive than Phi-3.5-mini-instruct ($0.10/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GPT-4o is more expensive than Phi-3.5-mini-instruct.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sun Jun 14 2026 • llm-stats.com
OpenAI
GPT-4o
Input tokens$2.50
Output tokens$10.00
Best providerAzure
Microsoft
Phi-3.5-mini-instruct
Input tokens$0.10
Output tokens$0.10
Best providerAzure
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. Phi-3.5-mini-instruct can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while GPT-4o is limited to 16,384 tokens.

OpenAI
GPT-4o
Input128,000 tokens
Output16,384 tokens
Microsoft
Phi-3.5-mini-instruct
Input128,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Sun Jun 14 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

GPT-4o supports multimodal inputs, whereas Phi-3.5-mini-instruct does not.

GPT-4o can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

GPT-4o

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Phi-3.5-mini-instruct

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

GPT-4o is licensed under a proprietary license, while Phi-3.5-mini-instruct uses MIT.

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

GPT-4o

Proprietary

Closed source

Phi-3.5-mini-instruct

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GPT-4o was released on 2024-08-06, while Phi-3.5-mini-instruct was released on 2024-08-23.

Phi-3.5-mini-instruct is 1 month newer than GPT-4o.

GPT-4o

Aug 6, 2024

1.9 years ago

Phi-3.5-mini-instruct

Aug 23, 2024

1.8 years ago

2w 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. Phi-3.5-mini-instruct is available from Azure.

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

Phi-3.5-mini-instruct

azure logo
Azure
Input Price:Input: $0.10/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.10/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

OpenAI
Supports multimodal inputs
Higher GPQA score (70.1% vs 30.4%)
Higher MMLU score (85.7% vs 69.0%)
Higher MMLU-Pro score (74.7% vs 47.4%)
Higher MMMLU score (81.4% vs 55.4%)
Microsoft
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
OpenAI
GPT-4o
Microsoft
Phi-3.5-mini-instruct

FAQ

Common questions about GPT-4o vs Phi-3.5-mini-instruct.

Which is better, GPT-4o or Phi-3.5-mini-instruct?

GPT-4o significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-4o is made by OpenAI and Phi-3.5-mini-instruct is made by Microsoft. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does GPT-4o compare to Phi-3.5-mini-instruct in benchmarks?

GPT-4o scores AI2D: 94.2%, DocVQA: 92.8%, ChartQA: 85.7%, MMLU: 85.7%, CharXiv-D: 85.3%. Phi-3.5-mini-instruct scores GSM8k: 86.2%, ARC-C: 84.6%, RULER: 84.1%, PIQA: 81.0%, OpenBookQA: 79.2%.

Is GPT-4o cheaper than Phi-3.5-mini-instruct?

Phi-3.5-mini-instruct is 25.0x cheaper for input tokens. GPT-4o costs $2.50/M input and $10.00/M output via azure. Phi-3.5-mini-instruct costs $0.10/M input and $0.10/M output via azure.

What are the context window sizes for GPT-4o and Phi-3.5-mini-instruct?

GPT-4o supports 128K tokens and Phi-3.5-mini-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-4o and Phi-3.5-mini-instruct?

Key differences include input pricing ($2.50 vs $0.10/M), multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (Proprietary vs MIT). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes GPT-4o and Phi-3.5-mini-instruct?

GPT-4o is developed by OpenAI and Phi-3.5-mini-instruct is developed by Microsoft.

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