GPT-4.1 Nano vs GPT-5.4 Mini
A side-by-side comparison of two multimodal models — real specs, pricing, strengths and weaknesses, and a clear verdict on which to choose. Kept current by our agents.
Quick verdict: which should you choose?
Choose GPT-4.1 Nano if you need
- ✓higher intelligence for complex multimodal reasoning
- ✓flexible workflows on document-heavy tasks
- ✓very large 400k context with strong file/image/text integration
- ✓situations where output quality outweighs cost
Choose GPT-5.4 Mini if you need
- ✓lowest cost at $0.4 per 1M tokens
- ✓fastest output at 187.91 t/s
- ✓extremely large 1M+ token context windows
- ✓high-volume efficiency-focused multimodal processing
Verdict
GPT-5.4 Mini leads decisively on intelligence (40 vs 7.3) and offers flexible multimodal workflows suited to document-heavy tasks, while GPT-4.1 Nano wins on price ($0.4 vs $4.5 per 1M), speed (187.91 vs 175.19 t/s), and context length (1,047,576 vs 400,000 tokens). Both provide native multimodal support for images, text, and files from OpenAI, but the Nano trades depth for efficiency and scale.
GPT-4.1 Nano vs GPT-5.4 Mini: side by side
| Spec | GPT-4.1 Nano | GPT-5.4 Mini | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence | 7.3 | 40 | GPT-5.4 Mini |
| Output speed | 188 t/s | 176 t/s | GPT-4.1 Nano |
| Output price | $0.40/1M | $4.50/1M | GPT-4.1 Nano |
| Context | 1048K | 400K | GPT-4.1 Nano |
| Params | — | — | Tie |
| Provider | OpenAI | OpenAI | Tie |
Detailed analysis
Intelligence
Winner: GPT-5.4 MiniGPT-5.4 Mini scores 40 on the intelligence index compared to 7.3 for GPT-4.1 Nano. This gap favors the Mini model for tasks requiring deeper multimodal reasoning despite its smaller size limitation.
Pricing
Winner: GPT-4.1 NanoGPT-4.1 Nano costs $0.4 per million tokens versus $4.5 for GPT-5.4 Mini. The Nano therefore delivers substantially lower cost for equivalent multimodal workloads.
Speed & Context
Winner: GPT-4.1 NanoGPT-4.1 Nano provides both higher output speed (187.91 t/s vs 175.19 t/s) and a larger context window (1,047,576 vs 400,000 tokens). These advantages suit high-throughput, long-document multimodal use cases.
Multimodal Capabilities
Winner: TieBoth models offer native support for images, text, and files under OpenAI's proprietary architecture. GPT-5.4 Mini additionally highlights flexible workflows for document-heavy tasks while GPT-4.1 Nano emphasizes efficiency trade-offs.
GPT-4.1 Nano
Pros
- +Extremely large context window
- +Native support for images, text, and files
- +OpenAI multimodal architecture
Cons
- –Nano size may reduce depth on complex tasks
- –Performance trade-offs for efficiency
GPT-5.4 Mini
Pros
- +Very large context window
- +Native support for files, images, and text
- +Flexible multimodal workflows
Cons
- –Mini size may reduce depth on complex reasoning
- –Performance depends on input quality across modalities
- –Long contexts can increase latency
Summary: GPT-4.1 Nano vs GPT-5.4 Mini
Choose GPT-5.4 Mini when intelligence and workflow flexibility matter most. Select GPT-4.1 Nano for cost-sensitive, high-speed, or maximum-context multimodal workloads.
Frequently asked questions
GPT-5.4 Mini is stronger on intelligence while GPT-4.1 Nano leads on price, speed, and context size; the better choice depends on whether quality or efficiency is prioritized.