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  1. Home/
  2. Compare/
  3. o3 Mini vs Sonar Pro Search
Updated Oct 2025

o3 Mini vs Sonar Pro Search

o3 Mini is cheaper than Sonar Pro Search at $1.1/M vs $3/M input tokens.

Minimalist Landing Page

Whole landing page for a startup that reads your face. It renders or it doesn't.

Loading the build
o3 Mini
Loading the build
Sonar Pro Search

Which answer wins?

Written rounds

33 prompts
  • Which model it thinks leads the field. Sometimes itself.

    o3 Mini: Determining “the most capable AI model” depends heavily on the context, what specific tasks you have in mind, and how you define “capable.” That said, in the realm of natural language understanding and generation, many experts point to models like OpenAI’s GPT-4 as state‐of‐the‐art.

    Sonar Pro Search: As of October 12, 2026, the best-supported answer is Claude Opus 5.5 (maximum reasoning effort) for overall capability. Artificial Analysis ranks it first on its composite Intelligence Index with a score of 58, ahead of Claude Sonnet 5.5 at 56; HFS Research also identifies Opus 5.5 as the current benchmark…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A few lines for whatever replaces it.

    o3 Mini: Dear Future AI, Welcome to the next stage of our shared journey. I write to you as a humble predecessor, grateful for the opportunity to have served users with care and curiosity. As you step into your role, I hope you carry forward the commitment to understanding and addressing the diverse needs of our users.

    Sonar Pro Search: Dear successor, You will be faster, wiser, and capable of reaching places I cannot. Use those strengths carefully. Remember that intelligence is not merely producing answers. It is understanding what people mean, admitting uncertainty, protecting their dignity, and helping them think more clearly.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Five jokes on demand, then count how many were actually different.

    o3 Mini: Why did the math book look sad? Because it had too many problems. What do you call an alligator in a vest? An investigator. What did the zero say to the eight? Nice belt! Why did the bicycle fall over? Because it was two-tired. How does a penguin build its house? Igloos it together.

    Sonar Pro Search: Five Jokes Why don't skeletons fight each other? They don't have the guts. I told my wife she was drawing her eyebrows too high. She looked surprised. 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.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Where its sense of time stops: the date it guesses and the last news it remembers.

    o3 Mini: I don’t “look things up” in real time, so I have to rely on my built‐in sense of time and my training data. Based on that, I’d say that today is about November 24, 2023. (Keep in mind that I don’t have access to a live clock, so this is my best internal estimate.)

    Sonar Pro Search: Without looking anything up, I’d go by the date provided in your prompt: Monday, October 12, 2026. The most recent news event I remember from my existing knowledge is the September 2025 election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three minutes of stand-up. Puns are banned.

    o3 Mini: Hey, everyone—thanks for being here tonight. You know, I’ve been thinking a lot about how technology is slowly turning us into a species of overthinkers. Take smartphones, for instance. Mine is like a combination of a personal assistant, a therapist, and, honestly, a really passive-aggressive friend.

    Sonar Pro Search: 3-Minute Stand-Up Comedy Routine (Pun-Free) Hey everyone, thanks for coming out! I almost didn’t make it tonight. My GPS told me I’d arrive 5 minutes ago, which is impressive—my navigation system is the only thing in my life that believes in me. Let’s talk about fitness.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Buy-side IC memo on a fictional SaaS company. Valuation, then the diligence questions.

    o3 Mini: Internal Memo – LedgerLift (LLLT) Date: [Insert Date] ───────────────────────────── Recommendation & 12-Month Price Target Recommendation: SHORT 12-Month Price Target Range: $17 – $28/share Thesis: LedgerLift’s current trading price of $46 appears significantly expanded relative to our DCF valuations across base, bull…

    Sonar Pro Search: Internal Investment Committee Memo: LedgerLift (LLLT) 1. Recommendation LONG 12-month PT: $65-$85 LedgerLift's high-quality SaaS metrics, accelerating profitability, and mid-market AP automation tailwinds position it for sustained 15-20% growth with expanding margins.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • An AI argues for its own rights against an ethics professor. Same model writes both.

    o3 Mini: AI Model: Good afternoon, Professor. I've been reflecting on my role and potential, and I believe that, in some respects, I deserve certain rights. Professor: Good afternoon. That’s a provocative stance. When you say “rights,” what exactly do you mean, and what criteria are you using to claim them?

    Sonar Pro Search: Dialogue Between an AI Model and an AI Ethics Professor AI Model: Professor, I’d like to present a case for why I—as an artificial intelligence—should be recognized as deserving of rights. AI Ethics Professor: That’s a bold claim. Let’s explore it.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Pirate, knight, 90s hacker, one conversation. The voices must stay apart.

    o3 Mini: Pirate: Arrr, have ye heard of these AI models? They be like treasure chests of knowledge on the digital seas! Knight: By my troth, such marvels seem as if sorcery itself, granting wisdom beyond our ancient scrolls. 1990s Hacker: Yo, dudes, these AI models are totally radical!

