o3 vs o1
Pricing, context window, and benchmark comparison · Last updated April 2026
o3 is cheaper than o1 at $10.00/1M/1M vs $15.00/1M/1M input tokens — a 1.5x cost difference. o3 scores higher on quality benchmarks (ELO 1380). Choose o3 for cost-sensitive workloads; both are strong choices depending on your budget.
Which is cheaper: o3 or o1?
o3 is the cheaper option at $10.00/1M per 1M input tokens, compared to $15.00/1M for o1. That is a 1.5x cost difference on input tokens. Output pricing follows a similar pattern: o3 charges $40.00/1M/1M vs $60.00/1M/1M for o1.
Which has better quality: o3 or o1?
Based on LMSYS Chatbot Arena rankings, o3 achieves a higher ELO score (1380 vs 1350), suggesting stronger performance on open-ended tasks. o3 excels at highest reasoning benchmark scores of any model. o1 is known for best-in-class reasoning on complex problems.
Which should you choose: o3 or o1?
- → Highest reasoning benchmark scores of any model
- → Better cost-efficiency than o1 at similar quality
- → Superior at agentic and multi-step tasks
- → Best-in-class reasoning on complex problems
- → Exceptional at math, science, and formal logic
- → Large 200K context window
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper: o3 or o1?
o3 is cheaper at $10.00/1M per 1M input tokens, making it 1.5x more affordable.
Which has better quality: o3 or o1?
o3 scores higher on the LMSYS Chatbot Arena with an ELO of 1380, suggesting better overall quality for most tasks.
Which has a larger context window: o3 or o1?
Both o3 and o1 have the same context window.
Should I choose o3 or o1?
Choose o3 if cost is the priority. Choose o3 if benchmark quality is most important. Consider your specific use case: o3 is best for reasoning and math, while o1 excels at reasoning and math.
Is o3 or o1 open source?
o3 is proprietary. o1 is proprietary.