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OpenAI: o3 Deep Research vs OpenAI: GPT-4o Search Preview

Head-to-head API cost, context, and performance comparison. Synced at 3:00:00 PM.

Executive Summary

When evaluating OpenAI: o3 Deep Research against OpenAI: GPT-4o Search Preview, the pricing structure is a key differentiator. OpenAI: GPT-4o Search Preview is approximately 75% more cost-effective per 1 million tokens overall.

However, when looking at raw reasoning capabilities, OpenAI: GPT-4o Search Preview leads with a statistical ELO score of 1415. For tasks involving complex logic, coding, or instruction-following, developers might prefer OpenAI: GPT-4o Search Preview, provided their budget allows for the API burn rate.

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Raw Technical comparison

Metric
OpenAI: o3 Deep Research
OpenAI: GPT-4o Search Preview
Performance (ELO)
1415
1415
Input Cost / 1M
$10.00
$2.50
Output Cost / 1M
$40.00
$10.00
Context Window
200,000 tokens
128,000 tokens

Verdict

If you are looking for pure performance and capability, Tie is statistically superior. However, if API burn rate is the primary concern, OpenAI: GPT-4o Search Preview wins out aggressively in pricing.

People Also Ask

Is OpenAI: o3 Deep Research cheaper than OpenAI: GPT-4o Search Preview?

No. OpenAI: GPT-4o Search Preview is the more cost-effective model, operating at a lower price point per 1 million tokens.

Which model has the larger context window?

The OpenAI: o3 Deep Research model has the advantage in memory, offering a massive 200,000 token limit for document ingestion.

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