GPT-5 Mini vs o3

Side-by-side benchmark comparison across coding, math, reasoning, speed, and pricing.

o3 by OpenAI wins on 9 of 15 benchmarks against GPT-5 Mini by OpenAI, which leads on 6. This head-to-head comparison covers coding, math, reasoning, speed, and pricing metrics from our benchmark data.

Category-by-Category Breakdown

General Intelligence: In general intelligence, o3 scores 1380 on Chatbot Arena ELO compared to GPT-5 Mini's 1300, while o3 scores 84.0% on MMLU-Pro compared to GPT-5 Mini's 74.0%.

Coding: In coding, o3 scores 90.0% on HumanEval+ compared to GPT-5 Mini's 85.0%, while o3 scores 69.1% on SWE-bench Verified compared to GPT-5 Mini's 48.0%, while o3 scores 70.0% on LiveCodeBench compared to GPT-5 Mini's 55.0%.

Math: In math, o3 scores 96.0% on MATH compared to GPT-5 Mini's 82.0%, while o3 scores 98.5% on GSM8K compared to GPT-5 Mini's 93.0%.

Reasoning: In reasoning, o3 scores 83.3% on GPQA Diamond compared to GPT-5 Mini's 55.0%, while o3 scores 75.7% on ARC-AGI compared to GPT-5 Mini's 30.0%.

Context: In context, GPT-5 Mini scores 400K on Context Length compared to o3's 200K.

Pricing Comparison

GPT-5 Mini costs $0.25/1M input tokens and $2.0/1M output tokens, while o3 costs $2.0/1M input and $8.0/1M output. GPT-5 Mini is the more affordable option for API usage.

Speed Comparison

GPT-5 Mini generates output at 180 tok/s compared to o3's 40 tok/s, and the time to first token is 150 ms for GPT-5 Mini versus 800 ms for o3. GPT-5 Mini delivers faster throughput.

Verdict

For developers prioritizing affordability and speed, GPT-5 Mini has the edge. For those who value coding and general intelligence and math, o3 is the stronger choice.

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GPT-5 Mini vs o3 — FAQ

Which is better, GPT-5 Mini or o3?

o3 wins on more benchmarks overall (9 vs 6). However, the best choice depends on your specific needs — each model excels in different areas.

How does GPT-5 Mini compare to o3 for coding?

o3 is better for coding, scoring 69.1% on SWE-bench Verified compared to 48.0%. SWE-bench tests real-world software engineering by resolving actual GitHub issues.

Is GPT-5 Mini cheaper than o3?

Yes, GPT-5 Mini is cheaper. GPT-5 Mini costs $0.25/1M input and $2.0/1M output tokens. o3 costs $2.0/1M input and $8.0/1M output tokens.

Which is faster, GPT-5 Mini or o3?

GPT-5 Mini is faster, generating output at 180 tok/s compared to 40 tok/s. Faster output speed means shorter wait times for API responses.

What benchmarks does the GPT-5 Mini vs o3 comparison cover?

This comparison covers 15 benchmarks including Chatbot Arena ELO, MMLU-Pro, HumanEval+, MATH, GPQA Diamond, SWE-bench Verified, Output Speed, LiveCodeBench, and more. Metrics span general intelligence, coding, math, reasoning, speed, and cost categories.