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GPT-4 Turbo vs o4-mini

Compare OpenAI and OpenAI AI models

OpenAI
GPT-4 Turbo
vs
OpenAI
o4-mini

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

GPT-4 Turbo

Per Request:$0.025
Daily:$2.50
Monthly:$75.00
Yearly:$912.50

o4-mini

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

Cost Differences

$0.0217
Per Request
$2.17
Daily
$65.10
Monthly
$792.05
Yearly

o4-mini costs less than GPT-4 Turbo

Feature Comparison

FeatureGPT-4 Turboo4-mini
ProviderOpenAIOpenAI
Input Price$10.00/1M tokens$1.10/1M tokens
Output Price$30.00/1M tokens$4.40/1M tokens
Context Window128,000 tokens2,000,000 tokens
Max Output4,096 tokens131,072 tokens
Categoryflagshipreasoning
Capabilities
textvisioncode
textreasoningcode
Release Date4/9/20244/16/2025

GPT-4 Turbo vs o4-mini: Which Should You Choose?

Choosing between GPT-4 Turbo and o4-mini depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. o4-mini is the more affordable option at $1.10/1M input tokens89% cheaper than GPT-4 Turbo. Meanwhile, o4-mini offers a significantly larger context window at 2,000,000 tokens vs 128,000 for GPT-4 Turbo.

These models target different tiers: GPT-4 Turbo is a flagship model while o4-mini is reasoning. This means they're optimized for different workloads. GPT-4 Turbo is built for complex tasks that require deeper reasoning, while o4-mini offers better value for routine operations.

Output costs matter too. GPT-4 Turbo charges $30.00/1M output tokens vs $4.40 for o4-mini. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. o4-mini has the edge here at $4.40/1M output tokens.

Multimodal capabilities: GPT-4 Turbo supports vision (image inputs) while o4-mini is text-only. If your application needs image understanding, this narrows your choice.

Best Use Cases

Choose GPT-4 Turbo when:

  • • You're already using OpenAI's API ecosystem

Choose o4-mini when:

  • • Budget is a primary concern
  • • You need a larger context window (2,000,000 tokens)
  • • You need longer outputs (up to 131,072 tokens)
  • • You're already using OpenAI's API ecosystem

Try Different Scenarios

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

GPT-4 Turbo (OpenAI)

o4-mini (OpenAI)

Start using GPT-4 Turbo today

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Start using o4-mini today

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, GPT-4 Turbo or o4-mini?
o4-mini is cheaper for input tokens at $1.10 per million tokens vs $10.00 for GPT-4 Turbo — that's 89% savings on input costs.
What is the context window difference between GPT-4 Turbo and o4-mini?
GPT-4 Turbo supports 128,000 tokens while o4-mini supports 2,000,000 tokens — a difference of 1,872,000 tokens in favor of o4-mini.
Which model is better for AI Chatbot?
Both models support text. For ai chatbot, o4-mini is the lower-cost option, while o4-mini offers a larger context window (2,000,000 vs 128,000 tokens). Choose o4-mini for budget sensitivity or o4-mini 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, GPT-4 Turbo costs about $75.00/month and o4-mini costs about $9.90/month. Overall, o4-mini has lower combined input + output rates ($1.10 in, $4.40 out) vs GPT-4 Turbo.

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