OpenAI o1 vs GPT-4.1
Performance benchmarks + pricing comparison — updated April 2026
OpenAI o1
OpenAIReasoning model optimized for complex problem-solving. Excels at math, science, and advanced coding.
| Input | $15.00/M |
| Output | $60.00/M |
| Context | 200K tokens |
| Best For | Complex math, advanced coding, scientific reasoning |
| Benchmark | 83/100 |
GPT-4.1
OpenAIUpdated GPT-4 generation with improved instruction following and reduced hallucination. Better coding accuracy than GPT-4o.
| Input | $2.00/M |
| Output | $8.00/M |
| Context | 128K tokens |
| Best For | Production coding, API development, complex instructions |
| Benchmark | 80/100 |
Benchmark Performance Comparison
Third-party benchmark scores — higher is better. Data sourced from SWE-bench, LiveCodeBench, HumanEval, and BigCodeBench.
| Benchmark | OpenAI o1 | GPT-4.1 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 83 | 80 | o1 leads by 3pts |
| SWE-bench Verified | 80 | 76 | o1 leads by 4pts |
| LiveCodeBench | 84 | 82 | o1 leads by 2pts |
| HumanEval | 95 | 94 | o1 leads by 1pts |
| BigCodeBench | 73 | 68 | o1 leads by 5pts |
Cost Comparison by Scenario
Estimated cost per project with 30% cache hit rate. Actual costs may vary based on usage patterns.
| Scenario | OpenAI o1 | GPT-4.1 | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Script (1K lines) | $2.32 | $0.31 | GPT-4.1 saves $2.01 (87%) |
| Medium Feature (10K lines) | $17.25 | $2.30 | GPT-4.1 saves $14.95 (87%) |
| Large Project (50K lines) | $86.25 | $11.50 | GPT-4.1 saves $74.75 (87%) |
| Code Review (5K lines) | $4.13 | $0.55 | GPT-4.1 saves $3.58 (87%) |
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 | 83 | $0.181/pt | Higher cost per point |
| GPT-4.1 | 80 | $0.063/pt | Better value |
GPT-4.1 delivers the best value at $0.063 per score point.
Strengths & Weaknesses
OpenAI o1
- + Strong step-by-step reasoning
- + Best at math-heavy coding
- - Expensive
- - Slow
GPT-4.1
- + Latest GPT model
- + Strong across all benchmarks
- - Premium pricing
Verdict
GPT-4.1 is cheaper at $2.00/M, but OpenAI o1 scores higher on benchmarks (83 vs 80).
Choose GPT-4.1 for cost-sensitive projects, OpenAI o1 when performance matters most.
Compare with Other Models
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