Gemini 3 Pro vs GPT-4o Mini
Complete pricing and performance comparison between Google's Gemini 3 Pro and OpenAI's GPT-4o Mini.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
GPT-4o Mini
13.3x cheaper input, 20.0x cheaper output
Larger Context
Gemini 3 Pro
1.0M vs 128K
Higher Quality
Gemini 3 Pro
Score: 48 vs 13
Faster
Gemini 3 Pro
120 vs 61 tok/s
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | Gemini 3 Pro | GPT-4o Mini | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | ||
| Input / 1M tokens | $2 | $0.15 | GPT-4o Mini is 93% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $12 | $0.6 | GPT-4o Mini is 95% more expensive |
| Context Window | 1.0M | 128K | 8x difference |
| Max Output | 66K | 16K | |
| Tokenizer | cl100k_base | o200k_base |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | Gemini 3 Pro | GPT-4o Mini | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 48 | 13 | Gemini 3 Pro |
| Output Speed | 120 tok/s | 61 tok/s | Gemini 3 Pro |
| Time to First Token | 26.13s | 0.58s | GPT-4o Mini |
| Value (Quality/$) | 24.2 | 84.0 | 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 Pro | GPT-4o Mini | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0056 | $0.0003 | GPT-4o Mini saves $0.0053 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.056 | $0.0033 | GPT-4o Mini saves $0.053 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.560 | $0.033 | GPT-4o Mini saves $0.527 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $5.60 | $0.330 | GPT-4o Mini saves $5.27 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $56.00 | $3.30 | GPT-4o Mini saves $52.70 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $5600.00 | $330.00 | GPT-4o Mini saves $5270.00 |
Pros & Cons
Gemini 3 Pro Strengths
- +Larger context window (1.0M vs 128K)
- +Higher max output tokens
- +Faster output (120 vs 61 tok/s)
- +Higher quality score (48 vs 13)
GPT-4o Mini Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Lower latency (faster first token)
When to Use Each Model
Choose Gemini 3 Pro for
- →Long documents, large codebases, or multi-turn conversations
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
- →Tasks requiring maximum accuracy and reasoning
- →Real-time applications, chat, or autocomplete
Choose GPT-4o Mini for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, Gemini 3 Pro or GPT-4o Mini?
For input tokens, GPT-4o Mini is 13.3x cheaper at $0.15/1M tokens. For output tokens, GPT-4o Mini is 20.0x cheaper at $0.6/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), Gemini 3 Pro costs $5.60 vs GPT-4o Mini at $0.330.
What's the context window difference?
Gemini 3 Pro supports 1.0M context (1,048,576 tokens), while GPT-4o Mini supports 128K (128,000 tokens). Gemini 3 Pro can handle 8x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
Quality Index: Gemini 3 Pro scores 48 vs GPT-4o Mini at 13. Speed: Gemini 3 Pro generates 120 tok/s vs GPT-4o Mini at 61 tok/s. Time to first token: Gemini 3 Pro at 26.13s vs GPT-4o Mini at 0.58s.
When should I choose Gemini 3 Pro over GPT-4o Mini?
Choose Gemini 3 Pro when you need: Larger context window (1.0M vs 128K), Higher max output tokens, Faster output (120 vs 61 tok/s), Higher quality score (48 vs 13). Choose GPT-4o Mini when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, 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 Pro = $56.00, GPT-4o Mini = $3.30. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): Gemini 3 Pro = $320.00, GPT-4o Mini = $21.00.