OpenAI o3-mini vs OpenAI o4-mini
Side-by-side pricing and cost comparison for AI coding projects.
OpenAI o3-mini
OpenAIAffordable reasoning model for coding tasks. Best price-performance for algorithm-heavy work.
| Input | $1.10/M |
| Output | $4.40/M |
| Context | 200K tokens |
| Best For | Algorithm design, coding challenges, debugging |
OpenAI o4-mini
OpenAIUpdated mini reasoning model. Similar pricing to o3-mini with updated capabilities.
| Input | $1.10/M |
| Output | $4.40/M |
| Context | 200K tokens |
| Best For | General reasoning, coding tasks |
Cost Comparison by Scenario
| Scenario | OpenAI o3-mini | OpenAI o4-mini | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Script (1K lines) | $0.17 | $0.17 | OpenAI o3-mini saves <$0.01 (0%) |
| Medium Feature (10K lines) | $1.27 | $1.27 | OpenAI o3-mini saves <$0.01 (0%) |
| Large Project (50K lines) | $6.33 | $6.33 | OpenAI o3-mini saves <$0.01 (0%) |
| Code Review (5K lines) | $0.30 | $0.30 | OpenAI o3-mini saves <$0.01 (0%) |
Verdict
OpenAI o3-mini is cheaper at $1.10/M input vs $1.10/M for OpenAI o4-mini.
For a typical medium feature project, OpenAI o3-mini costs $1.27 compared to $1.27 for OpenAI o4-mini.
However, OpenAI o4-mini may offer general reasoning, coding tasks — choose based on your specific needs.
Compare with Other Models
Claude Sonnet 4
AnthropicAnthropic's balanced model for coding and general tasks. Best price-performance ratio in the Claude family.
Claude Opus 4
AnthropicAnthropic's most powerful model. Best for complex reasoning and challenging coding tasks.
Claude 3.5 Sonnet
AnthropicPrevious generation Sonnet. Still excellent for coding tasks at the same price point.
Claude 3.5 Haiku
AnthropicFast, cost-effective model for high-volume tasks. Great for code review and simple queries.
Claude 3 Opus
AnthropicFirst generation Opus. Highest reasoning capability in the Claude 3 family.
Claude 3 Sonnet
AnthropicFirst generation Sonnet. Balanced performance for general tasks.