Model comparison Synced Apr 6, 2026

OpenAI: GPT-4o-mini Search Preview vs OpenAI: gpt-oss-120b (free)

Side-by-side comparison of OpenAI: GPT-4o-mini Search Preview and OpenAI: gpt-oss-120b (free). Compare pricing, context window, capabilities, and find out which is better for your workflow.

Verdict

strong confidence

OpenAI: gpt-oss-120b (free) leads overall

OpenAI: gpt-oss-120b (free) leads in price and capabilities and max output, making it the stronger choice for most workflows. OpenAI: GPT-4o-mini Search Preview remains a solid alternative depending on your specific needs.

Best for with OpenAI: GPT-4o-mini Search Preview

No clear advantages identified

Best for with OpenAI: gpt-oss-120b (free)

Budget-conscious workflowsMulti-modal tasksLong-form content generation

Side-by-side

Technical specifications

	OpenAI: GPT-4o-mini Search Preview	OpenAI: gpt-oss-120b (free)
Provider	OpenAI	OpenAI
Input price	$0.15/M	$0.00/M
Output price	$0.60/M	$0.00/M
Context window	128K	131K
Max output	16K	131K
Capabilities		Tool useReasoning
Released	Mar 12, 2025	Aug 5, 2025

View OpenAI: GPT-4o-mini Search Preview profile View OpenAI: gpt-oss-120b (free) profile

Scoring breakdown