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GPT-5 mini vs GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks): API Cost Comparison

Compare the API pricing, context windows, features, and real-world cost projections for GPT-5 mini (OpenAI) and GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks) (Fireworks AI). Use the interactive calculator below to compute your exact monthly cost based on your token usage and request volume.

Prices verified Mar 10, 2026

Interactive Cost Calculator

OpenAIGPT-5 miniFireworks AIGPT OSS 120B (Fireworks)

Fills in typical token counts for a workload type

Tokens in each prompt sent to the model

Tokens generated in each response

Total API calls per month

Showing costs for 2 models. Cheapest: GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks) at $4.50/month.

Cheapest: GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks) at $4.50/mo — save 64.0% vs GPT-5 mini
Alert
BestGPT OSS 120B (Fireworks)
Fireworks AI$4.50$0.000450$1.50$3.0064.0%Alerts coming soon
GPT-5 mini
OpenAI$12.50$0.001250$2.50$10.00Alerts coming soon

Monthly Cost Comparison

Price Comparison at a Glance

All prices are in USD per 1 million tokens ($/M tokens). Lower is cheaper.

Pricing TypeGPT-5 miniGPT OSS 120B (Fireworks)Cheaper
Input (standard)$0.25/M$0.15/MGPT OSS 120B (Fireworks)
Output$2.00/M$0.60/MGPT OSS 120B (Fireworks)
Cached input$0.03/M$0.08/MGPT-5 mini
Batch inputN/A$0.08/M
Batch outputN/A$0.30/M

Prices last verified: 2026-03-08 – 2026-03-10

Cost Breakdown by Usage Volume

Estimated monthly costs at different request volumes, assuming 1,000 input tokens and 500 output tokens per request. Adjust in the calculator above for your specific use case.

VolumeGPT-5 miniMonthlyGPT OSS 120B (Fireworks)MonthlyGPT-5 miniPer requestGPT OSS 120B (Fireworks)Per request
1K requests/mo$1.25$0.45$0.001250$0.000450
10K requests/mo$12.50$4.50$0.001250$0.000450
100K requests/mo$125.00$45.00$0.001250$0.000450
1M requests/mo$1,250.00$450.00$0.001250$0.000450

Green values indicate the lower-cost option at each volume tier. Cost per request is calculated at 1,000 input + 500 output tokens using standard (non-batch, non-cached) pricing.

Price History

Input price per 1M tokens

When to Choose GPT-5 mini

by OpenAI

  • Customer support
  • General chatbot
  • Data extraction

Input / 1M tokens

$0.25/M

Output / 1M tokens

$2.00/M

Context window

400,000

Tier

mid

When to Choose GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks)

by Fireworks AI

  • Code generation
  • Document summarization
  • RAG / Semantic search

Input / 1M tokens

$0.15/M

Output / 1M tokens

$0.60/M

Context window

131,072

Tier

mid

Key Differences Beyond Price

Cost is only one factor in choosing an AI model. Context window size, rate limits, supported features, and latency all affect whether a model fits your use case.

CapabilityGPT-5 miniGPT OSS 120B (Fireworks)
Context window400,000 tokens131,072 tokens
Max output tokens128,000 tokens16,384 tokens
Performance tierMidMid
Vision / image inputYesNo
Function callingYesYes
JSON modeYesYes
Prompt cachingYesYes
Batch API (50% discount)NoYes
Extended reasoningNoNo
Fine-tuningNoNo
Rate limit (req/min)10,000Not published

GPT-5 mini notes

1M context window at mid-tier pricing. Good balance of cost and capability.

GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks) notes

Fireworks serverless pricing. Cached input 50% discount. Batch at 50% of serverless.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is GPT-5 mini cheaper than GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks)?

At standard usage (1,000 input tokens, 500 output tokens, 100,000 requests/month), GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks) costs $45.00/month versus $125.00/month for GPT-5 mini — a 64% saving. Your actual savings will vary based on your token profile; output-heavy workloads amplify differences in output pricing.

Which model has a larger context window, GPT-5 mini or GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks)?

GPT-5 mini has a larger context window at 400,000 tokens, compared to 131,072 tokens for GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks). A larger context window is important for processing long documents, multi-turn conversations, or large codebases without truncation.

Do GPT-5 mini and GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks) support the Batch API?

GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks) supports the Batch API (50% discount for async processing), while GPT-5 mini does not. If your workload tolerates up to 24-hour latency, routing to GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks) with batch pricing could significantly cut costs versus GPT-5 mini's standard rate.

Which model offers better prompt caching?

Both GPT-5 mini and GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks) support prompt caching. GPT-5 mini caches repeated input at $0.03/M (vs $0.25/M standard), while GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks) caches at $0.08/M (vs $0.15/M standard). For workloads with large, repeated system prompts or document context, caching can reduce effective input costs by 60–90%.

What are the best use cases for GPT-5 mini vs GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks)?

GPT-5 mini is best suited for Customer support, General chatbot, Data extraction, while GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks) is optimized for Code generation, Document summarization, RAG / Semantic search. Choose based on which use case matches your primary workload — and validate with the cost calculator above to confirm the total monthly spend fits your budget.

What is the cost per request for GPT-5 mini vs GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks)?

At 1,000 input tokens and 500 output tokens per request — a typical conversational workload — GPT-5 mini costs $0.001250 per request and GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks) costs $0.000450 per request. At 100,000 requests/month, that translates to $125.00 and $45.00 respectively. Use the interactive calculator to adjust these parameters for your actual workload.

GPT-5 mini vs GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks): Summary

When comparing GPT-5 mini and GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks) for API cost, the right choice depends on your workload's token profile, required features, and tolerance for latency. GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks) offers lower total cost at standard usage volumes (1,000 input + 500 output tokens per request at 100,000 requests/month) at $45.00/month, compared to $125.00/month for GPT-5 mini.

Both models are priced in USD per million tokens, the standard unit across all major AI API providers. GPT-5 mini charges $0.25/M for input tokens and $2.00/M for output tokens. GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks) charges $0.15/M input and $0.60/M output. If your workload is output-heavy (more tokens generated than consumed as input), the model with the lower output price compounds cost savings significantly at scale.

Prompt caching is supported by both models. For workloads with large, repeated system prompts or document context — such as RAG pipelines or multi-turn conversations with a fixed knowledge base — prompt caching can reduce effective input costs by 60–90%, which may change the cost ranking between these two models at your specific usage pattern.

Context window capacity differs between the two: GPT-5 mini supports up to 400,000 tokens in a single request, versus 131,072 tokens for GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks). A larger context window is essential for document summarization, large codebase analysis, and multi-document retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) applications.

Use the interactive calculator at the top of this page to enter your actual token usage and monthly request volume for a precise cost comparison tailored to your workload. Adjust for batch API discounts and prompt caching to find the most cost-effective option for your specific deployment.

Explore other model comparisons from the same providers or performance tiers.

Related Provider Pages

View complete pricing tables and model lineups for the providers behind these models.

Relevant Use Cases

See cost recommendations for workloads where GPT-5 mini or GPT OSS 120B (Fireworks) is recommended.