o1-mini vs o3-mini
Pricing verdict: o1-mini vs o3-mini: pricing is a tie at $1.10/M input and $4.40/M output. The real choice is context: o3-mini is better for long-context tasks (500,000 tokens vs 128,000).
Direct answer: pricing is a tie. Choose o3-mini for the larger 500K context window, or pick o1-mini if 128K is already enough for your workload.
Compare API pricing, input and output token costs, context windows, and monthly estimates on one page so you can pick the right model fast.
Cost Comparison (1000 input + 500 output tokens, 100 requests/day)
o1-mini
o3-mini
Cost Differences
Both models cost the same at the default workload.
Quick Recommendation
Direct API pricing is a tie at the default workload: both land around $9.90/month. Pick o3-mini if you need the larger 500K context window; otherwise choose the model that better fits your workflow.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | o1-mini | o3-mini |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | OpenAI |
| Input Price | $1.10/1M tokens | $1.10/1M tokens |
| Output Price | $4.40/1M tokens | $4.40/1M tokens |
| Context Window | 128,000 tokens | 500,000 tokens |
| Max Output | 65,536 tokens | 65,536 tokens |
| Category | reasoning | reasoning |
| Capabilities | textreasoning | textreasoningcode |
| Release Date | 9/12/2024 | 1/31/2025 |
o1-mini vs o3-mini: Which Should You Choose?
Choosing between o1-mini and o3-mini depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. Both models cost the same on input and output tokens, so raw price is a tie. Meanwhile, o3-mini offers a significantly larger context window at 500,000 tokens vs 128,000 for o1-mini.
Both models are in the reasoning category, making this a direct head-to-head comparison. At scale — say 10,000 requests per day — direct API pricing stays tied, so the real decision is context, latency, and provider fit.
Output costs matter too. o1-mini charges $4.40/1M output tokens vs $4.40 for o3-mini.
Best Use Cases
Choose o1-mini when:
- • You're already using OpenAI's API ecosystem
Choose o3-mini when:
- • You need a larger context window (500,000 tokens)
- • You need more capabilities (code)
- • You're already using OpenAI's API ecosystem
Pros and Caveats at a Glance
o1-mini
- • Input pricing: $1.10/M tokens
- • Output pricing: $4.40/M tokens
- • Context window: 128,000 tokens
- • Max output: 65,536 tokens
Watch out for
- • Smaller context window than o3-mini
o3-mini
- • Input pricing: $1.10/M tokens
- • Output pricing: $4.40/M tokens
- • Context window: 500,000 tokens
- • Max output: 65,536 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
o1-mini (OpenAI)
o3-mini (OpenAI)
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