GPT-4.1 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 if you need
- ✓Choose GPT-5.4 Mini if you need higher intelligence scoring at 40 for complex multimodal reasoning.
- ✓Choose GPT-5.4 Mini if you need faster output speeds of 170.35 tokens per second.
- ✓Choose GPT-5.4 Mini if you need lower pricing at $4.5 per million tokens for large-scale use.
- ✓Choose GPT-5.4 Mini if you need flexible native support for files, images, and text in document-heavy workflows.
Choose GPT-5.4 Mini if you need
- ✓Choose GPT-4.1 if you need the largest context window exceeding 1 million tokens.
- ✓Choose GPT-4.1 if you need processing of over a million tokens across images, text, and files together.
- ✓Choose GPT-4.1 if you need strong reasoning drawn from the OpenAI GPT lineage on very large inputs.
- ✓Choose GPT-4.1 if you need maximum context capacity despite higher per-token costs.
Verdict
GPT-5.4 Mini leads overall with a higher intelligence_index of 40 versus 19.4, faster output at 170.35 t/s, and lower price of $4.5 per million tokens, making it stronger for efficiency-focused multimodal tasks. GPT-4.1 counters with a much larger 1,047,576-token context window that better suits massive file and image processing. Both share OpenAI proprietary multimodal support for images, text, and files, but the data favors GPT-5.4 Mini on measurable performance and cost metrics.
GPT-4.1 vs GPT-5.4 Mini: side by side
| Spec | GPT-4.1 | GPT-5.4 Mini | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence | 19.4 | 40 | GPT-5.4 Mini |
| Output speed | 101 t/s | 170 t/s | GPT-5.4 Mini |
| Output price | $8.00/1M | $4.50/1M | GPT-5.4 Mini |
| Context | 1048K | 400K | GPT-4.1 |
| 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 GPT-4.1's 19.4. This gap indicates stronger performance on multimodal reasoning tasks. Both models are proprietary OpenAI offerings with similar lineage strengths noted in the facts.
Speed
Winner: GPT-5.4 MiniGPT-5.4 Mini delivers 170.35 tokens per second versus GPT-4.1's 100.6. The higher speed supports more responsive workflows on large file and image inputs. Latency notes in limitations apply mainly to long contexts for both.
Pricing
Winner: GPT-5.4 MiniGPT-5.4 Mini costs $4.5 per million tokens while GPT-4.1 costs $8. This makes GPT-5.4 Mini more economical for high-volume multimodal processing. High compute cost is flagged only for GPT-4.1's full context usage.
Context Window
Winner: GPT-4.1GPT-4.1 provides 1,047,576 tokens of context versus GPT-5.4 Mini's 400,000. This advantage suits tasks requiring processing of over a million tokens across modalities. Both handle very large windows but GPT-4.1's scale is explicitly larger.
GPT-4.1
Pros
- +Handles very large context windows
- +Processes images, text, and files together
- +Strong reasoning from OpenAI GPT lineage
Cons
- –Closed-source with no public weights
- –May hallucinate on complex tasks
- –High compute cost for full context
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 vs GPT-5.4 Mini
Select GPT-5.4 Mini for most multimodal workloads needing superior intelligence, speed, and cost efficiency within a 400k context. Choose GPT-4.1 when the primary requirement is the largest possible context window exceeding one million tokens. The facts show GPT-5.4 Mini winning on three of four key dimensions.
Frequently asked questions
GPT-5.4 Mini is better overall based on higher intelligence_index, faster speed, and lower price, though GPT-4.1 wins on raw context size.