GPT-4o mini 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.
Updated
GPT-4o mini specs · GPT-5 mini specs- PriceGPT-4o mini
GPT-4o mini 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 2 for GPT-4o mini.
- OpennessTie
Both are closed-weight, API-only.
On balance GPT-5 mini edges ahead, winning 2 of 5 categories against GPT-4o mini's 1. GPT-4o mini 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, GPT-4o mini handles text, vision while GPT-5 mini handles text, vision, audio, which can be the deciding factor before you even look at benchmarks. Both are closed-weight, API-only.
GPT-5 mini is the newer of the two, released 13 months after GPT-4o mini, which usually means a more recent knowledge cutoff and updated safety post-training. GPT-4o mini is usually picked for customer support and summarization 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 | GPT-4o mini | GPT-5 mini |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | OpenAI |
| Released | Jul 2024 | Aug 2025 |
| Modalities | text, vision | 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 | No | 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.
- GPT-4o mini$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.
- MMLU82.0
GPT-4o mini fits when…
- Cheap
- Fast
- Mature
- Cost-sensitive workloads, 3.3× cheaper than GPT-5 mini on output tokens.
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 GPT-4o mini.
- Multimodal needs covering audio.
Consider GPT-5.5
OpenAI's mid-cycle GPT-5 refresh, improved reasoning, tool use, and multimodal grounding over the 2025 launch.
Frequently asked
Is GPT-4o mini or GPT-5 mini cheaper?
GPT-4o mini 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 GPT-4o mini.Is GPT-4o mini or GPT-5 mini better for coding?
Both GPT-4o mini 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?
Neither model ships open weights, both are accessible only via their respective providers' APIs.When were GPT-4o mini and GPT-5 mini released?
GPT-4o mini was released by OpenAI on 2024-07-18. GPT-5 mini was released by OpenAI on 2025-08-07.
The week's AI launches, in your inbox.
One short email every Friday, new models, leaks, and quietly-shipped APIs you missed.