GPT-4o Mini vs o3
Complete pricing and performance comparison between OpenAI's GPT-4o Mini and OpenAI's o3.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
GPT-4o Mini
13.3x cheaper input, 13.3x cheaper output
Larger Context
o3
200K vs 128K
Higher Quality
o3
Score: 38 vs 13
Faster
o3
79 vs 61 tok/s
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | GPT-4o Mini | o3 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | OpenAI | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $0.15 | $2 | GPT-4o Mini is 93% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $0.6 | $8 | GPT-4o Mini is 93% more expensive |
| Context Window | 128K | 200K | 2x difference |
| Max Output | 16K | 100K |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | GPT-4o Mini | o3 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 13 | 38 | o3 |
| Output Speed | 61 tok/s | 79 tok/s | o3 |
| Time to First Token | 0.58s | 10.83s | GPT-4o Mini |
| Value (Quality/$) | 84.0 | 19.2 | 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 | GPT-4o Mini | o3 | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0003 | $0.0044 | GPT-4o Mini saves $0.0041 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.0033 | $0.044 | GPT-4o Mini saves $0.041 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.033 | $0.440 | GPT-4o Mini saves $0.407 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $0.330 | $4.40 | GPT-4o Mini saves $4.07 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $3.30 | $44.00 | GPT-4o Mini saves $40.70 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $330.00 | $4400.00 | GPT-4o Mini saves $4070.00 |
Pros & Cons
GPT-4o Mini Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Lower latency (faster first token)
o3 Strengths
- +Larger context window (200K vs 128K)
- +Higher max output tokens
- +Faster output (79 vs 61 tok/s)
- +Higher quality score (38 vs 13)
When to Use Each Model
Choose GPT-4o Mini for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
Choose o3 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
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, GPT-4o Mini or o3?
For input tokens, GPT-4o Mini is 13.3x cheaper at $0.15/1M tokens. For output tokens, GPT-4o Mini is 13.3x cheaper at $0.6/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), GPT-4o Mini costs $0.330 vs o3 at $4.40.
What's the context window difference?
GPT-4o Mini supports 128K context (128,000 tokens), while o3 supports 200K (200,000 tokens). o3 can handle 2x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
Quality Index: GPT-4o Mini scores 13 vs o3 at 38. Speed: GPT-4o Mini generates 61 tok/s vs o3 at 79 tok/s. Time to first token: GPT-4o Mini at 0.58s vs o3 at 10.83s.
When should I choose GPT-4o Mini over o3?
Choose GPT-4o Mini when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Lower latency (faster first token). Choose o3 when you need: Larger context window (200K vs 128K), Higher max output tokens, Faster output (79 vs 61 tok/s), Higher quality score (38 vs 13).
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): GPT-4o Mini = $3.30, o3 = $44.00. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): GPT-4o Mini = $21.00, o3 = $280.00.