Model Comparison

GPT-5.1 Codex High vs MAI-Thinking-1Which is better in 2026?

MAI-Thinking-1 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Verdict: GPT-5.1 Codex High vs MAI-Thinking-1 — which is better?

GPT-5.1 Codex High (by OpenAI) and MAI-Thinking-1 (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-5.1 Codex High outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while MAI-Thinking-1 is better at 1 benchmark (AIME 2025). MAI-Thinking-1 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Choose GPT-5.1 Codex High if…

  • you want predictable pricing at $1.25/M input and $10.00/M output

Choose MAI-Thinking-1 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jun 2026

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

1 benchmarks

GPT-5.1 Codex High outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while MAI-Thinking-1 is better at 1 benchmark (AIME 2025).

MAI-Thinking-1 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Wed Jul 22 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Only GPT-5.1 Codex High specifies input context (400,000 tokens). Only GPT-5.1 Codex High specifies output context (128,000 tokens).

OpenAI
GPT-5.1 Codex High
Input400,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Microsoft
MAI-Thinking-1
Input- tokens
Output- tokens
Wed Jul 22 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

GPT-5.1 Codex High supports multimodal inputs, whereas MAI-Thinking-1 does not.

GPT-5.1 Codex High can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

GPT-5.1 Codex High

Text
Images
Audio
Video

MAI-Thinking-1

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.

Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.

GPT-5.1 Codex High

Proprietary

Closed source

MAI-Thinking-1

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GPT-5.1 Codex High was released on 2025-11-12, while MAI-Thinking-1 was released on 2026-06-02.

MAI-Thinking-1 is 7 months newer than GPT-5.1 Codex High.

GPT-5.1 Codex High

Nov 12, 2025

8 months ago

MAI-Thinking-1

Jun 2, 2026

1 months ago

6mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.

Unable to compare the recency of their training data.

No cutoff dates available

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion

Key Takeaways

Larger context window (400,000 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
Higher AIME 2025 score (97.0% vs 96.7%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against GPT-5.1 Codex High and MAI-Thinking-1 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

GPT-5.1 Codex High
✓ Preferred
MAI-Thinking-1
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
OpenAI
GPT-5.1 Codex High
Microsoft
MAI-Thinking-1

FAQ

Common questions about GPT-5.1 Codex High vs MAI-Thinking-1.

Which is better, GPT-5.1 Codex High or MAI-Thinking-1?

MAI-Thinking-1 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-5.1 Codex High is made by OpenAI and MAI-Thinking-1 is made by Microsoft. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does GPT-5.1 Codex High compare to MAI-Thinking-1 in benchmarks?

GPT-5.1 Codex High scores AIME 2025: 96.7%. MAI-Thinking-1 scores LongFact: 98.0%, AIME 2025: 97.0%, AIME 2026: 94.5%, GraphWalks: 90.0%, AIR-Bench: 88.0%.

What are the context window sizes for GPT-5.1 Codex High and MAI-Thinking-1?

GPT-5.1 Codex High supports 400K tokens and MAI-Thinking-1 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-5.1 Codex High and MAI-Thinking-1?

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

Who makes GPT-5.1 Codex High and MAI-Thinking-1?

GPT-5.1 Codex High is developed by OpenAI and MAI-Thinking-1 is developed by Microsoft.