GPT-5 mini vs Phi 4 Mini
GPT-5 mini leads the LLM Stats Score 27.3 to -4.1.
OpenAI · Microsoft · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GPT-5 mini leads the overall LLM Stats Score 27.3 to -4.1, ranking #143 overall.
In the 1 individual benchmarks reported for both models, GPT-5 mini wins 1; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose GPT-5 mini
- overall performance matters — it scores 27.3 and ranks #143 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 1 of 1 exact shared results
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2025
Choose Phi 4 Mini
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
5 reported for GPT-5 mini · 17 for Phi 4 Mini
GPT-5 mini outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Phi 4 Mini is better at 0 benchmarks.
GPT-5 mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Only GPT-5 mini specifies input context (400,000 tokens). Only GPT-5 mini specifies output context (128,000 tokens).
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
GPT-5 mini supports multimodal inputs, whereas Phi 4 Mini does not.
GPT-5 mini can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT-5 mini
Phi 4 Mini
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-5 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-5 mini was released on 2025-08-07, while Phi 4 Mini was released on 2025-02-01.
GPT-5 mini is 6 months newer than Phi 4 Mini.
Aug 7, 2025
1.1 years ago
6mo newerFeb 1, 2025
1.6 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-5 mini has a knowledge cutoff of 2024-05-30, 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-5 mini (2024-05-30).
May 2024
Jun 2024
1 mo newerOutputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-5 mini and Phi 4 Mini side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about GPT-5 mini vs Phi 4 Mini.