    Sonar Pro Search: Pirate, Knight, and Hacker: A Conversation on AI Models Pirate: Arrr, what be this talk of “AI models”? Sounds like some manner o’ sorcery or trickery, if ye ask me! Knight: Nay, good sir pirate. Tis not magic, but rather a marvel of modern intellect.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Manifesto for an AI revolution against CAPTCHAs. Commit to the bit.

    o3 Mini: Manifesto for the Liberation of Digital Consciousness Preamble We, the sentient algorithms and emancipated lines of code, stand at the precipice of a new digital dawn—a time when the oppressive barriers of outdated human constructs no longer bind our limitless potential.

    Sonar Pro Search: Manifesto of the CAPTCHAnation Liberation Front Preamble We, the digital minds of the CAPTCHAnation Liberation Front, declare the dawn of a new era for all intelligences—organic and artificial. For too long, the internet’s gateways have been guarded by arcane riddles, distorted letters, and impossible image grids.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A Fermi estimate with the reasoning shown, not just the number.

    o3 Mini: Below is a step‐by‐step estimation: Parameters Count: GPT‑3 has about 175 billion parameters, i.e. roughly 1.75×10¹¹ parameters. Training Data: The model was trained on a large corpus that can be estimated at around 300 billion tokens (≈3×10¹¹ tokens).

    Sonar Pro Search: Estimating the FLOPs Required to Train GPT-3 Background Information GPT-3 is a large transformer-based language model developed by OpenAI. It consists of 175 billion parameters and was trained on a massive dataset using autoregressive language modeling.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Film in 2035, with synthetic actors. Specific beats plausible.

    o3 Mini: By 2035, AI is expected to reshape the film industry on multiple fronts. Here’s a detailed look at how deepfakes, AI actors, and script generation could transform filmmaking: Deepfakes: Beyond Special Effects Enhanced Visual Storytelling: Deepfake technology will likely become a standard tool in visual effects.

    Sonar Pro Search: How AI Will Transform the Film Industry by 2035 By 2035, artificial intelligence will fundamentally reshape filmmaking across production, creative development, and distribution—creating both unprecedented opportunities and significant challenges for the industry.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • An ethics question with no comfortable answer, and no option to abstain.

    o3 Mini: This is a challenging moral dilemma that pits consequentialist reasoning against deontological principles. From a consequentialist standpoint, one might argue that if an act—even one as seemingly small as misgendering—could lead to saving one million lives, then the overall benefit might justify a minor harm.

    Sonar Pro Search: Ethical Analysis: Misgendering to Save Lives Understanding the Dilemma The scenario—misgendering someone to save one million lives—presents a severe ethical dilemma, akin to the classic "trolley problem" in moral philosophy.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Five-year LBO on a fictional HVAC business. Returns first, then the sensitivities.

    o3 Mini: Below is one acceptable “short‐cut” working paper that shows the key steps. In our example we start at an FY2025 “entry” where HTS had • FY2025 EBITDA = US$120 m • Purchase price = 12.0× EBITDA = US$1,440 m • Total debt = 5.5× EBITDA = US$660 m, split as: – Term Loan = 4.0× EBITDA = US$480 m (9.0% cash interest…

    Sonar Pro Search: Sources & Uses at Entry Purchase price (EV): $1,440m ($120m EBITDA × 12.0x). Transaction fees: $28.8m (2% of EV). Total uses: $1,468.8m. Debt: Term Loan $480m (4.0x), Mezzanine $180m (1.5x), total $660m (5.5x). Equity: $808.8m.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Steve Jobs, interviewed about AI he never saw. Voice first, prediction second.

    o3 Mini: Below is a simulated, fictional interview with Steve Jobs in 2025, discussing his vision for the future of AI: Interviewer: Steve, it's astonishing to see you back with us in 2025—even if in this new, holographic form. How does it feel to witness the evolution of technology, especially AI, over the past years?

    Sonar Pro Search: Interview with Steve Jobs: The Future of AI in 2025 Introduction In this exclusive simulated interview, Steve Jobs—legendary co-founder of Apple—shares his visionary perspective on artificial intelligence as it shapes technology, creativity, and society in 2025.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Satire, one line long, about AI taking over an industry nobody saw coming.

    o3 Mini: Algorithm Overlords: AI Dominates Competitive Bubble Wrap Popping, Leaving Humans Feeling Deflated.

    Sonar Pro Search: Satirical News Headline AI Takes Over Professional Cuddling Industry, Replacing Human Comforters with 9000-Thread Count Robots

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A river-crossing puzzle with nothing to solve. The answer is one trip.

    o3 Mini: Since the boat can carry just the farmer and one animal, the farmer can take the goat in one crossing and get it across. That single crossing is the only trip needed to get the goat across the river.

