Model Comparison

GPT-5 nano vs Phi 4 Mini ReasoningWhich is better in 2026?

GPT-5 nano significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Verdict: GPT-5 nano vs Phi 4 Mini Reasoning — which is better?

GPT-5 nano (by OpenAI) and Phi 4 Mini Reasoning (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-5 nano outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Phi 4 Mini Reasoning is better at 0 benchmarks. GPT-5 nano significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Choose GPT-5 nano if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2025

Choose Phi 4 Mini Reasoning if…

  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

1 benchmarks

GPT-5 nano outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Phi 4 Mini Reasoning is better at 0 benchmarks.

GPT-5 nano significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Fri Jun 12 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Only GPT-5 nano specifies input context (400,000 tokens). Only GPT-5 nano specifies output context (128,000 tokens).

OpenAI
GPT-5 nano
Input400,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Microsoft
Phi 4 Mini Reasoning
Input- tokens
Output- tokens
Fri Jun 12 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

GPT-5 nano supports multimodal inputs, whereas Phi 4 Mini Reasoning does not.

GPT-5 nano can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

GPT-5 nano

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

GPT-5 nano is licensed under a proprietary license, while Phi 4 Mini Reasoning uses MIT.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

GPT-5 nano

Proprietary

Closed source

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GPT-5 nano was released on 2025-08-07, while Phi 4 Mini Reasoning was released on 2025-04-30.

GPT-5 nano is 3 months newer than Phi 4 Mini Reasoning.

GPT-5 nano

Aug 7, 2025

10 months ago

3mo newer
Phi 4 Mini Reasoning

Apr 30, 2025

1.1 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

GPT-5 nano has a knowledge cutoff of 2024-05-30, while Phi 4 Mini Reasoning has a cutoff of 2025-02-01.

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning has more recent training data (up to 2025-02-01), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to GPT-5 nano (2024-05-30).

GPT-5 nano

May 2024

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning

Feb 2025

9 mo newer

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion

Key Takeaways

Larger context window (400,000 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
Higher GPQA score (71.2% vs 52.0%)
Has open weights

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
OpenAI
GPT-5 nano
Microsoft
Phi 4 Mini Reasoning

FAQ

Common questions about GPT-5 nano vs Phi 4 Mini Reasoning.

Which is better, GPT-5 nano or Phi 4 Mini Reasoning?

GPT-5 nano significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-5 nano is made by OpenAI and Phi 4 Mini Reasoning is made by Microsoft. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does GPT-5 nano compare to Phi 4 Mini Reasoning in benchmarks?

GPT-5 nano scores AIME 2025: 85.2%, HMMT 2025: 75.6%, GPQA: 71.2%, FrontierMath: 9.6%, Humanity's Last Exam: 8.7%. Phi 4 Mini Reasoning scores MATH-500: 94.6%, AIME: 57.5%, GPQA: 52.0%.

What are the context window sizes for GPT-5 nano and Phi 4 Mini Reasoning?

GPT-5 nano supports 400K tokens and Phi 4 Mini Reasoning supports an unknown number of tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between GPT-5 nano and Phi 4 Mini Reasoning?

Key differences include multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (Proprietary vs MIT). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes GPT-5 nano and Phi 4 Mini Reasoning?

GPT-5 nano is developed by OpenAI and Phi 4 Mini Reasoning is developed by Microsoft.