Model Comparison
GPT-4o mini vs GPT-3.5 TurboWhich is better in 2026?
GPT-4o mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-4o mini is 2.9x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GPT-4o mini vs GPT-3.5 Turbo — which is better?
GPT-4o mini (by OpenAI) and GPT-3.5 Turbo (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-4o mini outperforms in 8 benchmarks (DROP, GPQA, HumanEval, MATH, MathVista, MGSM, MMLU, MMMU), while GPT-3.5 Turbo is better at 0 benchmarks. GPT-4o mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, GPT-4o mini is roughly 2.9x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-4o mini also accepts a larger context window (128,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GPT-4o mini if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 8 of 8 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 2.9x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 128,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2024
Choose GPT-3.5 Turbo if…
- you want predictable pricing at $0.50/M input and $1.50/M output
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT-4o mini outperforms in 8 benchmarks (DROP, GPQA, HumanEval, MATH, MathVista, MGSM, MMLU, MMMU), while GPT-3.5 Turbo is better at 0 benchmarks.
GPT-4o mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-4o mini ($0.15/1M tokens) is 3.3x cheaper than GPT-3.5 Turbo ($0.50/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-4o mini ($0.60/1M tokens) is 2.5x cheaper than GPT-3.5 Turbo ($1.50/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-3.5 Turbo is more expensive than GPT-4o mini.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-4o mini accepts 128,000 input tokens compared to GPT-3.5 Turbo's 16,385 tokens. GPT-4o mini can generate longer responses up to 16,384 tokens, while GPT-3.5 Turbo is limited to 4,096 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
GPT-4o mini supports multimodal inputs, whereas GPT-3.5 Turbo does not.
GPT-4o mini can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT-4o mini
GPT-3.5 Turbo
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-4o mini was released on 2024-07-18, while GPT-3.5 Turbo was released on 2023-03-21.
GPT-4o mini is 16 months newer than GPT-3.5 Turbo.
Jul 18, 2024
1.9 years ago
1.3yr newerMar 21, 2023
3.3 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-4o mini has a knowledge cutoff of 2023-10-01, while GPT-3.5 Turbo has a cutoff of 2021-09-30.
GPT-4o mini has more recent training data (up to 2023-10-01), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to GPT-3.5 Turbo (2021-09-30).
Oct 2023
2.1 yr newerSep 2021
Provider Availability
GPT-4o mini is available from Azure. GPT-3.5 Turbo is available from Azure, OpenAI.
GPT-4o mini
GPT-3.5 Turbo
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-4o mini
View detailsOpenAI
No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-4o mini and GPT-3.5 Turbo side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
| Feature | | |
|---|
FAQ
Common questions about GPT-4o mini vs GPT-3.5 Turbo.