GPT-4o vs o4-mini Deep Research

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OpenAI

GPT-4o

OpenAI

o4-mini Deep Research

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

GPT-4o

Per Request:$0.007500

Daily:$0.75

Monthly:$22.50

Yearly:$273.75

o4-mini Deep Research

Per Request:$0.006000

Daily:$0.60

Monthly:$18.00

Yearly:$219.00

Cost Differences

$0.001500

Per Request

$0.15

Daily

$4.50

Monthly

$54.75

Yearly

o4-mini Deep Research costs less than GPT-4o

Feature Comparison

Feature	GPT-4o	o4-mini Deep Research
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	200,000 tokens
Max Output	16,384 tokens	32,768 tokens
Category	flagship	reasoning
Capabilities	textvisionaudio	textreasoningcode
Release Date	5/13/2024	6/26/2025

GPT-4o vs o4-mini Deep Research: Which Should You Choose?

Choosing between GPT-4o and o4-mini Deep Research depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. o4-mini Deep Research is the more affordable option at $2.00/1M input tokens — 20% cheaper than GPT-4o. Meanwhile, o4-mini Deep Research offers a significantly larger context window at 200,000 tokens vs 128,000 for GPT-4o.

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

Output costs matter too. GPT-4o charges $10.00/1M output tokens vs $8.00 for o4-mini Deep Research. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. o4-mini Deep Research has the edge here at $8.00/1M output tokens.

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

Best Use Cases

Choose GPT-4o when:

• You're already using OpenAI's API ecosystem

Choose o4-mini Deep Research when:

• Budget is a primary concern
• You need a larger context window (200,000 tokens)
• You need longer outputs (up to 32,768 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-4o (OpenAI)

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o4-mini Deep Research (OpenAI)

Cost Calculator

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Start using GPT-4o today

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, GPT-4o or o4-mini Deep Research?▼

o4-mini Deep Research is cheaper for input tokens at $2.00 per million tokens vs $2.50 for GPT-4o — that's 20% savings on input costs.

What is the context window difference between GPT-4o and o4-mini Deep Research?▼

GPT-4o supports 128,000 tokens while o4-mini Deep Research supports 200,000 tokens — a difference of 72,000 tokens in favor of o4-mini Deep Research.

Which model is better for AI Chatbot?▼

Both models support text. For ai chatbot, o4-mini Deep Research is the lower-cost option, while o4-mini Deep Research offers a larger context window (200,000 vs 128,000 tokens). Choose o4-mini Deep Research for budget sensitivity or o4-mini Deep Research 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-4o costs about $22.50/month and o4-mini Deep Research costs about $18.00/month. Overall, o4-mini Deep Research has lower combined input + output rates ($2.00 in, $8.00 out) vs GPT-4o.