Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 1, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, OpenAI o3-mini delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,560 vs 1,558), while OpenAI o3-mini leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (78.5%), while OpenAI o3-mini is more budget-friendly at $4.4/1M 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
OpenAI flagship reasoning model for 2025–26. Strong general preference Elo and multimodal coverage.
OpenAI cost-efficient reasoning model with adjustable thinking effort and top coding benchmark scores.
Currently comparing GPT-5 vs OpenAI o3-mini. Alternative family tiers available.
Simulate accuracy gains vs added response time & token cost
Reasoning models “think before answering” by generating internal reasoning tokens. Higher effort improves math, coding, and logic accuracy, but increases response delay and token costs.
Δ 2 Arena Elo pts
92 tok/s
$4.4 / 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-5 | OpenAI o3-mini | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +2 | ||
| Coding Elo | +45 | ||
| LiveBench | +2.6% | ||
| SWE-bench | +10.1% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +2% | ||
| Time to first token | — | ||
| Output speed | 78 tok/s | 92 tok/s | +14 tok/s |
| Input price | $1.1/1M | +$3.9/1M | |
| Output price | $4.4/1M | +$15.6/1M | |
| Context window | +200k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
OpenAI o3-mini is estimated to save $370.50/month ($4,446/year).
Higher SWE-bench (78.5%).
Lower output list price ($4.4/1M).
Lower TTFT (290 ms).
Larger window (400k).
GPT-5 is the side marked multimodal in the catalog.
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | OpenAI o3-mini | Higher SWE-bench (78.5%). |
| High-volume chat | OpenAI o3-mini | Lower output list price ($4.4/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | GPT-5 | Lower TTFT (290 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | GPT-5 | Larger window (400k). |
| Screenshots / vision | GPT-5 | GPT-5 is the side marked multimodal in the catalog. |
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