AI model comparison
GPT-4.1 Mini vs o3 Mini
Pricing, context window, benchmarks, and features compared side by side. Or skip the guesswork and send one prompt to both.
OpenAI
GPT-4.1 Mini
GPT-4.1 Mini is a mid-sized model delivering performance competitive with GPT-4o at substantially lower latency and cost.
- Input / 1M
- $0.40
- Output / 1M
- $1.60
- Context
- 1.05M
OpenAI
o3 Mini
OpenAI o3-mini is a cost-efficient language model optimized for STEM reasoning tasks, particularly excelling in science, mathematics, and coding.
- Input / 1M
- $1.10
- Output / 1M
- $4.40
- Context
- 200K
At a glance
Quick verdict
How the two models stack up on the things people ask about most.
Lower price
GPT-4.1 Mini
2.8x cheaper for a typical chat
Higher intelligence score
o3 Mini
12.5 vs 10.2 on Artificial Analysis
Larger context window
GPT-4.1 Mini
1.05M vs 200K tokens
Newer release
GPT-4.1 Mini
Released April 14, 2025
Benchmarks
Benchmark scores
Independent scores from Artificial Analysis. Higher is better.
Intelligence index
Coding index
Agentic index
Pricing
GPT-4.1 Mini vs o3 Mini API pricing
Per-token API rates. Cheaper option highlighted.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| Input tokensPer 1M tokens | $0.40 | $1.10 |
| Output tokensPer 1M tokens | $1.60 | $4.40 |
| Cached input (read)Per 1M tokens | $0.10 | $0.55 |
| Cache writePer 1M tokens | Not available | Not available |
| Web searchPer request | $0.01 | $0.01 |
What it costs in practice
Estimated cost per 1,000 requests at standard rates. Coding and long-document figures also show the cost when the input is already cached.
Chat message
2K in, 500 out
Coding task
30K in, 4K out
Long document summary
150K in, 2K out
Specs
Context window and capabilities
How much each model can read, how much it can write, and what it accepts as input.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| Context window | 1.05M tokens | 200K tokens |
| Max output | 33K tokens | 100K tokens |
| Input types | File, Image, Text | File, Text |
| Output types | Text | Text |
| Reasoning effort levels | Not available | Not available |
| Default reasoning effort | Not available | Not available |
| Release date | April 14, 2025 | January 31, 2025 |
Features
Supported features
API features available for each model.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tool calling | Supported | Supported |
| Structured outputs | Supported | Supported |
| JSON mode | Supported | Supported |
| Reasoning | Not supported | Supported |
| Temperature | Supported | Not supported |
| Stop sequences | Not supported | Not supported |
| Deterministic seed | Supported | Supported |
| Verbosity control | Not supported | Not supported |
Our take
GPT-4.1 Mini is 2.8x cheaper for a typical chat. o3 Mini scores higher on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index (12.5 vs 10.2). GPT-4.1 Mini has the larger context window (1.05M vs 200K tokens). The right pick depends on your workload, so the quickest way to settle it is to send the same prompt to both and compare.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is GPT-4.1 Mini or o3 Mini cheaper?
GPT-4.1 Mini is cheaper for a typical chat (2K input tokens and 500 output tokens). GPT-4.1 Mini costs $0.40 per 1M input tokens and $1.60 per 1M output tokens, while o3 Mini costs $1.10 per 1M input tokens and $4.40 per 1M output tokens.
Which has a bigger context window, GPT-4.1 Mini or o3 Mini?
GPT-4.1 Mini supports up to 1.05M tokens of context, compared with 200K for o3 Mini.
Is GPT-4.1 Mini smarter than o3 Mini?
On the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, GPT-4.1 Mini scores 10.2 and o3 Mini scores 12.5, putting o3 Mini ahead. Benchmarks don't capture everything, so the best test is running your own prompts through both.
Can I use GPT-4.1 Mini and o3 Mini at the same time?
Yes. Shortcut Chat sends one prompt to multiple models at once, so you can see GPT-4.1 Mini and o3 Mini answer side by side and keep the better response.
Why choose? Ask both.
Send one prompt to GPT-4.1 Mini and o3 Mini at the same time. Compare the answers side by side and keep the best one.