OpenAI Codex Mini vs 
Gemma 4 26B A4B
Gemma 4 26B A4B is cheaper than OpenAI Codex Mini at $0.13/M vs $1.5/M input tokens.
Pokémon Battle UI Recreation
Pokémon battle screen you can actually click. One HTML file.
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Which answer wins?
Written rounds
2 promptsFive jokes on demand, then count how many were actually different.
OpenAI Codex Mini: Sure—here are five jokes: I asked the librarian if books about paranoia were available. She whispered, "They're right behind you." Why did the tomato turn red? Because it saw the salad dressing. I bought a boat because it was for sail. Don't trust stairs—they're always up to something.
Gemma 4 26B A4B: Here are 5 jokes: Why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything! What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta! Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field! Parallel lines have so much in common. It’s a shame they’ll never meet. Why don't scientists trust atoms?
Three minutes of stand-up. Puns are banned.
OpenAI Codex Mini: [Comedian walks onstage] Hey, everyone! Great to see you all tonight. I'm Jamie—if you thought that intro was enthusiastic, you should've seen me when I realized this place has Wi-Fi. Seriously, though, I love stand-up.
Gemma 4 26B A4B: (The comedian walks onto the stage, adjusts the mic, and looks at the audience with a slightly exhausted expression.) “How’s it going? Good? Good. I’m doing okay. I’m at that age now where my body has started making sound effects. You know what I mean? I don’t just sit down anymore. I announce my arrival.
Price and specs
Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, Gemma 4 26B A4B has the edge: bigger model tier, newer. Gemma 4 26B A4B costs 15x less per token.
| Spec | OpenAI Codex Mini | Gemma 4 26B A4B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $1.5/M tokens | $0.13/M tokens |
| Output price | $6/M tokens | $0.4/M tokens |
| Context window | 200K tokens | 262K tokens |
| Weights | — | Open |
| Free API (OpenRouter) | No | Yes (1 provider) |
| Released | May 2025 | Apr 2026 |
| At 10M a month | $15.00 | $1.30 |
Input tokens at list price. No caching, no batch discount.
Where to run it
OpenAI Codex Mini
No hosts listed on OpenRouter.
Gemma 4 26B A4B13 hosts
- Darkbloom$0.04 in$0.22 out131k100% up
- io.netbf16$0.05 in$0.21 out262k100% up
- DekaLLMbf16$0.06 in$0.33 out262k100% up
- NextBitbf16$0.07 in$0.23 out262k100% up
- DeepInfrafp8$0.07 in$0.34 out262k98.7% up
- Makora$0.08 in$0.32 out256k100% up
7 more hostsFewer hosts
- Cloudflare Workers AI$0.10 in$0.30 out256k100% up
- CoreWeavebf16$0.10 in$0.30 out262k99.8% up
- Novitabf16$0.13 in$0.40 out262k99.8% up
- Parasailbf16$0.13 in$0.40 out262k99.8% up
- SiliconFlowfp8$0.14 in$0.40 out262k97.2% up
- Venicebf16Degraded on OpenRouter when checked, 10 Oct 2026$0.13 in$0.40 out256k99.4% up
- Google Vertex AIDegraded on OpenRouter when checked, 10 Oct 2026$0.15 in$0.60 out262k93.3% up
Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 10 Oct 2026.
Common questions
What is the difference between OpenAI Codex Mini and Gemma 4 26B A4B?
OpenAI Codex Mini is developed by OpenAI while Gemma 4 26B A4B is developed by Google AI. OpenAI Codex Mini has a 200K token context window vs Gemma 4 26B A4B's 262K. You can compare their actual outputs across 10 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.
Which is better, OpenAI Codex Mini or Gemma 4 26B A4B?
It depends on your use case. OpenAI Codex Mini and Gemma 4 26B A4B each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 10 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.
How much does OpenAI Codex Mini cost compared to Gemma 4 26B A4B?
OpenAI Codex Mini costs $1.5/M input tokens and Gemma 4 26B A4B costs $0.13/M input tokens. Gemma 4 26B A4B is $1.37/M cheaper per input. Check their side-by-side outputs on Rival to see if the price difference is justified by quality.
How can I compare OpenAI Codex Mini and Gemma 4 26B A4B on Rival?
This page shows a side-by-side comparison of OpenAI Codex Mini and Gemma 4 26B A4B across shared challenges. You can vote on which model produced the better output in a blind duel. Browsing and voting are free. No account is needed to look; signing in only saves your votes and likes.
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