Command R (08-2024) vs GPT-5 mini
A complete head-to-head: pricing, context window, benchmarks, modality coverage, and openness, with a programmatic verdict synthesized from the underlying data.
- PriceCommand R (08-2024)
Command R (08-2024) is roughly 3.3× cheaper on output tokens ($0.60 vs $2.00 per 1M).
- Context windowGPT-5 mini
GPT-5 mini accepts 400K tokens vs 128K, 3.1× the room for long documents and codebases.
- BenchmarksTie
No directly comparable public benchmarks are available for both models, check the spec sheets for individual scores.
- ModalitiesGPT-5 mini
GPT-5 mini supports 3 modalities (text, vision, audio) vs 1 for Command R (08-2024).
- OpennessCommand R (08-2024)
Command R (08-2024) ships open weights (CC-BY-NC 4.0); GPT-5 mini is API-only.
It's a genuine coin-flip between Command R (08-2024) and GPT-5 mini: 2 category wins each, with the rest tied. Command R (08-2024) is roughly 3.3× cheaper on output tokens ($0.60 vs $2.00 per 1M). GPT-5 mini accepts 400K tokens vs 128K, 3.1× the room for long documents and codebases.
No directly comparable public benchmarks are available for both models, check the spec sheets for individual scores. They differ in modality coverage, Command R (08-2024) handles text while GPT-5 mini handles text, vision, audio, which can be the deciding factor before you even look at benchmarks. Command R (08-2024) ships open weights (CC-BY-NC 4.0); GPT-5 mini is API-only.
GPT-5 mini is the newer of the two, released 11 months after Command R (08-2024), which usually means a more recent knowledge cutoff and updated safety post-training. Command R (08-2024) is usually picked for rag and multilingual workloads, while GPT-5 mini sees more deployments in code completion and customer support. If pricing matters more than every last benchmark point, run the numbers in the calculator below before committing.
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | Command R (08-2024) | GPT-5 mini |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Cohere | OpenAI |
| Released | Aug 2024 | Aug 2025 |
| Modalities | text | text, vision, audio |
| Context window | 128K tokens | 400K tokens |
| Max output | , | 128K tokens |
| Input · 1M | $0.15 / 1M tokens | $0.25 / 1M tokens |
| Output · 1M | $0.60 / 1M tokens | $2.00 / 1M tokens |
| Knowledge cutoff | , | 2024-09 |
| Open weights | Yes (CC-BY-NC 4.0) | No |
| API available | Yes | Yes |
Pricing at scale
What you'd actually pay at typical workloads. Numbers come from each model's published per-million-token rates.
- Light usage, 100k in / 50k out per day$1.35 vs $3.75
- Heavy usage, 1M in / 500k out per day$13.50 vs $37.50
- RAG workload, 5M in / 200k out per day$26.10 vs $49.50
Light usage, 100k in / 50k out per day: $1.35 vs $3.75 per month, model A comes out ahead. Heavy usage, 1M in / 500k out per day: $13.50 vs $37.50 per month, model A comes out ahead. RAG workload, 5M in / 200k out per day: $26.10 vs $49.50 per month, model A comes out ahead.
Estimated spend for the listed models at your usage. Numbers are derived from each model's published per-million-token rates.
- Command R (08-2024)$0.045
- GPT-5 mini$0.125
Benchmarks compared
Only sourced numbers. Where a benchmark is missing for one model we show the available value rather than fabricating the other.
Command R (08-2024) fits when…
- Improved tool-use
- Strong multilingual
- Cost-sensitive workloads, 3.3× cheaper than GPT-5 mini on output tokens.
- Self-hosting and on-prem requirements, open weights (CC-BY-NC 4.0).
GPT-5 mini fits when…
- Excellent price-quality ratio for production workloads
- Fast first-token latency
- Same tool-use API surface as flagship
- Long-context tasks, handles 400K tokens vs 128K for Command R (08-2024).
- Multimodal needs covering vision, audio.
Consider Command R+ (08-2024)
Cohere's flagship optimized for RAG and tool use in enterprise settings.
Frequently asked
Is Command R (08-2024) or GPT-5 mini cheaper?
Command R (08-2024) is cheaper at $0.60 / 1M tokens per million output tokens, vs $2.00 / 1M tokens for GPT-5 mini.Which has the larger context window?
GPT-5 mini accepts 400K tokens vs 128K for Command R (08-2024).Is Command R (08-2024) or GPT-5 mini better for coding?
Both Command R (08-2024) and GPT-5 mini are competitive on coding benchmarks. See each model's individual spec page for HumanEval and SWE-bench scores where published. For an opinionated pick, consult our Best LLM for Coding ranking.Are either of these models open source?
Command R (08-2024) ships open weights (CC-BY-NC 4.0). GPT-5 mini is API-only.When were Command R (08-2024) and GPT-5 mini released?
Command R (08-2024) was released by Cohere on 2024-08-30. GPT-5 mini was released by OpenAI on 2025-08-07.
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