GPT-4o mini vs Microsoft Phi-4
Performance benchmarks + pricing comparison — updated April 2026
GPT-4o mini
OpenAIAffordable small model. Fast and cost-effective for high-volume coding tasks.
| Input | $0.150/M |
| Output | $0.600/M |
| Context | 128K tokens |
| Best For | High-volume tasks, simple coding, cost-sensitive projects |
| Benchmark | 58/100 |
Microsoft Phi-4
MicrosoftMicrosoft's compact 14B model with strong reasoning and coding capability. Excellent value for small-scale deployments.
| Input | $0.100/M |
| Output | $0.300/M |
| Context | 128K tokens |
| Best For | Edge deployments, local inference, budget coding |
| Benchmark | 45/100 |
Benchmark Performance Comparison
Third-party benchmark scores — higher is better. Data sourced from SWE-bench, LiveCodeBench, HumanEval, and BigCodeBench.
| Benchmark | GPT-4o mini | Microsoft Phi-4 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 58 | 45 | GPT-4o Mini leads by 13pts |
| SWE-bench Verified | 50 | 38 | GPT-4o Mini leads by 12pts |
| LiveCodeBench | 60 | 46 | GPT-4o Mini leads by 14pts |
| HumanEval | 78 | 68 | GPT-4o Mini leads by 10pts |
| BigCodeBench | 44 | 30 | GPT-4o Mini leads by 14pts |
Cost Comparison by Scenario
Estimated cost per project with 30% cache hit rate. Actual costs may vary based on usage patterns.
| Scenario | GPT-4o mini | Microsoft Phi-4 | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Script (1K lines) | $0.02 | $0.01 | Microsoft Phi-4 saves $0.01 (49%) |
| Medium Feature (10K lines) | $0.18 | $0.10 | Microsoft Phi-4 saves $0.09 (48%) |
| Large Project (50K lines) | $0.92 | $0.47 | Microsoft Phi-4 saves $0.44 (48%) |
| Code Review (5K lines) | $0.05 | $0.02 | Microsoft Phi-4 saves $0.02 (47%) |
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-4o mini | 58 | $0.003/pt | Higher cost per point |
| Microsoft Phi-4 | 45 | $0.002/pt | Better value |
Microsoft Phi-4 delivers the best value at $0.002 per score point.
Strengths & Weaknesses
GPT-4o mini
- + Very cheap
- + Fast responses
- - Struggles with multi-step reasoning
Microsoft Phi-4
- + Small model, runs locally
- - Limited capacity
Verdict
Microsoft Phi-4 is cheaper at $0.100/M, but GPT-4o mini scores higher on benchmarks (58 vs 45).
Choose Microsoft Phi-4 for cost-sensitive projects, GPT-4o mini when performance matters most.
Compare with Other Models
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