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Codex Mini vs GPT-5.5 Pro

Codex Mini vs GPT-5.5 Pro: Codex Mini is cheaper for input-heavy usage ($1.50/M vs $30.00/M input tokens), while GPT-5.5 Pro is better for long-context tasks (1,050,000 tokens).

Direct answer: choose Codex Mini for lower token spend and choose GPT-5.5 Pro when your workload needs longer context.

Common pricing searches covered on this page: Codex Mini vs GPT-5.5 Pro • Codex Mini vs GPT-5.5 Pro pricing • Codex Mini vs GPT-5.5 Pro API pricing and codex mini vs 5 5 pro pricing.

OpenAI
Codex Mini
vs
OpenAI
GPT-5.5 Pro

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

Codex Mini

Per Request:$0.004500
Daily:$0.45
Monthly:$13.50
Yearly:$164.25

GPT-5.5 Pro

Per Request:$0.12
Daily:$12.00
Monthly:$360.00
Yearly:$4,380.00

Cost Differences

+$0.1155
Per Request
+$11.55
Daily
+$346.50
Monthly
+$4,215.75
Yearly

GPT-5.5 Pro costs more than Codex Mini

Quick Recommendation

Winner for direct API pricing: Codex Mini. At the default workload, Codex Mini saves about $346.50/month ($4,215.75/year) versus GPT-5.5 Pro.

Feature Comparison

FeatureCodex MiniGPT-5.5 Pro
ProviderOpenAIOpenAI
Input Price$1.50/1M tokens$30.00/1M tokens
Output Price$6.00/1M tokens$180.00/1M tokens
Context Window200,000 tokens1,050,000 tokens
Max Output32,768 tokens128,000 tokens
Categoryefficientreasoning
Capabilities
textcodereasoning
textvisioncodereasoning
Release Date2/2/20264/24/2026

Codex Mini vs GPT-5.5 Pro: Which Should You Choose?

Choosing between Codex Mini and GPT-5.5 Pro depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. Codex Mini is the more affordable option at $1.50/1M input tokens95% cheaper than GPT-5.5 Pro. Meanwhile, GPT-5.5 Pro offers a significantly larger context window at 1,050,000 tokens vs 200,000 for Codex Mini.

These models target different tiers: Codex Mini is a efficient model while GPT-5.5 Pro is reasoning. This means they're optimized for different workloads. GPT-5.5 Pro targets more demanding workloads, while Codex Mini provides a cost-effective option for everyday tasks.

Output costs matter too. Codex Mini charges $6.00/1M output tokens vs $180.00 for GPT-5.5 Pro. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. Codex Mini has the edge here at $6.00/1M output tokens.

Multimodal capabilities: GPT-5.5 Pro supports vision (image inputs) while Codex Mini is text-only. If your application needs image understanding, this narrows your choice.

Best Use Cases

Choose Codex Mini when:

  • • Budget is a primary concern
  • • You're already using OpenAI's API ecosystem
  • • You're running high-volume, latency-sensitive workloads

Choose GPT-5.5 Pro when:

  • • You need a larger context window (1,050,000 tokens)
  • • You need more capabilities (vision)
  • • You need longer outputs (up to 128,000 tokens)
  • • You're already using OpenAI's API ecosystem

Pros and Caveats at a Glance

Codex Mini

  • Input pricing: $1.50/M tokens
  • Output pricing: $6.00/M tokens
  • Context window: 200,000 tokens
  • Max output: 32,768 tokens

Watch out for

  • Smaller context window than GPT-5.5 Pro

GPT-5.5 Pro

  • Input pricing: $30.00/M tokens
  • Output pricing: $180.00/M tokens
  • Context window: 1,050,000 tokens
  • Max output: 128,000 tokens

Watch out for

  • Higher input cost than Codex Mini
  • Higher output cost than Codex Mini

Try Different Scenarios

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

Codex Mini (OpenAI)

GPT-5.5 Pro (OpenAI)

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Start using GPT-5.5 Pro today

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, Codex Mini or GPT-5.5 Pro?
Codex Mini is cheaper for input tokens at $1.50 per million tokens vs $30.00 for GPT-5.5 Pro — that's 95% savings on input costs.
What is the context window difference between Codex Mini and GPT-5.5 Pro?
Codex Mini supports 200,000 tokens while GPT-5.5 Pro supports 1,050,000 tokens — a difference of 850,000 tokens in favor of GPT-5.5 Pro.
Which model is better for AI Agent / Agentic Workflows?
Both models support text, code, reasoning. For ai agent / agentic workflows, Codex Mini is the lower-cost option, while GPT-5.5 Pro offers a larger context window (1,050,000 vs 200,000 tokens). Choose Codex Mini for budget sensitivity or GPT-5.5 Pro 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, Codex Mini costs about $13.50/month and GPT-5.5 Pro costs about $360.00/month. Overall, Codex Mini has lower combined input + output rates ($1.50 in, $6.00 out) vs GPT-5.5 Pro.

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