Model Comparison
o3 vs o4-miniWhich is better in 2026?
o3 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. o4-mini is 1.8x cheaper per token.
Verdict: o3 vs o4-mini — which is better?
o3 (by OpenAI) and o4-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.
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.
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.
Choose o3 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 7 of 11 shared benchmarks
Choose o4-mini if…
- cost matters — it's about 1.8x cheaper per token
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
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.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
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
Supported data types and modalities
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
1.3 years ago
Apr 16, 2025
1.3 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
Key Takeaways
o3
View detailsOpenAI
o4-mini
View detailsOpenAI
o3o4-miniDetailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
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.