o4-mini vs o3
Pricing, context window, and benchmark comparison · Last updated April 2026
o4-mini is cheaper than o3 at $1.10/1M/1M vs $2.00/1M/1M input tokens — a 1.8x cost difference. o3 scores higher on quality benchmarks (ELO 1395). Choose o4-mini for cost-sensitive workloads; choose o3 for maximum quality.
Which is cheaper: o4-mini or o3?
o4-mini is the cheaper option at $1.10/1M per 1M input tokens, compared to $2.00/1M for o3. That is a 1.8x cost difference on input tokens. Output pricing follows a similar pattern: o4-mini charges $4.40/1M/1M vs $8.00/1M/1M for o3.
Which has better quality: o4-mini or o3?
Based on LMSYS Chatbot Arena rankings, o3 achieves a higher ELO score (1395 vs 1350), suggesting stronger performance on open-ended tasks. o4-mini excels at cheapest reasoning model in the openai lineup. o3 is known for top-tier reasoning on math, science, and agentic tasks.
Which should you choose: o4-mini or o3?
- → Cheapest reasoning model in the OpenAI lineup
- → Strong performance on code and math for the price
- → 200K context window
- → Top-tier reasoning on math, science, and agentic tasks
- → 87% cheaper than original o1 at the same capability tier
- → 200K context window
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper: o4-mini or o3?
o4-mini is cheaper at $1.10/1M per 1M input tokens, making it 1.8x more affordable.
Which has better quality: o4-mini or o3?
o3 scores higher on the LMSYS Chatbot Arena with an ELO of 1395, suggesting better overall quality for most tasks.
Which has a larger context window: o4-mini or o3?
Both o4-mini and o3 have the same context window.
Should I choose o4-mini or o3?
Choose o4-mini if cost is the priority. Choose o3 if benchmark quality is most important. Consider your specific use case: o4-mini is best for reasoning and coding, while o3 excels at reasoning and math.
Is o4-mini or o3 open source?
o4-mini is proprietary. o3 is proprietary.