Model Comparison
GPT-4o mini vs o3-miniWhich is better in 2026?
o3-mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-4o mini is 7.3x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GPT-4o mini vs o3-mini — which is better?
GPT-4o mini (by OpenAI) and o3-mini (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 0 benchmarks, while o3-mini is better at 5 benchmarks (GPQA, MATH, MGSM, MMLU, SWE-Bench Verified). o3-mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, GPT-4o mini is roughly 7.3x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
o3-mini also accepts a larger context window (200,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GPT-4o mini if…
- cost matters — it's about 7.3x cheaper per token
Choose o3-mini if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 5 of 5 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 200,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jan 2025
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT-4o mini outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while o3-mini is better at 5 benchmarks (GPQA, MATH, MGSM, MMLU, SWE-Bench Verified).
o3-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 7.3x cheaper than o3-mini ($1.10/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-4o mini ($0.60/1M tokens) is 7.3x cheaper than o3-mini ($4.40/1M tokens).
In conclusion, o3-mini 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
o3-mini accepts 200,000 input tokens compared to GPT-4o mini's 128,000 tokens. o3-mini can generate longer responses up to 100,000 tokens, while GPT-4o mini is limited to 16,384 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
GPT-4o mini supports multimodal inputs, whereas o3-mini 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
o3-mini
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 o3-mini was released on 2025-01-30.
o3-mini is 7 months newer than GPT-4o mini.
Jul 18, 2024
2.0 years ago
Jan 30, 2025
1.5 years ago
6mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-4o mini has a knowledge cutoff of 2023-10-01, while o3-mini has a cutoff of 2023-09-30.
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 o3-mini (2023-09-30).
Oct 2023
1 mo newerSep 2023
Provider Availability
GPT-4o mini is available from Azure. o3-mini is available from Azure, OpenAI.
GPT-4o mini
o3-mini
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-4o mini
View detailsOpenAI
o3-mini
View detailsOpenAI
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-4o mini and o3-mini side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-4o mini vs o3-mini.