O3
OpenAI
At a glance
- Price per 1M tokens (input)
- $2.00
- Price per 1M tokens (output)
- $8.00
- Context
- 200,000 tokens
- Free access
- yes (see below)
Refreshed daily; data verified August 15, 2026. Published August 12, 2026.
O3 is a reasoning-focused model from OpenAI designed for complex problem-solving and multi-step tasks. It suits developers and enterprises that need reliable decision support, code generation, and structured analysis. The vendor's approach emphasizes deliberate step-by-step reasoning before answering, which improves accuracy on tasks that require logic or planning. It also includes image understanding and tool calling, allowing it to interpret visual inputs and interact with external systems or APIs.
Specifications & pricing
| Input (per 1M tokens) | $2.00 |
|---|---|
| Output (per 1M tokens) | $8.00 |
| Cache read (per 1M tokens) | $0.50 |
| Context window | 200,000 tokens |
| Max output | 100,000 tokens |
| Capabilities | images, tool calling, reasoning |
LiteLLM community dataset (MIT), verified August 15, 2026. Official OpenAI pricing.
What O3 would cost on your workload — run it through the cost calculator →
Where to try O3 for free
- OpenAI offers a free chat — ChatGPT (free plan). A vendor's free chat may run a different model from the same family — the exact model is not guaranteed.
Frequently asked questions
What is O3 best used for in a business context?+
O3 excels at tasks that require careful reasoning, such as debugging code, optimizing workflows, analyzing data, and generating strategic plans. Its step-by-step reasoning makes it suitable for complex problem-solving where a simple answer is not enough. It also handles image understanding, so you can ask it to interpret charts, diagrams, or photographs as part of a larger task.
How do I get started with O3?+
You can access O3 through the OpenAI API or platform, where you select the model and integrate it into your application. For quick experimentation, use the playground or a chat interface if available. You will need an API key and basic familiarity with sending prompts. The documentation provides examples for enabling tool calling and image inputs.
How does O3 differ from other models in the OpenAI line?+
O3 is optimized for deliberate reasoning, meaning it takes more time to think through a problem before responding, which improves accuracy on complex tasks. Sibling models may prioritize speed or conversational fluency. O3 also supports tool calling and image understanding, but its key distinction is the explicit step-by-step reasoning process. This makes it a better fit for tasks where correctness matters more than response time.
What are the limitations of O3?+
O3 may be slower than other models because of its reasoning process, so it is not ideal for real-time chat or very high-frequency requests. It can still make mistakes, especially with ambiguous or poorly specified inputs, so you should validate critical outputs. Image understanding is limited to static images, not video, and tool calling requires careful setup to avoid errors. Additionally, the model may not be suitable for tasks that need very concise answers without explanation.
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