Model Comparison

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

GPT-4o mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Pixtral-12B is 1.7x cheaper per token.

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

GPT-4o mini (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 mini outperforms in 4 benchmarks (HumanEval, MATH, MMLU, MMMU), while Pixtral-12B is better at 1 benchmark (MathVista). GPT-4o mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Pixtral-12B is roughly 1.7x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Choose GPT-4o mini if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 of 5 shared benchmarks

Choose Pixtral-12B if…

  • cost matters — it's about 1.7x 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

5 benchmarks

GPT-4o mini outperforms in 4 benchmarks (HumanEval, MATH, MMLU, MMMU), while Pixtral-12B is better at 1 benchmark (MathVista).

GPT-4o mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sat Jun 13 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 mini ($0.15/1M tokens) costs the same as Pixtral-12B ($0.15/1M tokens).

For output processing, GPT-4o mini ($0.60/1M tokens) is 4.0x more expensive than Pixtral-12B ($0.15/1M tokens).

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

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sat Jun 13 2026 • llm-stats.com
OpenAI
GPT-4o mini
Input tokens$0.15
Output tokens$0.60
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. GPT-4o mini can generate longer responses up to 16,384 tokens, while Pixtral-12B is limited to 8,192 tokens.

OpenAI
GPT-4o mini
Input128,000 tokens
Output16,384 tokens
Mistral AI
Pixtral-12B
Input128,000 tokens
Output8,192 tokens
Sat Jun 13 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

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

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

GPT-4o mini

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Pixtral-12B

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

GPT-4o mini 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 mini

Proprietary

Closed source

Pixtral-12B

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GPT-4o mini was released on 2024-07-18, while Pixtral-12B was released on 2024-09-17.

Pixtral-12B is 2 months newer than GPT-4o mini.

GPT-4o mini

Jul 18, 2024

1.9 years ago

Pixtral-12B

Sep 17, 2024

1.7 years ago

2mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

GPT-4o mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2023-10-01, while Pixtral-12B's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm GPT-4o mini's training data extends to 2023-10-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without Pixtral-12B's cutoff date.

GPT-4o mini

Oct 2023

Pixtral-12B

Provider Availability

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

GPT-4o mini

azure logo
Azure
Input Price:Input: $0.15/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.60/1M

Pixtral-12B

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

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

Higher HumanEval score (87.2% vs 72.0%)
Higher MATH score (70.2% vs 48.1%)
Higher MMLU score (82.0% vs 69.2%)
Higher MMMU score (59.4% vs 52.5%)
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
Higher MathVista score (58.0% vs 56.7%)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
OpenAI
GPT-4o mini
Mistral AI
Pixtral-12B

FAQ

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

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

GPT-4o mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-4o mini 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 mini compare to Pixtral-12B in benchmarks?

GPT-4o mini scores HumanEval: 87.2%, MGSM: 87.0%, MMLU: 82.0%, DROP: 79.7%, MATH: 70.2%. Pixtral-12B scores DocVQA: 90.7%, ChartQA: 81.8%, VQAv2: 78.6%, MT-Bench: 76.8%, HumanEval: 72.0%.

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

Both models cost $0.15 per million input tokens.

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

GPT-4o mini 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 mini and Pixtral-12B?

Key differences include licensing (Proprietary vs Apache 2.0). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

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

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