Last refreshed 2026-05-10. Next refresh: weekly.
Why use o4-mini on OpenAI API?
OpenAI API offers o4-mini with pay-as-you-go pricing at $1.10/1M input tokens. OpenAI is a leading AI research and deployment company dedicated to developing safe and beneficial artificial general intelligence (AGI) for humanity.
Compare o4-mini across 3 providers to find the best fit for your use caseSetup recipe
Python + curlpip install openaiexport OPENAI_API_KEY=...import os
from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI() # reads OPENAI_API_KEY from env
response = client.chat.completions.create(o4-miniRequest example
import os
from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI() # reads OPENAI_API_KEY from env
response = client.chat.completions.create(
model="o4-mini",
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}]
)
print(response.choices[0].message.content)Gotchas
- Use the model slug directly, e.g. "gpt-4o" or "gpt-4.1-mini".
- The examples expect OPENAI_API_KEY; rename it only if your application config maps the new variable.
Compare o4-mini Across Providers
| Provider | Input (per 1M) | Output (per 1M) |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI API | $1.10 | $4.40 |
| OpenRouter | $1.10 | $4.40 |
| Replicate API | $1.00 | $4.00 |
Pricing
| Type | Price (per 1M) |
|---|---|
| Input tokens | $1.10 |
| Output tokens | $4.40 |
Capabilities
About o4-mini
Fast and cost-efficient reasoning model with vision support for math, coding, and visual understanding. Retired from ChatGPT February 13, 2026 but still available via API. Released April 16, 2025.
FAQ
What does o4-mini cost on OpenAI API?
On OpenAI API, o4-mini costs $1.10 per 1M input tokens and $4.40 per 1M output tokens.
How does OpenAI API compare to other o4-mini providers?
o4-mini is available from 3 providers. The cheapest input pricing is $1/1M tokens from Replicate API.
Who created o4-mini?
o4-mini was created by OpenAI as part of the o3 model family.
Is o4-mini open source?
o4-mini is not open source; the seed data lists it as proprietary.