Gemini 3.1 Pro vs o4 Mini
Complete pricing and performance comparison between Google's Gemini 3.1 Pro and OpenAI's o4 Mini.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
o4 Mini
1.8x cheaper input, 2.7x cheaper output
Larger Context
Gemini 3.1 Pro
1.0M vs 200K
Higher Quality
Gemini 3.1 Pro
Score: 57 vs 33
Faster
o4 Mini
148 vs 120 tok/s
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | Gemini 3.1 Pro | o4 Mini | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | ||
| Input / 1M tokens | $2 | $1.1 | o4 Mini is 45% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $12 | $4.4 | o4 Mini is 63% more expensive |
| Context Window | 1.0M | 200K | 5x difference |
| Max Output | 66K | 100K | |
| Tokenizer | cl100k_base | o200k_base |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | Gemini 3.1 Pro | o4 Mini | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 57 | 33 | Gemini 3.1 Pro |
| Output Speed | 120 tok/s | 148 tok/s | o4 Mini |
| Time to First Token | 21.32s | 17.25s | o4 Mini |
| Value (Quality/$) | 28.6 | 30.1 | Higher = better value |
Benchmark data from Artificial Analysis. Quality Index is a composite score across reasoning, coding, and knowledge tasks.
Cost at Scale
Estimated cost at different usage levels (3:1 input-to-output token ratio, typical for chat).
| Usage | Gemini 3.1 Pro | o4 Mini | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0056 | $0.0024 | o4 Mini saves $0.0032 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.056 | $0.024 | o4 Mini saves $0.032 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.560 | $0.242 | o4 Mini saves $0.318 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $5.60 | $2.42 | o4 Mini saves $3.18 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $56.00 | $24.20 | o4 Mini saves $31.80 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $5600.00 | $2420.00 | o4 Mini saves $3180.00 |
Pros & Cons
Gemini 3.1 Pro Strengths
- +Larger context window (1.0M vs 200K)
- +Higher quality score (57 vs 33)
o4 Mini Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Higher max output tokens
- +Faster output (148 vs 120 tok/s)
- +Lower latency (faster first token)
When to Use Each Model
Choose Gemini 3.1 Pro for
- →Long documents, large codebases, or multi-turn conversations
- →Tasks requiring maximum accuracy and reasoning
Choose o4 Mini for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
- →Real-time applications, chat, or autocomplete
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.1 Pro or o4 Mini?
For input tokens, o4 Mini is 1.8x cheaper at $1.1/1M tokens. For output tokens, o4 Mini is 2.7x cheaper at $4.4/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), Gemini 3.1 Pro costs $5.60 vs o4 Mini at $2.42.
What's the context window difference?
Gemini 3.1 Pro supports 1.0M context (1,048,576 tokens), while o4 Mini supports 200K (200,000 tokens). Gemini 3.1 Pro can handle 5x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
Quality Index: Gemini 3.1 Pro scores 57 vs o4 Mini at 33. Speed: Gemini 3.1 Pro generates 120 tok/s vs o4 Mini at 148 tok/s. Time to first token: Gemini 3.1 Pro at 21.32s vs o4 Mini at 17.25s.
When should I choose Gemini 3.1 Pro over o4 Mini?
Choose Gemini 3.1 Pro when you need: Larger context window (1.0M vs 200K), Higher quality score (57 vs 33). Choose o4 Mini when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Higher max output tokens, Faster output (148 vs 120 tok/s), Lower latency (faster first token).
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): Gemini 3.1 Pro = $56.00, o4 Mini = $24.20. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): Gemini 3.1 Pro = $320.00, o4 Mini = $154.00.