GPT-4o-mini vs gpt-oss-20b
Pricing, context window and real answers (September 2026)
GPT-4o-mini (OpenAI) and gpt-oss-20b (OpenAI), compared as you can actually call them on FastMetal. Both are served from the same OpenAI-compatible endpoint and API key; switching is a change to the model string.
Specs and pricing
 GPT-4o-mini | gpt-oss-20b | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | OpenAI |
| Input (per 1M tokens) | ¥26.81 | ¥5.36 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | ¥107.22 | ¥25.02 |
| Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls) | ¥80 | ¥18 |
| Context window | 128,000 tokens | 131,072 tokens |
| Release date | 7/18/2024 | 8/5/2025 |
| Input modalities | text, image, file | text |
| Throughput (p50) | — | — |
| Arena · overall | #251 · ELO 1,318 | #252 · ELO 1,317 |
| Arena · Japanese | #187 · ELO 1,250 | #179 · ELO 1,256 |
| Arena · coding | #259 · ELO 1,348 | #232 · ELO 1,369 |
Prices are FastMetal's yen rates before tax. Arena ranks are as of the latest leaderboard scrape.
Which should you pick?
- On price, gpt-oss-20b: ¥25.02 per 1M output tokens, 77% less than GPT-4o-mini.
- On the Overall arena board, GPT-4o-mini ranks higher (#251; gpt-oss-20b is #252).
- On the Japanese arena board, gpt-oss-20b ranks higher (#179; GPT-4o-mini is #187).
- On the Coding arena board, gpt-oss-20b ranks higher (#232; GPT-4o-mini is #259).
- For long documents, gpt-oss-20b: a 131,072-token context window against 128,000 for GPT-4o-mini.
- If in doubt, try both on the same key. Switching is a change to the model string, and each is billed at its own rate.
Real answers to the same prompts
Exactly what the FastMetal gateway returned, side by side. Not benchmark scores: actual output.
Count the number of 'r's in 'strawberry'
Count the number of 'r's in 'strawberry'. Explain your reasoning step by step.
GPT-4o-mini
To count the number of 'r's in the word "strawberry," we can follow these steps:
1. **Identify the word**: We have the word "strawberry."
2. **Break down the letters**: Let's write out the letters in the word:
- s
- t
- r
- a
- w
- b
- e
- r
- r
- y
3. **Locate the 'r's**: Now, we need to look for the letter 'r' among these letters.
- In the list of letters, we can see:
- The first 'r' is in the 3rd position.
- The second 'r' is in the 8th position.
- The third 'r' is in the 9th position.
4. **Count the occurrences**: We check each position we identified:
- There are three occurrences of 'r' in the word "strawberry."
5. **Conclusion**:…
2.1s239 output tokens
gpt-oss-20b
**Count of ‘r’ in “strawberry”: 3**
---
### Step‑by‑step reasoning
1. **Write out the word in individual letters**
```
s t r a w b e r r y
```
2. **Identify each ‘r’**
- The first ‘r’: appears after the “t” → **r**
- The second ‘r’: appears in the part “berry” → **r**
- The third ‘r’: the next letter after that → **r**
3. **Verify there are no more letters left**
The remaining letters are “b”, “e”, “y”, none of which are “r”.
4. **Count the identified ‘r’s**
1 (first) + 1 (second) + 1 (third) = **3**
---
### Quick recap
- Word: **strawberry**
- Letters containing “r”: positions 3, 8, and 9.
- Total count: **3**.
11.6s371 output tokens
Debug This Error
I'm getting the following error in my Node.js application: TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map') at UserList (/app/components/UserList.js:12:25) at renderWithHooks (/app/node_modules/rea…
GPT-4o-mini
The error you're encountering, `TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map')`, indicates that the `users` prop is `undefined` when you try to call the `map` method on it.
In your `UserList` component, you're attempting to use `users.map(...)`, but if the `users` prop is not provided or is `undefined`, this will throw an error.
### Fixing the Error
1. **Default Props**: You can set a default value for the `users` prop to prevent the error when it is `undefined`.
```jsx
function UserList({ users = [] }) { // Default to an empty array
return (
<ul>
{users.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>)}
</ul>
);
}
```…
5.0s511 output tokens
gpt-oss-20b
### Why does the error happen?
`users.map(...)` can only run when **`users` is an array**.
The stack trace shows that the crash happens on line 12 of `UserList.js`, which is the
exact spot where the code tries to call `.map`.
The value that is being passed to `UserList` (or the initial value that the parent
creates) is **`undefined`** (or it could be `null`/`{}`). When JavaScript tries to
read `users.map`, it throws:
```
TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map')
```
Typical reasons for this are:
1. The parent component **didn’t pass the `users` prop** at all.
2. The parent passed it but the value was **`undefined` / `null`** because data
hasn’t been loaded ye…
11.4s1303 output tokens
Code Review
Please review the following Python function and suggest improvements for readability, performance, and best practices: def get_data(url, retries=3): import requests import time for i in range(retries):…
GPT-4o-mini
Your Python function, `get_data`, essentially performs a GET request, handles retries on failure, and processes the response JSON to return a filtered list of dictionaries. Below, I've highlighted several improvements regarding readability, performance, and best practices:
1. **Avoid blanket exceptions**: It’s best practice to specify which exceptions you expect, allowing for better debugging and error handling.
2. **Use `requests` built-in exception handling**: Handle specific requests exceptions, such as `requests.exceptions.RequestException`.
3. **Improve condition checks**: Check for `item['active']` directly instead of comparing to `True`, which is more Pythonic.
4. **Use `time.sl…
8.8s628 output tokens
gpt-oss-20b
Below is a quick “code‑review” style list that touches the three axes you asked for – **readability**, **performance**, and **best practices**.
After the bullet‑list I’ll paste a refactored version that incorporates the most common fixes.
---
## 1. Readability
| Issue | Why it hurts | Quick fix |
|-------|--------------|-----------|
| **Imports inside the function** | Every call recompiles the import tables and makes the module’s top‑level slower. | Move `import requests` and `import time` to the module’s global header. |
| **Bare `except:`** | Catches *everything* (KeyboardInterrupt, SystemExit, MemoryError, etc.) and swallows useful tracebacks. | Catch only the expected network-relate…
24.6s2267 output tokens
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper, GPT-4o-mini or gpt-oss-20b?
- Per 1M output tokens, GPT-4o-mini is ¥107.22 and gpt-oss-20b is ¥25.02 on FastMetal (yen, before tax), so gpt-oss-20b is cheaper.
- How do the context windows of GPT-4o-mini and gpt-oss-20b compare?
- GPT-4o-mini takes 128,000 tokens; gpt-oss-20b takes 131,072.
- Which ranks higher, GPT-4o-mini or gpt-oss-20b?
- gpt-oss-20b ranks higher on the public arena (GPT-4o-mini #187, gpt-oss-20b #179). Ranks move as the leaderboard updates.
- Can I use GPT-4o-mini and gpt-oss-20b with the same API key?
- Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "gpt-4o-mini" or "gpt-oss-20b" as the model. Each is billed at its own rate from the same prepaid balance.
Try both on one API key
Create an account and add credit to call GPT-4o-mini and gpt-oss-20b from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.