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Claude 3 Opus vs o1-mini

Claude 3 Opus vs o1-mini: o1-mini is cheaper for input-heavy usage ($1.10/M vs $15.00/M input tokens), while Claude 3 Opus is better for long-context tasks (200,000 tokens).

Direct answer: choose o1-mini for lower token spend and choose Claude 3 Opus when your workload needs longer context.

Compare input and output token pricing, context windows, and monthly cost estimates on one page so you can pick the cheaper model fast.

Anthropic
Claude 3 Opus
vs
OpenAI
o1-mini

Cost Comparison (1000 input + 500 output tokens, 100 requests/day)

Claude 3 Opus

Per Request:$0.0525
Daily:$5.25
Monthly:$157.50
Yearly:$1,916.25

o1-mini

Per Request:$0.003300
Daily:$0.33
Monthly:$9.90
Yearly:$120.45

Cost Differences

$0.0492
Per Request
$4.92
Daily
$147.60
Monthly
$1,795.80
Yearly

o1-mini costs less than Claude 3 Opus

Quick Recommendation

Winner for direct API pricing: o1-mini. At the default workload, o1-mini saves about $147.60/month ($1,795.80/year) versus Claude 3 Opus.

Feature Comparison

FeatureClaude 3 Opuso1-mini
ProviderAnthropicOpenAI
Input Price$15.00/1M tokens$1.10/1M tokens
Output Price$75.00/1M tokens$4.40/1M tokens
Context Window200,000 tokens128,000 tokens
Max Output4,096 tokens65,536 tokens
Categoryflagshipreasoning
Capabilities
textvisionreasoning
textreasoning
Release Date3/4/20249/12/2024

Claude 3 Opus vs o1-mini: Which Should You Choose?

Choosing between Claude 3 Opus and o1-mini depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. o1-mini is the more affordable option at $1.10/1M input tokens93% cheaper than Claude 3 Opus. Meanwhile, Claude 3 Opus offers a significantly larger context window at 200,000 tokens vs 128,000 for o1-mini.

These models come from different providers — Anthropic and OpenAI — which means different API ecosystems, SDKs, rate limits, and terms of service. If you're already integrated with Anthropic, switching to OpenAIinvolves migration effort beyond just pricing. Factor in your existing infrastructure when deciding.

These models target different tiers: Claude 3 Opus is a flagship model while o1-mini is reasoning. This means they're optimized for different workloads. Claude 3 Opus is built for complex tasks that require deeper reasoning, while o1-mini offers better value for routine operations.

Output costs matter too. Claude 3 Opus charges $75.00/1M output tokens vs $4.40 for o1-mini. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. o1-mini has the edge here at $4.40/1M output tokens.

Multimodal capabilities: Claude 3 Opus supports vision (image inputs) while o1-mini is text-only. If your application needs image understanding, this narrows your choice.

Best Use Cases

Choose Claude 3 Opus when:

  • • You need a larger context window (200,000 tokens)
  • • You need more capabilities (vision)
  • • You're already using Anthropic's API ecosystem

Choose o1-mini when:

  • • Budget is a primary concern
  • • You need longer outputs (up to 65,536 tokens)
  • • You're already using OpenAI's API ecosystem

Pros and Caveats at a Glance

Claude 3 Opus

  • Input pricing: $15.00/M tokens
  • Output pricing: $75.00/M tokens
  • Context window: 200,000 tokens
  • Max output: 4,096 tokens

Watch out for

  • Higher input cost than o1-mini
  • Higher output cost than o1-mini

o1-mini

  • Input pricing: $1.10/M tokens
  • Output pricing: $4.40/M tokens
  • Context window: 128,000 tokens
  • Max output: 65,536 tokens

Watch out for

  • Smaller context window than Claude 3 Opus

Try Different Scenarios

Use the calculator below to see how costs change with different usage patterns

Claude 3 Opus (Anthropic)

o1-mini (OpenAI)

Start using Claude 3 Opus today

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Start using o1-mini today

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, Claude 3 Opus or o1-mini?
o1-mini is cheaper for input tokens at $1.10 per million tokens vs $15.00 for Claude 3 Opus — that's 93% savings on input costs.
What is the context window difference between Claude 3 Opus and o1-mini?
Claude 3 Opus supports 200,000 tokens while o1-mini supports 128,000 tokens — a difference of 72,000 tokens in favor of Claude 3 Opus.
Which model is better for AI Chatbot?
Both models support text. For ai chatbot, o1-mini is the lower-cost option, while Claude 3 Opus offers a larger context window (200,000 vs 128,000 tokens). Choose o1-mini for budget sensitivity or Claude 3 Opus for longer context tasks.
Which model has better overall pricing for heavy usage?
At 100 requests/day with 1,000 input and 500 output tokens each, Claude 3 Opus costs about $157.50/month and o1-mini costs about $9.90/month. Overall, o1-mini has lower combined input + output rates ($1.10 in, $4.40 out) vs Claude 3 Opus.
Where can I compare Anthropic and OpenAI API pricing beyond this model matchup?
See the Anthropic vs OpenAI provider comparison page for lineup-level averages, then review each model page for exact per-token rates.

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