GPT-3.5 Turbo vs GPT-4.1 mini
Performance benchmarks + pricing comparison — updated April 2026
GPT-3.5 Turbo
OpenAIBudget model for simple tasks. Being phased out but still widely used.
| Input | $0.500/M |
| Output | $1.50/M |
| Context | 16K tokens |
| Best For | Simple chatbots, basic text generation |
| Benchmark | 40/100 |
GPT-4.1 mini
OpenAICost-optimized GPT-4.1 variant. Strong coding capability at budget pricing, replacing GPT-4o mini for many use cases.
| Input | $0.400/M |
| Output | $1.60/M |
| Context | 128K tokens |
| Best For | High-volume coding, cost-sensitive projects, automation |
| Benchmark | 68/100 |
Benchmark Performance Comparison
Third-party benchmark scores — higher is better. Data sourced from SWE-bench, LiveCodeBench, HumanEval, and BigCodeBench.
| Benchmark | GPT-3.5 Turbo | GPT-4.1 mini | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 40 | 68 | GPT-4.1 Mini leads by 28pts |
| SWE-bench Verified | 32 | 62 | GPT-4.1 Mini leads by 30pts |
| LiveCodeBench | 42 | 70 | GPT-4.1 Mini leads by 28pts |
| HumanEval | 62 | 86 | GPT-4.1 Mini leads by 24pts |
| BigCodeBench | 26 | 54 | GPT-4.1 Mini leads by 28pts |
Cost Comparison by Scenario
Estimated cost per project with 30% cache hit rate. Actual costs may vary based on usage patterns.
| Scenario | GPT-3.5 Turbo | GPT-4.1 mini | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Script (1K lines) | $0.06 | $0.06 | GPT-4.1 mini saves <$0.01 (1%) |
| Medium Feature (10K lines) | $0.48 | $0.46 | GPT-4.1 mini saves $0.01 (3%) |
| Large Project (50K lines) | $2.38 | $2.30 | GPT-4.1 mini saves $0.07 (3%) |
| Code Review (5K lines) | $0.13 | $0.11 | GPT-4.1 mini saves $0.01 (12%) |
Value Analysis (Price per Benchmark Score Point)
Lower is better — how much you pay for each point of benchmark performance.
| Model | Overall Score | Price per Score Point | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-3.5 Turbo | 40 | $0.013/pt | Better value |
| GPT-4.1 mini | 68 | $0.022/pt | Higher cost per point |
GPT-3.5 Turbo delivers the best value at $0.013 per score point.
Strengths & Weaknesses
GPT-3.5 Turbo
- + Ultra-cheap
- + Very fast
- - Basic coding only
GPT-4.1 mini
- + Good value
- + Latest architecture
- - Mini variant limitations
Verdict
GPT-4.1 mini wins on both price and performance — $0.400/M input with a benchmark score of 68/100.
For most developers, this is the clear choice between these two models.
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