Model Comparison

GPT-5.6 Luna vs o3-miniWhich is better in 2026?

GPT-5.6 Luna significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. o3-mini is 1.2x cheaper per token.

Verdict: GPT-5.6 Luna vs o3-mini — which is better?

GPT-5.6 Luna (by OpenAI) and o3-mini (by OpenAI) 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-5.6 Luna outperforms in 2 benchmarks (FrontierMath, GPQA), while o3-mini is better at 0 benchmarks. GPT-5.6 Luna significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, o3-mini is roughly 1.2x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

GPT-5.6 Luna also accepts a larger context window (1,050,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose GPT-5.6 Luna if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 1,050,000 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026

Choose o3-mini if…

  • cost matters — it's about 1.2x cheaper per token

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

2 benchmarks

GPT-5.6 Luna outperforms in 2 benchmarks (FrontierMath, GPQA), while o3-mini is better at 0 benchmarks.

GPT-5.6 Luna significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sun Jul 19 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

o3-mini costs less

For input processing, GPT-5.6 Luna ($1.00/1M tokens) is 1.1x cheaper than o3-mini ($1.10/1M tokens).

For output processing, GPT-5.6 Luna ($6.00/1M tokens) is 1.4x more expensive than o3-mini ($4.40/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GPT-5.6 Luna is more expensive than o3-mini.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sun Jul 19 2026 • llm-stats.com
OpenAI
GPT-5.6 Luna
Input tokens$1.00
Output tokens$6.00
Best providerOpenAI
OpenAI
o3-mini
Input tokens$1.10
Output tokens$4.40
Best providerAzure
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

GPT-5.6 Luna accepts 1,050,000 input tokens compared to o3-mini's 200,000 tokens. GPT-5.6 Luna can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while o3-mini is limited to 100,000 tokens.

OpenAI
GPT-5.6 Luna
Input1,050,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
OpenAI
o3-mini
Input200,000 tokens
Output100,000 tokens
Sun Jul 19 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

GPT-5.6 Luna supports multimodal inputs, whereas o3-mini does not.

GPT-5.6 Luna can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

GPT-5.6 Luna

Text
Images
Audio
Video

o3-mini

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-5.6 Luna

Proprietary

Closed source

o3-mini

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GPT-5.6 Luna was released on 2026-07-09, while o3-mini was released on 2025-01-30.

GPT-5.6 Luna is 18 months newer than o3-mini.

GPT-5.6 Luna

Jul 9, 2026

1 weeks ago

1.4yr newer
o3-mini

Jan 30, 2025

1.5 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

GPT-5.6 Luna has a knowledge cutoff of 2026-02-16, while o3-mini has a cutoff of 2023-09-30.

GPT-5.6 Luna has more recent training data (up to 2026-02-16), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to o3-mini (2023-09-30).

GPT-5.6 Luna

Feb 2026

2.4 yr newer
o3-mini

Sep 2023

Provider Availability

GPT-5.6 Luna is available from OpenAI. o3-mini is available from Azure, OpenAI.

GPT-5.6 Luna

openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $1.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $6.00/1M

o3-mini

azure logo
Azure
Input Price:Input: $1.10/1MOutput Price:Output: $4.40/1M
openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $1.10/1MOutput Price:Output: $4.40/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

OpenAI
Larger context window (1,050,000 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
Less expensive input tokens
Higher FrontierMath score (78.6% vs 9.2%)
Higher GPQA score (92.3% vs 77.2%)
OpenAI
Less expensive output tokens

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against GPT-5.6 Luna and o3-mini side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

GPT-5.6 Luna
✓ Preferred
o3-mini
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
OpenAI
GPT-5.6 Luna
OpenAI
o3-mini

FAQ

Common questions about GPT-5.6 Luna vs o3-mini.

Which is better, GPT-5.6 Luna or o3-mini?

GPT-5.6 Luna significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-5.6 Luna is made by OpenAI and o3-mini is made by OpenAI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does GPT-5.6 Luna compare to o3-mini in benchmarks?

GPT-5.6 Luna scores Connectors: 99.9%, HealthBench Consensus: 95.1%, GPQA: 92.3%, Search and Function-Calling: 89.7%, Capture-the-Flag Challenges (Internal): 85.2%. o3-mini scores COLLIE: 98.7%, MATH: 97.9%, IFEval: 93.9%, MGSM: 92.0%, AIME 2024: 87.3%.

Is GPT-5.6 Luna cheaper than o3-mini?

GPT-5.6 Luna is 1.1x cheaper for input tokens. GPT-5.6 Luna costs $1.00/M input and $6.00/M output via openai. o3-mini costs $1.10/M input and $4.40/M output via azure.

What are the context window sizes for GPT-5.6 Luna and o3-mini?

GPT-5.6 Luna supports 1.1M tokens and o3-mini supports 200K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between GPT-5.6 Luna and o3-mini?

Key differences include context window (1.1M vs 200K), input pricing ($1.00 vs $1.10/M), multimodal support (yes vs no). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

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