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Head-to-head comparison

GPT-5.3-Codex vs o3

GPT-5.3-Codex (OpenAI) and o3 (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 #38); o3 is 1.8× cheaper per output token ($8.00/1M vs $14.00/1M); and GPT-5.3-Codex offers the longer context window (400K vs 200K tokens).

Which should you choose?

Choose GPT-5.3-Codex if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #20 against #38 (66.4 vs 55.1 points).
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $1.75/1M against $2.00/1M.
  • you need the longer context window — 400K tokens against 200K.
  • you want provider choice — 2 listed API providers against 1.
  • Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index is your yardstick — 45.5 against 31.1.
  • you want the more recently listed model — GPT-5.3-Codex was listed 24 February 2026, o3 16 April 2025.

Choose o3 if…

  • API cost matters — $8.00/1M output tokens against $14.00/1M, about 1.8× cheaper.

GPT-5.3-Codex vs o3: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of GPT-5.3-Codex and o3
FieldGPT-5.3-CodexOpenAIo3OpenAI
ModelCap Index position#20#38
Index score66.455.1
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$1.75$2.00
Output price / 1M tokens$14.00$8.00
Context window400K tokens200K tokens
Max output tokens128K100K
API providers listed21
Weight accessAPI onlyAPI only
Input modalitiesText, Image, FileImage, Text, File
First listed24 February 202616 April 2025
PublisherOpenAIOpenAI

Evidence: 1 public benchmark observation across 1 board · 4 public benchmark observations across 4 boards. Prices are the lowest listed API offer per million tokens observed on the OpenRouter catalogue.

Benchmark scores: GPT-5.3-Codex vs o3

Public benchmark boards where GPT-5.3-Codex or o3 has a published result
BoardGPT-5.3-Codexo3Leads
Arena codingArena (LMArena)14601453–1466Only one result
ARC-AGI-2ARC Prize Foundation6.5%HighOnly one result
Artificial Analysis Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis45.5intelligence-index31.1intelligence-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-5.3-Codex vs o3: common questions

Is GPT-5.3-Codex better than o3?

GPT-5.3-Codex ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 17 August 2026: #20 against #38. 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-5.3-Codex cheaper than o3?

o3 is cheaper on output tokens: $8.00/1M against $14.00/1M. Input tokens are $1.75/1M for GPT-5.3-Codex and $2.00/1M for o3. Prices are the lowest listed API offer ModelCap observed, in USD per million tokens.

Which has the bigger context window, GPT-5.3-Codex or o3?

GPT-5.3-Codex has the larger context window: 400K tokens against 200K.

Which is better for coding, GPT-5.3-Codex or o3?

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-5.3-Codex and o3 open-weight models?

GPT-5.3-Codex: API only. o3: 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-5.3-Codex and o3?

ModelCap currently lists 2 API providers for GPT-5.3-Codex and 1 for o3, from the OpenRouter catalogue snapshot the site serves; each model page lists the providers and their prices.

How current is this GPT-5.3-Codex vs o3 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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