o3 vs o4 Mini
Complete pricing and performance comparison between OpenAI's o3 and OpenAI's o4 Mini.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
o4 Mini
1.8x cheaper input, 1.8x cheaper output
Larger Context
o3
200K vs 200K
Higher Quality
o3
Score: 38 vs 33
Faster
o4 Mini
140 vs 79 tok/s
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | o3 | o4 Mini | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | OpenAI | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $2 | $1.1 | o4 Mini is 45% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $8 | $4.4 | o4 Mini is 45% more expensive |
| Context Window | 200K | 200K | Same |
| Max Output | 100K | 100K |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | o3 | o4 Mini | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 38 | 33 | o3 |
| Output Speed | 79 tok/s | 140 tok/s | o4 Mini |
| Time to First Token | 10.83s | 32.98s | o3 |
| Value (Quality/$) | 19.2 | 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 | o3 | o4 Mini | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0044 | $0.0024 | o4 Mini saves $0.0020 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.044 | $0.024 | o4 Mini saves $0.020 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.440 | $0.242 | o4 Mini saves $0.198 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $4.40 | $2.42 | o4 Mini saves $1.98 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $44.00 | $24.20 | o4 Mini saves $19.80 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $4400.00 | $2420.00 | o4 Mini saves $1980.00 |
Pros & Cons
o3 Strengths
- +Higher quality score (38 vs 33)
- +Lower latency (faster first token)
o4 Mini Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Faster output (140 vs 79 tok/s)
When to Use Each Model
Choose o3 for
- →Tasks requiring maximum accuracy and reasoning
Choose o4 Mini for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
- →Real-time applications, chat, or autocomplete
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, o3 or o4 Mini?
For input tokens, o4 Mini is 1.8x cheaper at $1.1/1M tokens. For output tokens, o4 Mini is 1.8x cheaper at $4.4/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), o3 costs $4.40 vs o4 Mini at $2.42.
What's the context window difference?
o3 supports 200K context (200,000 tokens), while o4 Mini supports 200K (200,000 tokens). o4 Mini can handle 1x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
Quality Index: o3 scores 38 vs o4 Mini at 33. Speed: o3 generates 79 tok/s vs o4 Mini at 140 tok/s. Time to first token: o3 at 10.83s vs o4 Mini at 32.98s.
When should I choose o3 over o4 Mini?
Choose o3 when you need: Higher quality score (38 vs 33), Lower latency (faster first token). Choose o4 Mini when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Faster output (140 vs 79 tok/s).
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): o3 = $44.00, o4 Mini = $24.20. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): o3 = $280.00, o4 Mini = $154.00.