Cost Comparison (1000 input + 500 output tokens, 100 requests/day)
GPT-5
o3-mini
Cost Differences
o3-mini costs less than GPT-5
Feature Comparison
| Feature | GPT-5 | o3-mini |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | OpenAI |
| Input Price | $1.25/1M tokens | $1.10/1M tokens |
| Output Price | $10.00/1M tokens | $4.40/1M tokens |
| Context Window | 1,000,000 tokens | 500,000 tokens |
| Max Output | 131,072 tokens | 65,536 tokens |
| Category | flagship | reasoning |
| Capabilities | textvisionaudiocode | textreasoningcode |
| Release Date | 8/7/2025 | 1/31/2025 |
GPT-5 vs o3-mini: Which Should You Choose?
Choosing between GPT-5 and o3-mini depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. o3-mini is the more affordable option at $1.10/1M input tokens — 12% cheaper than GPT-5. Meanwhile, GPT-5 offers a significantly larger context window at 1,000,000 tokens vs 500,000 for o3-mini.
These models target different tiers: GPT-5 is a flagship model while o3-mini is reasoning. This means they're optimized for different workloads. GPT-5 is built for complex tasks that require deeper reasoning, while o3-mini offers better value for routine operations.
Output costs matter too. GPT-5 charges $10.00/1M output tokens vs $4.40 for o3-mini. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. o3-mini has the edge here at $4.40/1M output tokens.
Multimodal capabilities: GPT-5 supports vision (image inputs) while o3-mini is text-only. If your application needs image understanding, this narrows your choice.
Best Use Cases
Choose GPT-5 when:
- • You need a larger context window (1,000,000 tokens)
- • You need more capabilities (vision, audio)
- • You need longer outputs (up to 131,072 tokens)
- • You're already using OpenAI's API ecosystem
Choose o3-mini when:
- • Budget is a primary concern
- • 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-5 (OpenAI)
o3-mini (OpenAI)
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