Model Comparison

Phi 4 vs Phi 4 Mini ReasoningWhich is better in 2026?

Phi 4 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Verdict: Phi 4 vs Phi 4 Mini Reasoning — which is better?

Phi 4 (by Microsoft) 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.

Phi 4 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Phi 4 Mini Reasoning is better at 0 benchmarks. Phi 4 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Choose Phi 4 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks

Choose Phi 4 Mini Reasoning if…

  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Apr 2025
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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

1 benchmarks

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

Phi 4 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Tue Jun 09 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

10.9B diff

Phi 4 has 10.9B more parameters than Phi 4 Mini Reasoning, making it 286.8% larger.

Microsoft
Phi 4
14.7Bparameters
Microsoft
Phi 4 Mini Reasoning
3.8Bparameters
14.7B
Phi 4
3.8B
Phi 4 Mini Reasoning

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Only Phi 4 specifies input context (16,000 tokens). Only Phi 4 specifies output context (16,000 tokens).

Microsoft
Phi 4
Input16,000 tokens
Output16,000 tokens
Microsoft
Phi 4 Mini Reasoning
Input- tokens
Output- tokens
Tue Jun 09 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

Both models are licensed under MIT.

Both models share the same licensing terms, providing consistent usage rights.

Phi 4

MIT

Open weights

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Phi 4 was released on 2024-12-12, while Phi 4 Mini Reasoning was released on 2025-04-30.

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning is 5 months newer than Phi 4.

Phi 4

Dec 12, 2024

1.5 years ago

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning

Apr 30, 2025

1.1 years ago

4mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Phi 4 has a knowledge cutoff of 2024-06-01, 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 Phi 4 (2024-06-01).

Phi 4

Jun 2024

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning

Feb 2025

8 mo newer

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

Microsoft
Larger context window (16,000 tokens)
Higher GPQA score (56.1% vs 52.0%)
Microsoft

No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Microsoft
Phi 4
Microsoft
Phi 4 Mini Reasoning

FAQ

Common questions about Phi 4 vs Phi 4 Mini Reasoning.

Which is better, Phi 4 or Phi 4 Mini Reasoning?

Phi 4 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Phi 4 is made by Microsoft 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 Phi 4 compare to Phi 4 Mini Reasoning in benchmarks?

Phi 4 scores MMLU: 84.8%, HumanEval+: 82.8%, HumanEval: 82.6%, MGSM: 80.6%, MATH: 80.4%. Phi 4 Mini Reasoning scores MATH-500: 94.6%, AIME: 57.5%, GPQA: 52.0%.

What are the context window sizes for Phi 4 and Phi 4 Mini Reasoning?

Phi 4 supports 16K 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.

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