Model Comparison
GPT-4o mini vs Phi 4 MiniWhich is better in 2026?
GPT-4o mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Verdict: GPT-4o mini vs Phi 4 Mini — which is better?
GPT-4o mini (by OpenAI) and Phi 4 Mini (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 mini outperforms in 4 benchmarks (GPQA, MATH, MGSM, MMLU), while Phi 4 Mini is better at 0 benchmarks. GPT-4o mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Choose GPT-4o mini if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 of 4 shared benchmarks
Choose Phi 4 Mini if…
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2025
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT-4o mini outperforms in 4 benchmarks (GPQA, MATH, MGSM, MMLU), while Phi 4 Mini is better at 0 benchmarks.
GPT-4o mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Only GPT-4o mini specifies input context (128,000 tokens). Only GPT-4o mini specifies output context (16,384 tokens).
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
GPT-4o mini supports multimodal inputs, whereas Phi 4 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
Phi 4 Mini
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-4o mini is licensed under a proprietary license, while Phi 4 Mini uses MIT.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
MIT
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
GPT-4o mini was released on 2024-07-18, while Phi 4 Mini was released on 2025-02-01.
Phi 4 Mini is 7 months newer than GPT-4o mini.
Jul 18, 2024
2.1 years ago
Feb 1, 2025
1.5 years ago
6mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-4o mini has a knowledge cutoff of 2023-10-01, while Phi 4 Mini has a cutoff of 2024-06-01.
Phi 4 Mini has more recent training data (up to 2024-06-01), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to GPT-4o mini (2023-10-01).
Oct 2023
Jun 2024
8 mo newerOutputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-4o mini
View detailsOpenAI
Phi 4 Mini
View detailsMicrosoft
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-4o mini and Phi 4 Mini side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-4o mini vs Phi 4 Mini.