Want to try GPT-4o mini? 3 ways to access the smarter, cheaper AI model - and 2 are free

OpenAI has been on a hot streak, unveiling new AI models and updates on a regular cadence. Last Thursday, OpenAI unveiled its latest model, GPT-4o mini, which, as the name implies, packs the power of GPT-4o into a smaller package. 

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So, what can you expect? Your experience with GPT-4o mini shouldn't differ vastly from that with GPT-4o, with the model performing close to its predecessor on popular benchmarks that test reasoning, math and coding proficiency, multimodal reasoning, and more. 

Rather, the differences should be more noticeable when GPT-4o mini is compared with other small models -- such as Gemini Flash, Claude Haiku, and GPT-3.5 Turbo -- which GPT-4o mini repeatedly outperforms across the benchmarks. 

If you are ready to find out for yourself, keep reading to learn the two easy ways to access GPT-4o mini today. 

1. Sign in to ChatGPT 

When OpenAI unveiled GPT-4o mini, the company shared that ChatGPT Free, Plus, and Team users would be given access to it instead of GPT-3.5. However, if you've visited ChatGPT since, you may have been confused about why you saw GPT-3.5 -- instead of GPT-4o mini -- listed at the top of the chatbot. That's because the key to accessing GPT-4o mini is signing in. 

Although OpenAI makes accessing its chatbot free, you need to sign in to access the company's latest offerings -- such as GPT-4o mini -- for free users. If you don't have an account, creating one is easy; you can use your existing Google, Microsoft, or Apple accounts. 

Also: How to subscribe to ChatGPT Plus (and 5 reasons why you should)

To get started, visit the ChatGPT site, click either "Log-in" or "Sign up" in the upper right-hand corner, follow the prompts, and get started chatting. If you are a ChatGPT Plus user, you also can access the model by signing in, clicking on the toggle in the top right-hand corner, and selecting GPT-4o mini. 

2. OpenAI Playground 

OpenAI Playground is the company's platform for developers to try different OpenAI LLMs and customize them to fit their needs. It is easy to use and open to everyone, developers and non-developers alike. The caveat is that users will have to pay to use it, but the platform is especially useful for developers because it allows them to tweak the model to their specific use cases. You can view pricing here. 

To try it, visit the OpenAI Playground site and sign in using your OpenAI account (create one if you haven't already). Then, you will be brought to what looks like a more elaborate version of the regular ChatGPT interface. Underneath "Chat" is a toggle to select the LLM you want to use; in this case, you want to select "GPT-4o-mini." 

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You also have the option to tweak some other performance settings, such as Temperature, Maximum Tokens, and more. If you don't know these but want to learn more, move your cursor over each category to see a quick description. 

Then, type in your prompt and hit enter to experience the magic of GPT-4o mini. If you don't have enough funds or haven't added any yet, you will receive an error message with links to add funds if you wish. 

3. You.com 

You.com's biggest perk is that it has all of the latest LLMs on its platform, allowing users to try all of the major models, such as GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Llama 3, Gemini 1.5 Pro, and more, all in one place. The same day OpenAI announced GPT-4o mini, You.com added it to its platform, letting users try it for free. 

Visit You.com, click "more" next to the models listed at the top of the text box, and sign in or create an account. Then select GPT-4o mini from the model selector and type in your prompt. It will generate a response to your question using GPT-4o mini, which you can see by a designation underneath the answer.  

Also: The best AI chatbots: ChatGPT, Copilot and worthy alternatives

You.com notes that third-party models, like GPT-4o mini, are enhanced by You.com, meaning the experience may not be the same as the one you would have in the native chatbot. However, the convenience of accessing them all in one place may outweigh the subtle nuances experienced on You.com versus the real thing. 

Happy chatting!