Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 1, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, GPT-5 mini delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,410 vs 1,272), while GPT-5 mini leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (52.4%), while GPT-4o mini is more budget-friendly at $0.6/1M per 1M output tokens. Review the complete breakdown below to determine which model best fits your performance and budget requirements.
9 direct benchmark disciplines evaluated across capability, speed, and cost
Legacy small OpenAI model. Useful as a cheap baseline.
Cost-efficient GPT-5 distill for high-volume agents.
Currently comparing GPT-4o mini vs GPT-5 mini. Alternative family tiers available.
Δ 138 Arena Elo pts
160 tok/s
$0.6 / 1M output
Relative percentile scores computed across all active models in the benchmark catalog.
Comparing top Western standard models with China's leading frontier rival across 6 skill dimensions. Tap any spoke or dot to inspect.
Category wins across reasoning intelligence, generation speed, and token cost.
Preference Elo, Coding proficiency, SWE-bench & LiveBench accuracy
Generation throughput and time to first token responsiveness
Cost per million tokens and max context window length
| Benchmark | GPT-4o mini | GPT-5 mini | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +138 | ||
| Coding Elo | — | — | |
| LiveBench | +13.1% | ||
| SWE-bench | +11.2% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +11.9% | ||
| Time to first token | +10 ms | ||
| Output speed | 160 tok/s | 155 tok/s | +5 tok/s |
| Input price | $0.15/1M | $0.25/1M | +$0.1/1M |
| Output price | $0.6/1M | +$1.4/1M | |
| Context window | +272k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
GPT-4o mini is estimated to save $24.50/month ($294/year).
Higher SWE-bench (52.4%).
Lower output list price ($0.6/1M).
Lower TTFT (130 ms).
Larger window (400k).
Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (GPT-5 mini).
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | GPT-5 mini | Higher SWE-bench (52.4%). |
| High-volume chat | GPT-4o mini | Lower output list price ($0.6/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | GPT-4o mini | Lower TTFT (130 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | GPT-5 mini | Larger window (400k). |
| Screenshots / vision | GPT-5 mini | Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (GPT-5 mini). |
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