OpenAI o3 vs O1 Preview

Performance benchmarks + pricing comparison — updated April 2026

OpenAI o3

OpenAI

Next generation reasoning model. Improved coding and math over o1.

Input$10.00/M
Output$40.00/M
Context200K tokens
Best ForAdvanced coding, complex problem-solving
Benchmark85/100

O1 Preview

OpenAI

OpenAI's first reasoning model. Strong at complex problem solving but expensive.

Input$15.00/M
Output$60.00/M
Context128K tokens
Best ForComplex math, science, algorithm design

Cost Comparison by Scenario

Estimated cost per project with 30% cache hit rate. Actual costs may vary based on usage patterns.

ScenarioOpenAI o3O1 PreviewSavings
Small Script (1K lines) $1.55 $2.32 OpenAI o3 saves $0.77 (33%)
Medium Feature (10K lines) $11.50 $17.25 OpenAI o3 saves $5.75 (33%)
Large Project (50K lines) $57.50 $86.25 OpenAI o3 saves $28.75 (33%)
Code Review (5K lines) $2.75 $4.13 OpenAI o3 saves $1.38 (33%)

Verdict

OpenAI o3 wins on both price and performance — $10.00/M input with a benchmark score of N/A/100.

For most developers, this is the clear choice between these two models.

Compare with Other Models