o3 vs o4-mini
o3 and o4-mini are closely matched at 31.1 and 27.5 on the LLM Stats Score. o4-mini is 1.8x cheaper per token.
OpenAI · OpenAI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
o3 and o4-mini are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 31.1 and 27.5.
In the 11 individual benchmarks reported for both models, o3 wins 7; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, o4-mini is roughly 1.8x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose o3
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 7 of 11 exact shared results
Choose o4-mini
- cost matters — it's about 1.8x cheaper per token
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
22 reported for o3 · 14 for o4-mini
o3 outperforms in 7 benchmarks (Aider-Polyglot, CharXiv-R, GPQA, MathVista, MMMU, Multi-Challenge, SWE-Bench Verified), while o4-mini is better at 3 benchmarks (AIME 2024, AIME 2025, BrowseComp).
o3 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, o3 ($2.00/1M tokens) is 1.8x more expensive than o4-mini ($1.10/1M tokens).
For output processing, o3 ($8.00/1M tokens) is 1.8x more expensive than o4-mini ($4.40/1M tokens).
In conclusion, o3 is more expensive than o4-mini.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Both models have the same input context window of 200,000 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 100,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both o3 and o4-mini support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
o3
o4-mini
License
Usage and distribution terms
Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.
Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.
Proprietary
Closed source
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Both models were released on 2025-04-16.
They likely represent similar generations of model development.
Apr 16, 2025
1.4 years ago
Apr 16, 2025
1.4 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Both models have the same knowledge cutoff date of 2024-05-31.
They should have similar awareness of historical events and information up to this date.
May 2024
May 2024
Provider Availability
o3 is available from OpenAI. o4-mini is available from OpenAI.
o3
o4-mini
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against o3 and o4-mini side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about o3 vs o4-mini.