The most cost-efficient reasoning model for serious STEM and coding workloads.
Developers and analysts who need serious reasoning power for STEM tasks without paying full o4 or o3 prices.
Exceptional math and algorithmic reasoning for its price point, outperforming many larger non-reasoning models
200K context window supports long codebases, legal documents, and multi-document research
Significantly cheaper than o4 and o3 while retaining most of the reasoning chain quality
Reliable structured output and function-calling for agentic and tool-use workflows
Slower than GPT-4o or Claude Sonnet 4.6 due to internal chain-of-thought processing — not suited for real-time chat
See what OpenAI: o4 Mini actually costs at your usage level
Based on OpenAI: o4 Mini API pricing: $1.1/1M input · $4.4/1M output. Real costs vary by provider discounts and caching. Check the provider for exact current rates.
Price History
→0% since May 9
4 data points · tracked daily since May 9, 2026
Developers and analysts who need serious reasoning power for STEM tasks without paying full o4 or o3 prices.. Start free — no card required.
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OpenAI's o3 Mini is a compact reasoning model optimized for STEM tasks, offering chain-of-thought capabilities at a fraction of the cost of o3. It excels at math, coding, and logical problem-solving while maintaining a large 200K context window.
Pricing moves, ranking shifts, and capability updates.
OpenAI: o4 Mini (OpenAI) is now indexed. The most cost-efficient reasoning model for serious STEM and coding workloads.
View modelOpenAI: o4 Mini is best for developers and analysts who need serious reasoning power for stem tasks without paying full o4 or o3 prices.. It is a strong fit when that workflow matters more than the tradeoffs around balanced pricing and deliberate speed.
You need fast, conversational responses or primarily creative writing tasks where non-reasoning models like GPT-4o Mini or Claude Haiku 3.5 are faster and cheaper.
Meta: Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is the lower-cost option to compare first when you want a similar workflow fit with less token spend.
GPT-5.2 is the better pick when response time matters more than maximum depth or premium quality.
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You need fast, conversational responses or primarily creative writing tasks where non-reasoning models like GPT-4o Mini or Claude Haiku 3.5 are faster and cheaper.
Weaker at open-ended creative writing and nuanced prose compared to non-reasoning counterparts
No native image generation; multimodal input is limited compared to Gemini 3.1 Pro
o3 Mini High is OpenAI's compact reasoning model running at maximum reasoning effort, delivering deep chain-of-thought problem-solving in a cost-efficient package. It specializes in STEM tasks — math, coding, and logic — where extended deliberation yields significantly better results than standard chat models.
Reliable OpenAI flagship for serious coding and product work — a strong default before GPT-5.4 was released.
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