OpenAI o1-mini vs GPT-4.1 mini
Performance benchmarks + pricing comparison — updated April 2026
OpenAI o1-mini
OpenAICost-effective reasoning model. Good for coding tasks that require logical reasoning.
| Input | $1.10/M |
| Output | $4.40/M |
| Context | 128K tokens |
| Best For | Coding logic, debugging, algorithm design |
| Benchmark | 70/100 |
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 | OpenAI o1-mini | GPT-4.1 mini | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70 | 68 | o1-mini leads by 2pts |
| SWE-bench Verified | 64 | 62 | o1-mini leads by 2pts |
| LiveCodeBench | 72 | 70 | o1-mini leads by 2pts |
| HumanEval | 90 | 86 | o1-mini leads by 4pts |
| BigCodeBench | 54 | 54 | o1-mini leads by 0pts |
Cost Comparison by Scenario
Estimated cost per project with 30% cache hit rate. Actual costs may vary based on usage patterns.
| Scenario | OpenAI o1-mini | GPT-4.1 mini | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Script (1K lines) | $0.17 | $0.06 | GPT-4.1 mini saves $0.11 (64%) |
| Medium Feature (10K lines) | $1.27 | $0.46 | GPT-4.1 mini saves $0.81 (64%) |
| Large Project (50K lines) | $6.33 | $2.30 | GPT-4.1 mini saves $4.03 (64%) |
| Code Review (5K lines) | $0.30 | $0.11 | GPT-4.1 mini saves $0.19 (64%) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI o1-mini | 70 | $0.016/pt | Better value |
| GPT-4.1 mini | 68 | $0.022/pt | Higher cost per point |
OpenAI o1-mini delivers the best value at $0.016 per score point.
Strengths & Weaknesses
OpenAI o1-mini
- + Reasoning at lower cost
- + Good for competitive programming
- - Slower than standard models
GPT-4.1 mini
- + Good value
- + Latest architecture
- - Mini variant limitations
Verdict
GPT-4.1 mini is cheaper at $0.400/M, but OpenAI o1-mini scores higher on benchmarks (70 vs 68).
Choose GPT-4.1 mini for cost-sensitive projects, OpenAI o1-mini when performance matters most.
Compare with Other Models
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