GPT-4.1 mini vs GPT-5
Detailed pricing comparison and cost analysis.
Updated March 2026
Cost Simulator
| Feature | GPT-4.1 mini | GPT-5 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | OpenAI |
| Input Price (1M) | $0.40 | $1.25 |
| Output Price (1M) | $1.60 | $10.00 |
| Context Window | 1,000,000 | 400,000 |
Verdict
GPT-4.1 mini costs $0.40 per 1M input tokens and $1.60 per 1M output tokens. GPT-5 costs $1.25 per 1M input tokens and $10.00 per 1M output tokens. GPT-4.1 mini is 68% cheaper on input tokens than GPT-5. For output tokens, GPT-4.1 mini is the more affordable option at $1.60/1M vs $10.00.
On context window, GPT-4.1 mini supports 1,000,000 tokens — meaning it can fit more conversation history, documents, or code in a single request. This matters for RAG pipelines, long document analysis, and agentic workflows where context builds up over many turns.
When to choose GPT-4.1 mini
- ✓ You need the lowest input token cost ($ 0.40/1M)
- ✓ Your workload is output-heavy — GPT-4.1 mini generates text cheaper
- ✓ You need a larger context window (1,000,000 tokens)
- ✓ You are already integrated with OpenAI
When to choose GPT-5
- ✓ You are already integrated with OpenAI
Use the calculator above to simulate your specific workload and find the exact break-even point. For most applications, the cheapest model is the one that minimises your total monthly bill given your input-to-output token ratio.