GPT-4o mini vs GPT-4o
GPT-4o mini comes out ahead, 56 to 43 on our weighted score, and it is the cheaper option too.
- Our pick
OpenAIGPT-4o mini
56/100- ECI126.6
- Price$0.15 / $0.60
- Context128K
- OpenAI
GPT-4o
43/100- ECI129.0
- Price$2.50 / $10.00
- Context128K
Add a model
Make it a three-way comparison.
GPT-4o mini is our pick
GPT-4o mini is the better all-round choice, scoring 56/100 against GPT-4o (43). It leads on price. GPT-4o wins on capability. The score weighs capability 50%, price 25%, inputs & features 15%, context window 10%.
- CapabilityGPT-4oCapabilities Index (ECI): GPT-4o 129.0 · GPT-4o mini 126.6
- Lowest priceGPT-4o miniGPT-4o mini $0.263 · GPT-4o $4.38 per 1M tokens (3:1 blend)
- Longest contextAbout the sameGPT-4o mini 128,000 · GPT-4o 128,000 tokens
- Widest inputsSame inputsGPT-4o mini: Text, Images, PDFs · GPT-4o: Text, Images, PDFs
- Self-hostingNo open weightsBoth are available only through APIs
| Measure | Weight | GPT-4o mini | GPT-4o |
|---|---|---|---|
| CapabilityCapabilities Index (ECI) | 50% | 49 | 52 |
| Price | 25% | 77 | 19 |
| Inputs & features | 15% | 70 | 70 |
| Context window | 10% | 24 | 24 |
| Overall | 100% | 56/100 | 43/100 |
Every spec in one table
Highlighted cells lead their row. Dashes mean the data is not published.
| Specification | GPT-4o miniOpenAI | GPT-4oOpenAI |
|---|---|---|
| Capability | ||
| Capabilities Index (ECI) | 126.6 | 129.0 (best) |
| ECI rank | #135 of 148 | #129 of 148 (best) |
| GPQA DiamondGraduate-level science questions | 37.7% | 48.9% (best) |
| FrontierMath Tiers 1–3Research-level mathematics | 0.7% | — |
| OTIS Mock AIME 2024–2025Competition mathematics | 6.9% (best) | 6.3% |
| SimpleQA VerifiedShort factual questions | 8.3% | — |
| Price per million tokens | ||
| Input | $0.15 (best) | $2.50 |
| Output | $0.60 (best) | $10.00 |
| Cached input | $0.075 (best) | $1.25 |
| Blended (3:1) | $0.263 (best) | $4.38 |
| Long-context rate | Same rate | Same rate |
| Price source | Official OpenAI API | Official OpenAI API |
| Limits | ||
| Context window | 128,000 tokens | 128,000 tokens |
| Max output | 16,384 tokens | 16,384 tokens |
| Inputs and features | ||
| Text | Yes | Yes |
| Images | Yes | Yes |
| PDFs | Yes | Yes |
| Audio | No | No |
| Video | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Tool calling | Yes | Yes |
| Structured output | Yes | Yes |
| Availability | ||
| Weights | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| API model ID | gpt-4o-mini | gpt-4o |
| API providers | 21 (best) | 19 |
| Released | Jul 18, 2024 | May 13, 2024 |
| Knowledge cutoff | Sep 2023 | Sep 2023 |
What would a month cost?
Enter your expected volume in millions of tokens. List prices only; caching and batch discounts would lower these.
- GPT-4o mini$2.70
- GPT-4o$45.00
Which should you choose?
Which is better: GPT-4o mini or GPT-4o?
GPT-4o mini is the better all-round choice, scoring 56/100 against GPT-4o (43). It leads on price. GPT-4o wins on capability. The score weighs capability 50%, price 25%, inputs & features 15%, context window 10%.
Which is cheaper, GPT-4o mini or GPT-4o?
GPT-4o mini is cheaper at $0.15 input / $0.60 output per million tokens (official OpenAI API price). GPT-4o costs $2.50 input / $10.00 output per million tokens (official OpenAI API price). At a typical mix of three input tokens to one output token, that is $0.263 per million tokens for GPT-4o mini versus $4.38 for GPT-4o (17× as much).
Which scores higher on benchmarks?
GPT-4o scores higher on the Capabilities Index (ECI): GPT-4o 129.0 (#129 of 148) and GPT-4o mini 126.6 (#135 of 148). The confidence ranges of the top two overlap (124.2–131.5 vs 120.5–128.5), so treat the gap as small. On individual benchmarks: GPQA Diamond — GPT-4o 48.9%, GPT-4o mini 37.7%; OTIS Mock AIME 2024–2025 — GPT-4o mini 6.9%, GPT-4o 6.3%.
Which is better for coding?
There are no published SWE-bench Verified results for GPT-4o mini and GPT-4o yet, so there is no like-for-like coding score. On overall capability, GPT-4o leads, which tends to carry over to coding, but test on your own codebase. Both support tool calling for agent workflows.
Which has the bigger context window?
GPT-4o mini and GPT-4o share the same 128,000-token context window. Maximum output per response: GPT-4o mini up to 16,384, GPT-4o up to 16,384 tokens.
Which can read images, PDFs, audio or video?
GPT-4o mini accepts text, images and PDFs; GPT-4o accepts text, images and PDFs. They handle the same number of input types.
Are any of these open source?
No. GPT-4o mini and GPT-4o are proprietary and only available through APIs and apps.
Which is newer?
GPT-4o mini is the newest, released Jul 18, 2024. GPT-4o came out May 13, 2024. Knowledge cutoff: GPT-4o mini Sep 2023, GPT-4o Sep 2023.
How do you decide the winner?
Each model gets a 0–100 score on capability (50%, independent benchmark results); price (25%, blended price per million tokens (3 input : 1 output), log scale); inputs & features (15%, image, PDF, audio and video input, tool calling, structured output and reasoning); context window (10%, maximum tokens per request, log scale). Dimensions missing for any model are dropped and the remaining weights rescaled, so every model is judged on the same evidence. Specs and prices come from public model listings and the labs’ own API pages; capability scores come from independent benchmark runs. Data updated Oct 4, 2026.
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