LLM Reference

GPT-5.5 vs Phi-3 Mini 4k

GPT-5.5 (2026) and Phi-3 Mini 4k (2024) are frontier reasoning models from OpenAI and Microsoft Research. GPT-5.5 ships a 1.05m-token context window, while Phi-3 Mini 4k ships a 4k-token context window. On MMLU PRO, GPT-5.5 leads by 42.4 pts. On pricing, GPT-5.5 ranges from $5 to $8/1M input tokens by tier; Phi-3 Mini 4k costs $0.05/1M input tokens. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.

GPT-5.5 fits 263x more tokens; pick it for long-context work and Phi-3 Mini 4k for tighter calls.

Decision scorecard

Local evidence first
SignalGPT-5.5Phi-3 Mini 4k
Best forreasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agentsprovider-routed production
Decision fitCoding, RAG, and AgentsCoding and Classification
Context window1.05m4k
Cheapest output$30/1M tokens$0.25/1M tokens
Provider routes4 tracked4 tracked
Shared benchmarksMMLU PRO leader5 shared

Decision tradeoffs

Choose GPT-5.5 when...
  • GPT-5.5 holds a shared-benchmark lead on MMLU PRO, ahead by 42.4 points.
  • GPT-5.5 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
  • GPT-5.5 uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning in local model data.
  • Local decision data tags GPT-5.5 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
Choose Phi-3 Mini 4k when...
  • Phi-3 Mini 4k has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.25/1M tokens.
  • Local decision data tags Phi-3 Mini 4k for Coding and Classification.

Monthly cost at traffic

Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.

Lower estimate Phi-3 Mini 4k

GPT-5.5

$11,500

Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenAI API 0-272K input tokens

Phi-3 Mini 4k

$103

Cheapest tracked route/tier: Replicate API

Estimated monthly gap: $11,398. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.

Switch friction

GPT-5.5 -> Phi-3 Mini 4k
  • No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for GPT-5.5 and Phi-3 Mini 4k; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
  • Phi-3 Mini 4k is $29.75/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
  • Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning before moving production traffic.
Phi-3 Mini 4k -> GPT-5.5
  • No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Phi-3 Mini 4k and GPT-5.5; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
  • GPT-5.5 is $29.75/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
  • GPT-5.5 adds Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning in local capability data.

Specs

Specification
Released2026-04-232024-04-23
Context window1.05m4k
Parameters3.8B
ArchitectureDecoder OnlyDecoder Only
LicenseProprietaryMITOSI-approved
OpennessProprietaryOpen source
WeightsNot releasedUnknown
CodeUnknownUnknown
Commercial useCommercial use: conditionalCommercial use: permitted
Knowledge cutoff2025-122023-10

Pricing and availability

Pricing attributeGPT-5.5Phi-3 Mini 4k
Input price
0-272K input tokens
$5/1M tokens
Standard GPT-5.5 token pricing before the long-context surcharge threshold.
272K+ input tokens
$8/1M tokens
Long-context surcharge applies above 272K input tokens for the full session.
$0.05/1M tokens
Output price
0-272K input tokens
$30/1M tokens
Standard GPT-5.5 token pricing before the long-context surcharge threshold.
272K+ input tokens
$36/1M tokens
Long-context surcharge applies above 272K input tokens for the full session.
$0.25/1M tokens
Providers

Capabilities

CapabilityGPT-5.5Phi-3 Mini 4k
VisionYesNo
MultimodalYesNo
ReasoningYesNo
JSON / Tool useYesNo
Structured outputsYesNo
Code executionYesNo
IDE integrationNoNo
Computer useNoNo
Parallel agentsNoNo

Benchmarks

BenchmarkGPT-5.5Phi-3 Mini 4k
MMLU PRO88.145.7
Google-Proof Q&A93.640.9
HumanEval94.259.8
Instruction-Following Evaluation92.145.0
Massive Multitask Language Understanding92.468.2

Continue comparing

Last reviewed: 2026-06-29. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.