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Head-to-head comparison

GPT-4o-mini vs GPT-5.3-Codex

GPT-4o-mini (OpenAI) and GPT-5.3-Codex (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-5.3-Codex holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#20 vs #216); GPT-4o-mini is 23.3× cheaper per output token ($0.60/1M vs $14.00/1M); and GPT-5.3-Codex offers the longer context window (400K vs 128K tokens).

Which should you choose?

Choose GPT-4o-mini if…

  • API cost matters — $0.60/1M output tokens against $14.00/1M, about 23.3× cheaper.
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $0.15/1M against $1.75/1M.

Choose GPT-5.3-Codex if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #20 against #216 (66.4 vs 1.1 points).
  • you need the longer context window — 400K tokens against 128K.
  • Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index is your yardstick — 45.5 against 6.7.
  • you want the more recently listed model — GPT-5.3-Codex was listed 24 February 2026, GPT-4o-mini 18 July 2024.

GPT-4o-mini vs GPT-5.3-Codex: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of GPT-4o-mini and GPT-5.3-Codex
FieldGPT-4o-miniOpenAIGPT-5.3-CodexOpenAI
ModelCap Index position#216#20
Index score1.166.4
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$0.15$1.75
Output price / 1M tokens$0.60$14.00
Context window128K tokens400K tokens
Max output tokens16K128K
API providers listed22
Weight accessAPI onlyAPI only
Input modalitiesText, Image, FileText, Image, File
First listed18 July 202424 February 2026
PublisherOpenAIOpenAI

Evidence: 2 public benchmark observations across 2 boards · 1 public benchmark observation across 1 board. Prices are the lowest listed API offer per million tokens observed on the OpenRouter catalogue.

Benchmark scores: GPT-4o-mini vs GPT-5.3-Codex

Public benchmark boards where GPT-4o-mini or GPT-5.3-Codex has a published result
BoardGPT-4o-miniGPT-5.3-CodexLeads
ARC-AGI-2ARC Prize Foundation0.0%Only one result
Artificial Analysis Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis6.7intelligence-index45.5intelligence-indexGPT-5.3-Codex

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-mini vs GPT-5.3-Codex: common questions

Is GPT-4o-mini better than GPT-5.3-Codex?

GPT-5.3-Codex ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 17 August 2026: #20 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-mini cheaper than GPT-5.3-Codex?

GPT-4o-mini is cheaper on output tokens: $0.60/1M against $14.00/1M. Input tokens are $0.15/1M for GPT-4o-mini and $1.75/1M for GPT-5.3-Codex. Prices are the lowest listed API offer ModelCap observed, in USD per million tokens.

Which has the bigger context window, GPT-4o-mini or GPT-5.3-Codex?

GPT-5.3-Codex has the larger context window: 400K tokens against 128K.

Which is better for coding, GPT-4o-mini or GPT-5.3-Codex?

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-mini and GPT-5.3-Codex open-weight models?

GPT-4o-mini: API only. GPT-5.3-Codex: 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-mini and GPT-5.3-Codex?

ModelCap currently lists 2 API providers for GPT-4o-mini and 2 for GPT-5.3-Codex, from the OpenRouter catalogue snapshot the site serves; each model page lists the providers and their prices.

How current is this GPT-4o-mini vs GPT-5.3-Codex 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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