GPT-4o-mini Search Preview vs o4 Mini Deep Research
How do these models stack up? Below is an expert side-by-side comparison of specifications, context window capacity, live pricing per million tokens, and standardized benchmark scores for GPT-4o-mini Search Preview and o4 Mini Deep Research.
GPT-4o-mini Search Preview
GPT-4o mini Search Preview is a specialized model for web search in Chat Completions. It is trained to understand and execute web search queries.
o4 Mini Deep Research
o4-mini-deep-research is OpenAI's faster, more affordable deep research model—ideal for tackling complex, multi-step research tasks. Note: This model always uses the 'web_search' tool which adds additional cost.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | GPT-4o-mini Search Preview | o4 Mini Deep Research |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | OpenAI |
| Context Window | 128,000 tokens | 200,000 tokens |
| Agent Suitability | N/A | N/A |
| Time to First Token (TTFT) | N/A | N/A |
| Deployment Model | managed api | managed api |
| Production Stability | stable | stable |
| API Available | Yes | Yes |
| Released Date | 2025-03-12 | 2025-10-10 |
API Pricing Comparison
Input Price per Million Tokens
GPT-4o-mini Search Preview
$0.15
o4 Mini Deep Research
$2.00
Output Price per Million Tokens
GPT-4o-mini Search Preview
$0.60
o4 Mini Deep Research
$8.00
Want to test both models live?
Run side-by-side prompt prompts in our dynamic Sandbox. Check execution speeds, latency metrics, and compute actual costs in real-time.
Benchmark Performance Metrics
Scores show the raw performance percentages verified across key evaluation suites. Higher bars indicate superior accuracy and capability in that domain.
GPT-4o-mini Search Preview Quirks & Gotchas
No developer gotchas reported.
o4 Mini Deep Research Quirks & Gotchas
No developer gotchas reported.