text model comparison
GPT-4.1 mini vs GPT-6 Luna
GPT-4.1 mini and GPT-6 Luna are both current text models, from OpenAI. GPT-6 Luna is 75% cheaper per 1M input tokens than GPT-4.1 mini, $0.10 vs $0.40. On Arena Text, GPT-4.1 mini scores 1383 Elo and GPT-6 Luna 1443 Elo (Arena, measured October 8, 2026). Both accept about 1.05M tokens of context (1,050,000 and 1,047,576).
Data verified October 12, 2026 · Dataset 2026-10-12
Side by side
Standard-tier prices in effect today. The better value in each row is highlighted.
| Fact | GPT-4.1 mini | GPT-6 Luna |
|---|---|---|
| Price per 1M input tokens | $0.40 | $0.10 (better) |
| Price per 1M output tokens | $1.60 | $0.50 (better) |
| Cost of 10M input and 2M output tokens | $7.20 | $2 (better) |
| Arena Text | 1383 Elo (#38 of 39) | 1443 Elo (#31 of 39) (better) |
| GPQA Diamond | 65.8% (#36 of 37) | 90.5% (#23 of 37) (better) |
| FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (v2) | 6.7% (#36 of 37) | 78.9% (#14 of 37) (better) |
| SimpleQA Verified | 12.7% (#33 of 34) | 41.4% (#25 of 34) (better) |
| Provider | OpenAI | OpenAI |
| Release date | April 14, 2025 | September 22, 2026 |
| Access | API only | API only |
| Context window | 1,047,576 tokens | 1,050,000 tokens |
| Max output | 32,768 tokens | 128,000 tokens |
| Input | text, image | text, image |
| Output | text | text |
When to choose each
GPT-4.1 mini
Best for
- Cost-sensitive long-context API evaluation
Watch out for
- Not in the pinned LiveBench snapshot; its independent scores here come from Epoch AI's own GPQA Diamond, FrontierMath and SimpleQA Verified runs
GPT-6 Luna
Best for
- High-volume summarisation, extraction and routing
- Long-context budget work, where the 272k threshold is more forgiving than Haiku 5.5's 100k
Watch out for
- Prompts over 272,000 tokens are rebilled at $0.20 input and $0.75 output for the whole request
- A twentieth of GPT-6 Sol's price reflects a capability gap, not a discount on the same model
GPT-4.1 mini vs GPT-6 Luna FAQ
Which is cheaper, GPT-4.1 mini or GPT-6 Luna?
GPT-6 Luna is 75% cheaper per 1M input tokens than GPT-4.1 mini, $0.10 vs $0.40. For 10M input and 2M output tokens, GPT-4.1 mini costs $7.20 and GPT-6 Luna $2 at standard rates.
Which scores higher on independent benchmarks, GPT-4.1 mini or GPT-6 Luna?
GPT-6 Luna leads on Arena Text, 1443 Elo to 1383 Elo; GPT-6 Luna leads on GPQA Diamond, 90.5% to 65.8%; GPT-6 Luna leads on FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (v2), 78.9% to 6.7%. Scores are independent evaluations, not either vendor's launch figures.
Which has the larger context window, GPT-4.1 mini or GPT-6 Luna?
Both accept about 1.05M tokens of context (1,050,000 and 1,047,576).
Related comparisons
- Claude Haiku 5.5 vs GPT-6 Luna
- DeepSeek-R1 vs GPT-4.1 mini
- DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash vs GPT-4.1 mini
- Gemini 2.5 Pro vs GPT-4.1 mini
- Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite vs GPT-6 Luna
- Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite vs GPT-4.1 mini
- Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite vs GPT-6 Luna
- Gemini 3 Flash Preview vs GPT-4.1 mini
- GPT-4.1 mini vs GPT-4.1 nano
- GPT-4.1 mini vs Kimi K2 Instruct
Production evaluation
Choosing between GPT-4.1 mini and GPT-6 Luna?
Public benchmarks narrow the shortlist. We run both on your own tasks, data and cost limits, then build the routing and review controls to run the winner in production.
- A head-to-head evaluation on your real workload
- Routing between models by cost and difficulty