Model comparison
GPT-4.1 mini vs o3-mini
Head-to-head evidence from 9 shared benchmark results across 4 categories. Overall scores shown here use the public BenchAlign v5 ranking lane.
Public leaderboard positions: GPT-4.1 mini #160 (Estimated); o3-mini #141 (Supported). Intervals and evidence labels describe ranking uncertainty, not a guarantee for a specific workload.
Evidence parity. GPT-4.1 mini and o3-mini share 9 comparable benchmark results. 3 of 8 categories are comparable. 13 results are unique to GPT-4.1 mini; 1 to o3-mini.
Updated July 24, 2026- Shared results
- 9
- GPT-4.1 mini only
- 13
- o3-mini only
- 1
- Comparable categories
- 3 / 8
Pick o3-mini if you want the stronger benchmark profile. GPT-4.1 mini only becomes the better choice if you want the cheaper token bill or you need the larger 1M context window.
Confidence note. This is a partial-evidence comparison with 9 shared benchmark results across 4 evidence categories; 3 of 8 categories currently have scoreable aggregates for both models. Treat the verdict as directional until coverage is more balanced.
Why this result
o3-mini is clearly ahead on the BenchAlign aggregate, 46.59 to 43.1. The gap is large enough that you do not need to squint at the spreadsheet to see the difference.
o3-mini's sharpest advantage is in coding, where it averages 49.3 against 23.6. The single biggest benchmark swing on the page is SWE-bench Verified, 23.6% to 49.3%.
o3-mini is also the more expensive model on tokens at $1.10 input / $4.40 output per 1M tokens, versus $0.40 input / $1.60 output per 1M tokens for GPT-4.1 mini. That is roughly 2.8x on output cost alone. o3-mini is the reasoning model in the pair, while GPT-4.1 mini is not. That usually helps on harder chain-of-thought-heavy tests, but it can also mean more latency and more token spend in real use. GPT-4.1 mini gives you the larger context window at 1M, compared with 200K for o3-mini.
Category breakdown
Exact category averages are shown below. Not measured means BenchLM does not have enough sourced public coverage for that model and category.
| Category | GPT-4.1 mini | Δ | o3-mini |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coding | GPT-4.1 mini23.6 | Margin→ 25.7 | o3-mini49.3 |
| Knowledge | GPT-4.1 mini64.2 | Margin→ 13.0 | o3-mini77.2 |
| Inst. Following | GPT-4.1 mini88.5 | Margin→ 5.4 | o3-mini93.9 |
| Math | GPT-4.1 mini4.5 | MarginNo overlap | o3-miniNot measured |
Decisive benchmark drivers
The largest measured benchmark gaps in this matchup, with exact reported values.
More
- Source ↗
SWE-bench Verified
CodingA 23.6%B 49.3%Winner: o3-miniΔ 25.7SWE-bench Verified: GPT-4.1 mini scored 23.6%; o3-mini scored 49.3%. o3-mini wins this benchmark. - Source ↗
GPQA
KnowledgeA 64.2%B 77.2%Winner: o3-miniΔ 13GPQA: GPT-4.1 mini scored 64.2%; o3-mini scored 77.2%. o3-mini wins this benchmark. - Source ↗
IFEval
Inst. FollowingA 88.5%B 93.9%Winner: o3-miniΔ 5.4IFEval: GPT-4.1 mini scored 88.5%; o3-mini scored 93.9%. o3-mini wins this benchmark.
Operational comparison
Runtime and commercial metrics are compared only when both models have a complete sourced value.
| Metric | GPT-4.1 mini | o3-mini | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Input / output priceUSD per 1M tokens | GPT-4.1 mini$0.4 input / $1.6 output | o3-mini$1.1 input / $4.4 output | GPT-4.1 mini has the lower combined listed price. |
| Generation speedtokens per second | GPT-4.1 mini80 tok/s | o3-mini160 tok/s | o3-mini has the higher measured throughput. |
| First-answer latencyseconds to first token | GPT-4.1 mini0.76 s | o3-mini7.12 s | GPT-4.1 mini reaches the first token sooner. |
| Context windowmaximum listed tokens | GPT-4.1 mini1M | o3-mini200K | GPT-4.1 mini lists the larger context window. |
Benchmark Deep Dive
Agentic4 benchmarks
Codingo3-mini wins3 benchmarks
Reasoning2 benchmarks
Knowledgeo3-mini wins8 benchmarks
| Benchmark | GPT-4.1 mini | o3-mini | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| MMLUSource | 87.5% | 86.9% | GPT-4.1 mini leads |
| GPQASource | 64.2% | 77.2% | o3-mini leads |
| Artificial Analysis Intelligence IndexSource | 14.8% | 19.0% | o3-mini leads |
| AA-GPQA DiamondSource | 66.4% | 74.8% | o3-mini leads |
| AA-HLESource | 4.6% | 8.7% | o3-mini leads |
| AA-Omniscience IndexSource | -50.1% | — | Not comparable |
| AA-Omniscience AccuracySource | 17.5% | — | Not comparable |
| AA-Omniscience Hallucination RateSource | 82.0% | — | Not comparable |
Math2 benchmarks
Multimodal2 benchmarks
Frequently Asked Questions (4)
Which is better, GPT-4.1 mini or o3-mini?
o3-mini is ahead on BenchLM's BenchAlign leaderboard, 46.59 to 43.1. The biggest single separator in this matchup is SWE-bench Verified, where the scores are 23.6% and 49.3%.
Which is better for knowledge tasks, GPT-4.1 mini or o3-mini?
o3-mini has the edge for knowledge tasks in this comparison, averaging 77.2 versus 64.2. Inside this category, GPQA is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.
Which is better for coding, GPT-4.1 mini or o3-mini?
o3-mini has the edge for coding in this comparison, averaging 49.3 versus 23.6. Inside this category, SWE-bench Verified is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.
Which is better for instruction following, GPT-4.1 mini or o3-mini?
o3-mini has the edge for instruction following in this comparison, averaging 93.9 versus 88.5. Inside this category, IFEval is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.