GPT-4o vs o3
GPT-4o vs o3: o3 is cheaper for input-heavy usage ($2.00/M vs $2.50/M input tokens), while o3 is better for long-context tasks (1,000,000 tokens).
Direct answer: choose o3 for lower token spend and choose o3 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.
Cost Comparison (1000 input + 500 output tokens, 100 requests/day)
GPT-4o
o3
Cost Differences
o3 costs less than GPT-4o
Quick Recommendation
Winner for direct API pricing: o3. At the default workload, o3 saves about $4.50/month ($54.75/year) versus GPT-4o.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | GPT-4o | o3 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | OpenAI |
| Input Price | $2.50/1M tokens | $2.00/1M tokens |
| Output Price | $10.00/1M tokens | $8.00/1M tokens |
| Context Window | 128,000 tokens | 1,000,000 tokens |
| Max Output | 16,384 tokens | 131,072 tokens |
| Category | flagship | reasoning |
| Capabilities | textvisionaudio | textreasoningvisioncode |
| Release Date | 5/13/2024 | 4/16/2025 |
GPT-4o vs o3: Which Should You Choose?
Choosing between GPT-4o and o3 depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. o3 is the more affordable option at $2.00/1M input tokens — 20% cheaper than GPT-4o. Meanwhile, o3 offers a significantly larger context window at 1,000,000 tokens vs 128,000 for GPT-4o.
These models target different tiers: GPT-4o is a flagship model while o3 is reasoning. This means they're optimized for different workloads. GPT-4o is built for complex tasks that require deeper reasoning, while o3 offers better value for routine operations.
Output costs matter too. GPT-4o charges $10.00/1M output tokens vs $8.00 for o3. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. o3 has the edge here at $8.00/1M output tokens.
Multimodal capabilities: Both models support vision (image understanding), so you can send images alongside text prompts with either option.
Best Use Cases
Choose GPT-4o when:
- • You're already using OpenAI's API ecosystem
Choose o3 when:
- • Budget is a primary concern
- • You need a larger context window (1,000,000 tokens)
- • You need more capabilities (reasoning, code)
- • You need longer outputs (up to 131,072 tokens)
- • You're already using OpenAI's API ecosystem
Pros and Caveats at a Glance
GPT-4o
- • Input pricing: $2.50/M tokens
- • Output pricing: $10.00/M tokens
- • Context window: 128,000 tokens
- • Max output: 16,384 tokens
Watch out for
- • Higher input cost than o3
- • Higher output cost than o3
- • Smaller context window than o3
o3
- • Input pricing: $2.00/M tokens
- • Output pricing: $8.00/M tokens
- • Context window: 1,000,000 tokens
- • Max output: 131,072 tokens
Watch out for
- • Trade-offs are minor in this matchup.
Try Different Scenarios
Use the calculator below to see how costs change with different usage patterns
GPT-4o (OpenAI)
o3 (OpenAI)
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