GPT-5 Mini vs Llama 4 Maverick
Complete pricing and performance comparison between OpenAI's GPT-5 Mini and Meta's Llama 4 Maverick.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
GPT-5 Mini (input) / Llama 4 Maverick (output)
Input: 1.1x diff, Output: 2.4x diff
Larger Context
Llama 4 Maverick
1.0M vs 400K
Higher Quality
GPT-5 Mini
Score: 41 vs 18
Faster
Llama 4 Maverick
130 vs 82 tok/s
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | GPT-5 Mini | Llama 4 Maverick | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | Meta | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $0.25 | $0.27 | GPT-5 Mini is 7% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $2 | $0.85 | Llama 4 Maverick is 57% more expensive |
| Context Window | 400K | 1.0M | 3x difference |
| Max Output | 16K | 16K | |
| Tokenizer | o200k_base | cl100k_base |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | GPT-5 Mini | Llama 4 Maverick | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 41 | 18 | GPT-5 Mini |
| Output Speed | 82 tok/s | 130 tok/s | Llama 4 Maverick |
| Time to First Token | 99.18s | 0.48s | Llama 4 Maverick |
| Value (Quality/$) | 164.8 | 68.1 | 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 | GPT-5 Mini | Llama 4 Maverick | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0008 | $0.0005 | Same |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.0085 | $0.0053 | Llama 4 Maverick saves $0.0033 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.085 | $0.053 | Llama 4 Maverick saves $0.032 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $0.850 | $0.525 | Llama 4 Maverick saves $0.325 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $8.50 | $5.25 | Llama 4 Maverick saves $3.25 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $850.00 | $525.00 | Llama 4 Maverick saves $325.00 |
Pros & Cons
GPT-5 Mini Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Higher quality score (41 vs 18)
Llama 4 Maverick Strengths
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Larger context window (1.0M vs 400K)
- +Faster output (130 vs 82 tok/s)
- +Lower latency (faster first token)
When to Use Each Model
Choose GPT-5 Mini for
- →Tasks requiring maximum accuracy and reasoning
Choose Llama 4 Maverick for
- →Long documents, large codebases, or multi-turn conversations
- →Real-time applications, chat, or autocomplete
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, GPT-5 Mini or Llama 4 Maverick?
For input tokens, GPT-5 Mini is 1.1x cheaper at $0.25/1M tokens. For output tokens, Llama 4 Maverick is 2.4x cheaper at $0.85/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), GPT-5 Mini costs $0.850 vs Llama 4 Maverick at $0.525.
What's the context window difference?
GPT-5 Mini supports 400K context (400,000 tokens), while Llama 4 Maverick supports 1.0M (1,048,576 tokens). Llama 4 Maverick can handle 3x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
Quality Index: GPT-5 Mini scores 41 vs Llama 4 Maverick at 18. Speed: GPT-5 Mini generates 82 tok/s vs Llama 4 Maverick at 130 tok/s. Time to first token: GPT-5 Mini at 99.18s vs Llama 4 Maverick at 0.48s.
When should I choose GPT-5 Mini over Llama 4 Maverick?
Choose GPT-5 Mini when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Higher quality score (41 vs 18). Choose Llama 4 Maverick when you need: Cheaper output tokens, Larger context window (1.0M vs 400K), Faster output (130 vs 82 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): GPT-5 Mini = $8.50, Llama 4 Maverick = $5.25. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): GPT-5 Mini = $45.00, Llama 4 Maverick = $35.50.