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GPT-5 (minimal) vs o4-mini (high): The Ultimate Performance & Pricing Comparison

Deep dive into reasoning, benchmarks, and latency insights.

The Final Verdict in the GPT-5 (minimal) vs o4-mini (high) Showdowno4-mini (high) leads on 4 of 7 metrics

o4-mini (high) takes this matchup on raw intelligence and reasoning. Pick GPT-5 (minimal) when faster response times and cost-efficiency matters more.

Model Snapshot

Key decision metrics at a glance.

GPT-5 (minimal)o4-mini (high)
3.0
Reasoning
9.0
6.0
Coding
6.0
1.0
Multimodal
2.0
2.0
Long Context
3.0
$0.003
Blended Price / 1M tokens
$0.002
1000ms
P95 Latency
1000ms
Tokens per second

o4-mini (high) leads on 4 of 7 metrics

Data provided by artificialanalysis.ai

Overall Capabilities

This radar chart visually maps the core capabilities (reasoning, coding, math proxy, multimodal, long context) of `GPT-5 (minimal)` vs `o4-mini (high)`.

IntelligenceCodingMathMultimodalLong Context
GPT-5 (minimal)o4-mini (high)

Benchmark Breakdown

This grouped bar chart provides a side-by-side comparison for each benchmark metric.

GPT-5 (minimal)o4-mini (high)

Speed & Latency

Lower time to first token is better; higher tokens per second is better.

Time to First Token · GPT-5 (minimal)
300ms
Time to First Token · o4-mini (high)
300ms
Tokens per Second · GPT-5 (minimal)
43
Tokens per Second · o4-mini (high)
31
Head to the playground to validate these results yourself

The Economics of GPT-5 (minimal) vs o4-mini (high)

Pricing Breakdown

Compare input and output pricing at a glance.

GPT-5 (minimal)o4-mini (high)

Real-World Cost Scenario

Per run: 1M input tokens + 250k output tokens

GPT-5 (minimal)$0.004

o4-mini (high)$0.002

o4-mini (high) costs $0.002 less per run

Review the complete pricing and packaging strategy

Which Model Wins the GPT-5 (minimal) vs o4-mini (high) Battle for You?

Choose GPT-5 (minimal) if...

No measurable edge on these metrics

Choose o4-mini (high) if...

  • Cheaper input ($0.00 vs $0.00)
  • Cheaper output ($0.00 vs $0.01)
  • Stronger reasoning (9.0 vs 3.0)
  • Longer context (3.0 vs 2.0)

Your Questions about the GPT-5 (minimal) vs o4-mini (high) Comparison

Is `GPT-5 (minimal)` a direct replacement for `o4-mini (high)`?

Based on our GPT-5 (minimal) vs o4-mini (high) analysis, they serve different niches. GPT-5 (minimal) is positioned as a more powerful option, but o4-mini (high)'s distinct advantages in areas like speed or cost ensure it remains relevant.

For coding, which is better in the `GPT-5 (minimal) vs o4-mini (high)` debate?

The benchmark data in our GPT-5 (minimal) vs o4-mini (high) comparison shows o4-mini (high) has a clear advantage, scoring 60 on LiveCodeBench versus 60.

How was this `GPT-5 (minimal) vs o4-mini (high)` comparison conducted?

Our GPT-5 (minimal) vs o4-mini (high) comparison uses standardized benchmark data and pricing information directly from the model creators to ensure objectivity and accuracy.