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GPT-4o mini vs Claude 3 Opus

Pricing, context window, and benchmark comparison · Last updated April 2026

Quick Verdict

GPT-4o mini is cheaper than Claude 3 Opus at $0.15/1M/1M vs $15.00/1M/1M input tokens — a 100.0x cost difference. GPT-4o mini scores higher on quality benchmarks (ELO 1272). Choose GPT-4o mini for cost-sensitive workloads; both are strong choices depending on your budget.

Detailed Comparison

MetricGPT-4o miniClaude 3 Opus
Input Price / 1M tokens$0.15/1MCheaper$15.00/1M
Output Price / 1M tokens$0.60/1MCheaper$75.00/1M
Context Window128K200KLarger
ELO Score (LMSYS)1272Smarter1249
Open Source
Free Tier
Release Date2024-072024-03

Which is cheaper: GPT-4o mini or Claude 3 Opus?

GPT-4o mini is the cheaper option at $0.15/1M per 1M input tokens, compared to $15.00/1M for Claude 3 Opus. That is a 100.0x cost difference on input tokens. Output pricing follows a similar pattern: GPT-4o mini charges $0.60/1M/1M vs $75.00/1M/1M for Claude 3 Opus.

Which has better quality: GPT-4o mini or Claude 3 Opus?

Based on LMSYS Chatbot Arena rankings, GPT-4o mini achieves a higher ELO score (1272 vs 1249), suggesting stronger performance on open-ended tasks. GPT-4o mini excels at extremely low cost — cheapest flagship-family model. Claude 3 Opus is known for best claude model for creative writing.

Which should you choose: GPT-4o mini or Claude 3 Opus?

Choose GPT-4o mini if:
  • Extremely low cost — cheapest flagship-family model
  • Fast inference
  • Good at structured data extraction
Choose Claude 3 Opus if:
  • Best Claude model for creative writing
  • 200K context window
  • Deep, thoughtful long-form analysis

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper: GPT-4o mini or Claude 3 Opus?

GPT-4o mini is cheaper at $0.15/1M per 1M input tokens, making it 100.0x more affordable.

Which has better quality: GPT-4o mini or Claude 3 Opus?

GPT-4o mini scores higher on the LMSYS Chatbot Arena with an ELO of 1272, suggesting better overall quality for most tasks.

Which has a larger context window: GPT-4o mini or Claude 3 Opus?

Claude 3 Opus has a larger context window at 200K tokens.

Should I choose GPT-4o mini or Claude 3 Opus?

Choose GPT-4o mini if cost is the priority. Choose GPT-4o mini if benchmark quality is most important. Consider your specific use case: GPT-4o mini is best for customer-support and data-extraction, while Claude 3 Opus excels at creative-writing and research.

Is GPT-4o mini or Claude 3 Opus open source?

GPT-4o mini is proprietary. Claude 3 Opus is proprietary.

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