GPT-5.5 vs o4-mini Deep Research
GPT-5.5 vs o4-mini Deep Research: o4-mini Deep Research is cheaper for input-heavy usage ($2.00/M vs $5.00/M input tokens), while GPT-5.5 is better for long-context tasks (1,050,000 tokens).
Direct answer: choose o4-mini Deep Research for lower token spend and choose GPT-5.5 when your workload needs longer context.
Common pricing searches covered on this page: GPT-5.5 vs o4-mini Deep Research • GPT-5.5 vs o4-mini Deep Research pricing • GPT-5.5 vs o4-mini Deep Research API pricing and 5 5 vs o4 mini deep research pricing.
Cost Comparison (1000 input + 500 output tokens, 100 requests/day)
GPT-5.5
o4-mini Deep Research
Cost Differences
o4-mini Deep Research costs less than GPT-5.5
Quick Recommendation
Winner for direct API pricing: o4-mini Deep Research. At the default workload, o4-mini Deep Research saves about $42.00/month ($511.00/year) versus GPT-5.5.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | GPT-5.5 | o4-mini Deep Research |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | OpenAI |
| Input Price | $5.00/1M tokens | $2.00/1M tokens |
| Output Price | $30.00/1M tokens | $8.00/1M tokens |
| Context Window | 1,050,000 tokens | 200,000 tokens |
| Max Output | 128,000 tokens | 32,768 tokens |
| Category | flagship | reasoning |
| Capabilities | textvisioncodereasoning | textreasoningcode |
| Release Date | 4/24/2026 | 6/26/2025 |
GPT-5.5 vs o4-mini Deep Research: Which Should You Choose?
Choosing between GPT-5.5 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 — 60% cheaper than GPT-5.5. Meanwhile, GPT-5.5 offers a significantly larger context window at 1,050,000 tokens vs 200,000 for o4-mini Deep Research.
These models target different tiers: GPT-5.5 is a flagship model while o4-mini Deep Research is reasoning. This means they're optimized for different workloads. GPT-5.5 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-5.5 charges $30.00/1M 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-5.5 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-5.5 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
Choose o4-mini Deep Research when:
- • Budget is a primary concern
- • You're already using OpenAI's API ecosystem
Pros and Caveats at a Glance
GPT-5.5
- • Input pricing: $5.00/M tokens
- • Output pricing: $30.00/M tokens
- • Context window: 1,050,000 tokens
- • Max output: 128,000 tokens
Watch out for
- • Higher input cost than o4-mini Deep Research
- • Higher output cost than o4-mini Deep Research
o4-mini Deep Research
- • Input pricing: $2.00/M tokens
- • Output pricing: $8.00/M tokens
- • Context window: 200,000 tokens
- • Max output: 32,768 tokens
Watch out for
- • Smaller context window than GPT-5.5
Try Different Scenarios
Use the calculator below to see how costs change with different usage patterns
GPT-5.5 (OpenAI)
o4-mini Deep Research (OpenAI)
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What is the context window difference between GPT-5.5 and o4-mini Deep Research?▼
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