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Head-to-head comparison

GPT-4o (2024-11-20) vs GPT-4o-mini

GPT-4o (2024-11-20) (OpenAI) and GPT-4o-mini (OpenAI) compared on the ModelCap Index, API price, context window, provider availability, weight access and every public benchmark board they share. Figures are the same ones shown on the live rankings; nothing here is a hidden score.

Snapshot as of 17 August 2026

As of 17 August 2026, GPT-4o (2024-11-20) holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#108 vs #216); and GPT-4o-mini is 16.7× cheaper per output token ($0.60/1M vs $10.00/1M).

Which should you choose?

Choose GPT-4o (2024-11-20) if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #108 against #216 (22.5 vs 1.1 points).
  • you want the more recently listed model — GPT-4o (2024-11-20) was listed 20 November 2024, GPT-4o-mini 18 July 2024.

Choose GPT-4o-mini if…

  • API cost matters — $0.60/1M output tokens against $10.00/1M, about 16.7× cheaper.
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $0.15/1M against $2.50/1M.
  • you want provider choice — 2 listed API providers against 1.

GPT-4o (2024-11-20) vs GPT-4o-mini: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of GPT-4o (2024-11-20) and GPT-4o-mini
FieldGPT-4o (2024-11-20)OpenAIGPT-4o-miniOpenAI
ModelCap Index position#108#216
Index score22.51.1
EvidenceEstimatedMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$2.50$0.15
Output price / 1M tokens$10.00$0.60
Context window128K tokens128K tokens
Max output tokens16K16K
API providers listed12
Weight accessAPI onlyAPI only
Input modalitiesText, Image, FileText, Image, File
First listed20 November 202418 July 2024
PublisherOpenAIOpenAI

Evidence: publisher corpus prior · leave-one-anchor-out calibrated · 2 public benchmark observations across 2 boards. Prices are the lowest listed API offer per million tokens observed on the OpenRouter catalogue.

Benchmark scores: GPT-4o (2024-11-20) vs GPT-4o-mini

Public benchmark boards where GPT-4o (2024-11-20) or GPT-4o-mini has a published result
BoardGPT-4o (2024-11-20)GPT-4o-miniLeads
ARC-AGI-2ARC Prize Foundation—0.0%Only one result
Artificial Analysis Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis—6.7intelligence-indexOnly one result

Scores are the sources' own published figures for each model's best evaluated configuration; ModelCap never re-runs a benchmark.

Want a different pairing? Open the interactive comparison tool to swap either model for any current ranked language model.

GPT-4o (2024-11-20) vs GPT-4o-mini: common questions

Is GPT-4o (2024-11-20) better than GPT-4o-mini?

GPT-4o (2024-11-20) ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 17 August 2026: #108 against #216. That is a capability ranking built from public benchmark evidence with published uncertainty; whether it is "better" for you also depends on price, context and where you can run it.

Is GPT-4o (2024-11-20) cheaper than GPT-4o-mini?

GPT-4o-mini is cheaper on output tokens: $0.60/1M against $10.00/1M. Input tokens are $2.50/1M for GPT-4o (2024-11-20) and $0.15/1M for GPT-4o-mini. Prices are the lowest listed API offer ModelCap observed, in USD per million tokens.

Which has the bigger context window, GPT-4o (2024-11-20) or GPT-4o-mini?

Both publish a 128K-token context window.

Which is better for coding, GPT-4o (2024-11-20) or GPT-4o-mini?

The two models do not share a coding benchmark board on ModelCap yet, so no head-to-head coding score is published; the ModelCap Index position is the closest overall signal.

Are GPT-4o (2024-11-20) and GPT-4o-mini open-weight models?

GPT-4o (2024-11-20): API only. GPT-4o-mini: API only. Open weights mean the checkpoint can be downloaded and self-hosted under its licence; API-only models are available solely through hosted endpoints.

Where can I run GPT-4o (2024-11-20) and GPT-4o-mini?

ModelCap currently lists 1 API provider for GPT-4o (2024-11-20) and 2 for GPT-4o-mini, from the OpenRouter catalogue snapshot the site serves; each model page lists the providers and their prices.

How current is this GPT-4o (2024-11-20) vs GPT-4o-mini comparison?

Every figure comes from the sealed ModelCap dataset published 17 August 2026; the page re-renders within a minute of each data refresh, and the ModelCap Index positions are the same ones shown on the live rankings.

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