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OpenAI o3-mini: Cost-Effective, High-Intelligence Reasoning

Released on January 31, 2025 as part of the OpenAI o3 lineup, OpenAI o3-mini sits alongside OpenAI o3 and is positioned as a cost-effective model that delivers higher intelligence within the same efficiency targets as o1-mini.

Well-suited for STEM reasoning tasks, it excels in science, mathematics, and coding by offering strong analytical depth without increasing cost or latency. These capabilities make it an excellent option for technical problem solving, educational tools, and workflows requiring precise, computation-aware reasoning.

OpenAI o3-mini: Key Specs

Below are OpenAI o3-mini's main specs and how they translate into real-world behavior.

  • Context Window - Up to 200,000 tokens: This extensive context capacity allows OpenAI o3-mini to handle long conversations or large documents while maintaining continuity across multi-step tasks.
  • Maximum Output Length - Up to 100,000 tokens: The model can generate long, uninterrupted responses, making it useful for detailed explanations, structured write-ups, and multi-section content.
  • Speed and Efficiency - Medium-level responsiveness: It provides steady, balanced performance that keeps interactions smooth without emphasizing either extreme speed or slowness.
  • Cost Efficiency - Moderately priced for ongoing use: Its cost structure offers a practical balance between affordability and capability, suitable for teams needing consistent output without premium spending.
  • Reasoning and Accuracy - Higher-level reasoning ability: OpenAI o3-mini performs well on layered instructions, analysis, and logical problem-solving, offering more depth than basic-tier models.
  • Multimodal Capabilities - Text-only input and output: The model focuses on reliable text processing, making it well suited for writing, analysis, and conversational tasks that don't require image handling.

Compare OpenAI o3-mini, GPT-4o mini, and OpenAI o1-mini

A brief overview of how each model differs in power, speed, and use cases.

FeatureOpenAI o3-miniGPT-4o miniOpenAI o1-mini
Knowledge Cutoff
Oct 01, 2023
Oct 01, 2023
Oct 01, 2023
Context Window (Tokens)
200,000
128,000
128,000
Max Output Tokens
100,000
16,384
65,536
Input Modalities
Text
Text, image
Text
Output Modalities
Text
Text, image
Text
Latency (OpenRouter Data)
6.74s
0.49s
9s
Speed
Medium (about 1/3 faster than OpenAI o1-mini)
Very fast (about 2x faster than GPT-4o)
Slow (still faster than OpenAI o1)
Input / Output Cost per 1M Tokens
$1.1 / $4.4
$0.15 / $0.6
$1.1 / $4.4
Reasoning Performance
Very High
Average
High
Coding Performance
(on SWE-bench Verified)
49.30%
Unspecified
30.80%
Best For
STEM reasoning tasks, particularly excelling in science, mathematics, and coding
reasoning tasks involving both text and vision
spending more time thinking before responding to complex tasks

Source:  OpenAI o3-mini Documentation

Best Cases to Use OpenAI o3-mini

OpenAI o3-mini is best for delivering strong analytical thinking in a lightweight model.

  • For students and learners: Use OpenAI o3-mini to break down math and science problems step by step, making difficult concepts clearer through structured reasoning and visual-friendly explanations.
  • For developers: Analyze algorithms, review logic, and resolve coding issues with dependable STEM-focused reasoning that supports accurate solutions for technical workflows.
  • For businesses and teams: Interpret data, clarify analytical content, and generate precise explanations that improve understanding of technical materials across science, engineering, and quantitative projects.
  • For product teams and app builders: Build tools that rely on STEM reasoning, enabling smarter features that handle formulas, calculations, and structured analytical tasks with reliability.
  • For operations and support workflows: Troubleshoot technical issues, interpret charts or system outputs, and provide detailed guidance that improves accuracy in STEM-heavy support scenarios.
  • For content and marketing helpers: Turn complex scientific or mathematical ideas into clear, approachable content that improves communication for educational, technical, or product-focused materials.

How to Access OpenAI o3-mini

Accessing OpenAI o3-mini is simple, offering flexibility for both technical users and casual users.

1. OpenAI API

You can access OpenAI o3-mini through the OpenAI API with an API key and active billing. This method is ideal for developers who need lightweight, efficient model performance in apps or automation.

2. EssayDone AI Chat

For effortless access without any configuration, OpenAI o3-mini is available through EssayDone AI Chat.

It delivers the same model functionality through a clean, accessible interface suited for everyday tasks, quick content creation, and on-the-go productivity.

FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions about OpenAI o3-mini.

Is OpenAI o3-mini a reasoning model?

Yes. OpenAI o3-mini provides higher-than-average reasoning ability, with performance roughly aligned to a rating of 4. It handles structured STEM reasoning well, though it is not as advanced as the full OpenAI o3 model.

How much does OpenAI o3-mini cost?

OpenAI o3-mini costs $1.1 per 1M input tokens and $4.4 per 1M output tokens. It is a mid-range, more affordable alternative to OpenAI o3.

What tasks is OpenAI o3-mini optimized for?

OpenAI o3-mini is optimized for STEM-focused reasoning tasks, particularly in science, mathematics, and coding. It excels at problem-solving workflows that require logic, precision, and technical understanding.

How well does OpenAI o3-mini process multimodal inputs?

OpenAI o3-mini accepts text inputs and produces text outputs. It is a text-only model and does not support image or multimodal processing, making it best suited for language and reasoning tasks.

How does OpenAI o3-mini compare to OpenAI o3?

OpenAI o3-mini is faster and more cost-efficient, offering strong STEM reasoning at a lighter scale. OpenAI o3, however, provides deeper reasoning, higher accuracy, and better performance for complex technical writing and instruction-heavy tasks.

What's the benefit of using OpenAI o3-mini in EssayDone AI Chat?

Using OpenAI o3-mini in EssayDone AI Chat requires no API key, has no daily message limits, and includes no geographical restrictions. You can access ChatGPT and many other AI models on one platform with a single payment, at a more affordable price.