GPT-4o-mini Search Preview vs o1 (12-17)
GPT-4o-mini Search Preview (2025) and o1 (12-17) (2024) are frontier reasoning models from OpenAI. GPT-4o-mini Search Preview ships a 128k-token context window, while o1 (12-17) ships a 128k-token context window. On pricing, GPT-4o-mini Search Preview costs $0.15/1M input tokens versus $15/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
GPT-4o-mini Search Preview is ~9900% cheaper at $0.15/1M; pay for o1 (12-17) only for coding workflow support.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | GPT-4o-mini Search Preview | o1 (12-17) |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | provider-routed production | reasoning-heavy apps and provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | RAG, Long context, and Classification | Coding, Agents, and Long context |
| Context window | 128k | 128k |
| Cheapest output | $0.60/1M tokens | $60/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 2 tracked | 2 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 shared | 0 shared |
Decision tradeoffs
- GPT-4o-mini Search Preview has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.60/1M tokens.
- GPT-4o-mini Search Preview uniquely exposes Structured outputs in local model data.
- Local decision data tags GPT-4o-mini Search Preview for RAG, Long context, and Classification.
- o1 (12-17) uniquely exposes Reasoning and Code execution in local model data.
- Local decision data tags o1 (12-17) for Coding, Agents, and Long context.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
GPT-4o-mini Search Preview
$270
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
o1 (12-17)
$27,000
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Replicate API
Estimated monthly gap: $26,730. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for GPT-4o-mini Search Preview and o1 (12-17); plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- o1 (12-17) is $59.40/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Check replacement coverage for Structured outputs before moving production traffic.
- o1 (12-17) adds Reasoning and Code execution in local capability data.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for o1 (12-17) and GPT-4o-mini Search Preview; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- GPT-4o-mini Search Preview is $59.40/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning and Code execution before moving production traffic.
- GPT-4o-mini Search Preview adds Structured outputs in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-02-26 | 2024-12-17 |
| Context window | 128k | 128k |
| Parameters | — | — |
| Architecture | Decoder Only | Decoder Only |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Openness | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Commercial use | Commercial use: conditional | Commercial use: conditional |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2023-10 | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | GPT-4o-mini Search Preview | o1 (12-17) |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.15/1M tokens | $15/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.60/1M tokens | $60/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | GPT-4o-mini Search Preview | o1 (12-17) |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | Yes |
| Function calling | No | No |
| Tool use | No | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | No |
| Code execution | No | Yes |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark scores are currently available for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on reasoning mode: o1 (12-17), structured outputs: GPT-4o-mini Search Preview, and code execution: o1 (12-17). Both models share the core language-model surface, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
For cost, GPT-4o-mini Search Preview lists $0.15/1M input and $0.60/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while o1 (12-17) lists $15/1M input and $60/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts GPT-4o-mini Search Preview lower by about $28.21 per million blended tokens. Availability is 2 providers versus 2, 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 o1 (12-17) when coding workflow support 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 o1 (12-17)?
GPT-4o-mini Search Preview supports 128k tokens, while o1 (12-17) 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 o1 (12-17)?
GPT-4o-mini Search Preview is cheaper on tracked token pricing. GPT-4o-mini Search Preview costs $0.15/1M input and $0.60/1M output tokens. o1 (12-17) costs $15/1M input and $60/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is GPT-4o-mini Search Preview or o1 (12-17) open source?
GPT-4o-mini Search Preview is listed under Proprietary. o1 (12-17) is listed under Proprietary. 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 reasoning mode, GPT-4o-mini Search Preview or o1 (12-17)?
o1 (12-17) has the clearer documented reasoning mode signal in this comparison. If reasoning mode is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for structured outputs, GPT-4o-mini Search Preview or o1 (12-17)?
GPT-4o-mini Search Preview has the clearer documented structured outputs signal in this comparison. If structured outputs is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run GPT-4o-mini Search Preview and o1 (12-17)?
GPT-4o-mini Search Preview is available on OpenRouter and Vercel AI Gateway. o1 (12-17) is available on Replicate API and OpenAI API. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-06-15. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.