OpenAI GPT-3.5 Turbo vs OpenAI GPT-4o mini

Name: OpenAI GPT-3.5 Turbo
Brand: OpenAI
SKU: gpt-3-5-turbo

Looking for an honest OpenAI GPT-3.5 Turbo vs OpenAI GPT-4o mini comparison in 2026? We scored both ai language models on the same six-dimension framework — performance, battery, display, camera, design and value — using identical methodology, so the numbers below are directly comparable. In our overall scoring the OpenAI GPT-4o mini comes out ahead 41/100 to 63/100 — a 22-point gap. The widest gap is in design and build, where the OpenAI GPT-4o mini pulls noticeably ahead.

OpenAI

GPT-3.5 Turbo

41/100

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WINNER

OpenAI

GPT-4o mini

63/100

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AI Matrix

OpenAI GPT-4o mini clearly outperforms the OpenAI GPT-3.5 Turbo in the ai language models category, especially in design, scoring 63 vs 41. If you want the better overall ai language models, OpenAI GPT-4o mini is the recommended choice.

Reviewed by VersusMatrix Editorial Team|Our methodology

5 Reasons Why OpenAI GPT-4o mini Is Better

1.Better performance score: 63 vs 29
2.Higher camera score: 68 vs 30
3.Better battery score: 12 vs 1
4.Higher design rating: 45 vs 0
5.Higher overall score: 63 vs 41

Spec Comparison

Score Breakdown

OpenAI GPT-3.5 TurboOpenAI GPT-4o mini

Benchmark (MMLU)30% weight

OpenAI GPT-4o mini Winner

Cost Efficiency20% weight

Tie

OpenAI GPT-3.5 Turbo

✓ Pros

●Better display score

✗ Cons

●Weaker battery score
●Lower camera score
●Lower performance score

OpenAI GPT-4o mini

Winner

✓ Pros

●Higher performance score
●Better battery score
●Better camera score

✗ Cons

●Lower display score

💰 Token Pricing (per 1M tokens)

Lower cost = better value. Free = open-source self-hosted.

Metric	GPT-3.5 Turbo	GPT-4o mini
Input (Prompt)	$0.50/1M	✓$0.15/1M
Output (Completion)	$1.50/1M	✓$0.60/1M
Open Source	Proprietary	Proprietary

⚡ Context Window & Speed

Context Window (tokens)

GPT-3.5 Turbo16K

GPT-4o mini128K

Metric	GPT-3.5 Turbo	GPT-4o mini
Max Output	4,096 tok	✓16,384 tok
Speed	✓400 tok/s	220 tok/s
Time to First Token	✓100ms	280ms
Languages	50+	50+

📊 Benchmark Scores

Higher is better. Industry-standard AI evaluation benchmarks.

GPT-3.5 Turbo

GPT-4o mini

MMLU (Knowledge)

70.0|82.0

GPT-3.5 Turbo

GPT-4o mini

HumanEval (Coding)

72.0|87.2

GPT-3.5 Turbo

GPT-4o mini

MATH (Mathematics)

57.1|70.2

GPT-3.5 Turbo

GPT-4o mini

GPQA (Expert Q&A)

30.0|40.2

GPT-3.5 Turbo

GPT-4o mini

Chatbot Arena ELO

1106.0|1272.0

GPT-3.5 Turbo

GPT-4o mini

🔧 Capabilities

Feature	GPT-3.5 Turbo	GPT-4o mini
Reasoning / Chain-of-Thought	✕	✕
Vision (Image Input)	✕	✓
Audio Input	✕	✕
Video Input	✕	✕
Image/Audio Output	✕	✕
Function Calling / Tools	✓	✓
JSON Mode	✓	✓
Real-time Web Access	✕	✕
Fine-tuning Support	✓	✓
Batch API	✓	✓
Streaming	✓	✓
Open Source	✕	✕

ℹ️ Model Details

Field	GPT-3.5 Turbo	GPT-4o mini
Provider	OpenAI	OpenAI
Knowledge Cutoff	2021-09	2023-10
Best For	legacysimple taskshigh volumecost efficiency	high volumecost efficiencysimple tasks

Who Should Buy

Buy OpenAI GPT-3.5 Turbo if…

The OpenAI GPT-3.5 Turbo is worth considering if you prefer its specific design, ecosystem, or brand — though it scores lower overall in our comparison.

Buy OpenAI GPT-4o mini if…

Buy the OpenAI GPT-4o mini if you want the best performance in this comparison. It scores higher overall and is the recommended choice for most buyers.

OpenAI GPT-3.5 Turbo vs OpenAI GPT-4o mini — FAQ

OpenAI GPT-3.5 Turbo vs OpenAI GPT-4o mini: which is better?

Is OpenAI GPT-3.5 Turbo better than OpenAI GPT-4o mini?

No, OpenAI GPT-4o mini scores higher (75 vs 75).

Which is cheaper, OpenAI GPT-3.5 Turbo or OpenAI GPT-4o mini?

Check the latest prices using the buy links above.

Who should buy the OpenAI GPT-3.5 Turbo?

The OpenAI GPT-3.5 Turbo is worth considering if you prefer its specific design, ecosystem, or brand — though it scores lower overall in our comparison.

Who should buy the OpenAI GPT-4o mini?

Buy the OpenAI GPT-4o mini if you want the best performance in this comparison. It scores higher overall and is the recommended choice for most buyers.

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Full OpenAI GPT-3.5 Turbo review →Full OpenAI GPT-4o mini review →All OpenAI AI Language Models →All OpenAI AI Language Models →

Reviewed by VersusMatrix Editorial Team

Last updated: April 28, 2026

Editorial guidelines

Methodology: AI-powered analysis of technical specifications from manufacturer data. Scores are calculated by comparing products across multiple dimensions and normalized relative to the full category database. Our editorial process is independent and not influenced by affiliate partnerships.

Scores are relative within the ai language modelscategory. Percentages show each dimension's weight in the overall score. A difference of less than 0.5 points is considered a tie.