GPT-4o-mini Search Preview vs Llama Guard 4 12B
GPT-4o-mini Search Preview (2025) and Llama Guard 4 12B (2025) are compact production models from OpenAI and AI at Meta. GPT-4o-mini Search Preview ships a 128K-token context window, while Llama Guard 4 12B ships a 164K-token context window. On pricing, GPT-4o-mini Search Preview costs $0.15/1M input tokens versus $0.18/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit.
Llama Guard 4 12B is safer overall; choose GPT-4o-mini Search Preview when provider fit matters.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-02-26 | 2025-04-05 |
| Context window | 128K | 164K |
| Parameters | — | — |
| Architecture | decoder only | decoder only |
| License | Unknown | Open Source |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | GPT-4o-mini Search Preview | Llama Guard 4 12B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.15/1M tokens | $0.18/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.6/1M tokens | $0.18/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | GPT-4o-mini Search Preview | Llama Guard 4 12B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | No | No |
| Tool use | No | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint is close: both models cover structured outputs. That makes context budget, benchmark fit, and provider maturity more important than a simple checklist. If your application depends on one integration detail, verify it against the provider route you plan to use, not just the base model listing.
For cost, GPT-4o-mini Search Preview lists $0.15/1M input and $0.6/1M output tokens, while Llama Guard 4 12B lists $0.18/1M input and $0.18/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Llama Guard 4 12B lower by about $0.1 per million blended tokens. Availability is 1 providers versus 3, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose GPT-4o-mini Search Preview when provider fit and lower input-token cost are central to the workload. Choose Llama Guard 4 12B when long-context analysis, larger context windows, and broader provider choice are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship. This keeps the decision grounded in measurable tradeoffs instead of brand-level assumptions. It also helps separate model capability from provider packaging, which can change cost and latency.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, GPT-4o-mini Search Preview or Llama Guard 4 12B?
Llama Guard 4 12B supports 164K tokens, while GPT-4o-mini Search Preview supports 128K tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Which is cheaper, GPT-4o-mini Search Preview or Llama Guard 4 12B?
GPT-4o-mini Search Preview is cheaper on tracked token pricing. GPT-4o-mini Search Preview costs $0.15/1M input and $0.6/1M output tokens. Llama Guard 4 12B costs $0.18/1M input and $0.18/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is GPT-4o-mini Search Preview or Llama Guard 4 12B open source?
GPT-4o-mini Search Preview is listed under Unknown. Llama Guard 4 12B is listed under Open Source. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Which is better for structured outputs, GPT-4o-mini Search Preview or Llama Guard 4 12B?
Both GPT-4o-mini Search Preview and Llama Guard 4 12B expose structured outputs. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Where can I run GPT-4o-mini Search Preview and Llama Guard 4 12B?
GPT-4o-mini Search Preview is available on OpenRouter. Llama Guard 4 12B is available on NVIDIA NIM, Replicate API, and OpenRouter. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
When should I pick GPT-4o-mini Search Preview over Llama Guard 4 12B?
Llama Guard 4 12B is safer overall; choose GPT-4o-mini Search Preview when provider fit matters. If your workload also depends on provider fit, start with GPT-4o-mini Search Preview; if it depends on long-context analysis, run the same evaluation with Llama Guard 4 12B.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-11. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.