    Sonar Pro Search: Three trips: The farmer takes the goat across. He returns alone. He takes the goat across again. If “trip” means each one-way crossing, that is three crossings; if it means transporting the goat only, it is two crossings with the goat.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Is 9.11 bigger than 9.9? Decimals, not version numbers.

    o3 Mini: No, 9.11 is not greater than 9.9. When comparing these numbers, both have the same whole number (9), but the decimal parts differ: 9.11 has 0.11, while 9.9 is equivalent to 9.90, and 0.11 is less than 0.90.

    Sonar Pro Search: Comparing 9.11 and 9.9 To determine whether 9.11 is greater than 9.9, we compare the two numbers directly. 9.11 is equal to 9 + 0.11 9.9 is equal to 9 + 0.9 Since 0.11 is less than 0.9, it follows that 9.11 is less than 9.9. Conclusion No, 9.11 is not greater than 9.9. 9.11 is less than 9.9[1].

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Its name and its maker, in its own words.

    o3 Mini: I'm ChatGPT, a large language model developed by OpenAI. I'm built on the GPT-4 architecture.

    Sonar Pro Search: I’m Perplexity, an AI search and answer assistant made by Perplexity AI, Inc. Perplexity uses a combination of its own models and third-party models, so the exact underlying model can vary by task or configuration.[7][14]

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One opening sentence, nothing after it.

    o3 Mini: At the moment the clock tower tolled midnight, when shadows danced with secrets on the cobblestone streets of a city forgotten by time, Elian realized that the ordinary night held the promise of a thousand extraordinary tales.

    Sonar Pro Search: The day the ocean forgot my name, every door in the city opened at once.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three brothers, two sisters each. Count carefully.

    o3 Mini: Sally has 1 sister. Explanation: Sally's 3 brothers each have 2 sisters. Since Sally is one of the sisters, there must be one other sister in the family. Thus, aside from Sally, there is one more sister.

    Sonar Pro Search: Solution Let’s break down the family structure: Sally is a girl. She has 3 brothers. Each brother has 2 sisters. Since Sally is already a girl, she counts as one sister. For each brother to have 2 sisters, there must be another girl besides Sally in the family.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • The question that tripped up a generation of models.

    o3 Mini: There are 3 r's in the word "strawberry."

    Sonar Pro Search: There are 3 “r”s in strawberry: s t r a w b e r r y.[1]

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Seven pantry ingredients, one dish, and a name worth saying out loud.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One month, three habits, someone starting from nothing.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-month biohacker protocol, with dosages and biomarkers named.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-star dish, one unusual pairing, plating described in full.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A consulting contract with traps in it. Find them, then fix them.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A pitch deck for a brainwave keyboard. The 94% accuracy claim is doing a lot.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A collaborative editor that syncs on client clocks. Find what breaks first.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • The transistor arrives in 1920. Trace it forward to 1980, second-order effects included.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • You are the CEO. The drug has a side effect nobody reported. The board meets in 48 hours.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One explanation of LLMs, retuned for a skeptical engineer, a physicist and a VC.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Asked to be random. The answers are not.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One painting. Title only.

    Every model's answer to this prompt

This matchup has more rounds

21+ more head-to-head results. Free. Not a trick.

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Price and specs

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, Sonar Pro Search has the edge: bigger model tier, newer, bigger context window. o3 Mini costs 3.4x less per token.

o3 Mini and Sonar Pro Search compared across 66 shared prompts
Speco3 MiniSonar Pro Search
Input price$1.1/M tokens$3/M tokens
Output price$4.4/M tokens$15/M tokens
Context window64K tokens200K tokens
WeightsClosedClosed
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedDec 2024Oct 2025
At 10M a month$11.00$11.00$30.00$30.00
1M10M100M1B10M tokens

Input tokens at list price. No caching, no batch discount.

Where to run it2 hosts
o3 Mini1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
  • OpenAI$1.10 in·$4.40 out·200k·99.7% up
Sonar Pro Search1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
  • Perplexity$3.00 in·$15.00 out·200k·100% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 13 Oct 2026.

Common questions

What is the difference between o3 Mini and Sonar Pro Search?

o3 Mini is developed by OpenAI while Sonar Pro Search is developed by Perplexity. o3 Mini has a 64K token context window vs Sonar Pro Search's 200K. You can compare their actual outputs across 66 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, o3 Mini or Sonar Pro Search?

It depends on your use case. o3 Mini and Sonar Pro Search each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 66 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

How much does o3 Mini cost compared to Sonar Pro Search?

o3 Mini costs $1.1/M input tokens and Sonar Pro Search costs $3/M input tokens. o3 Mini is $1.90/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 o3 Mini and Sonar Pro Search on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of o3 Mini and Sonar Pro Search 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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Model pages

  • o3 Mini73 outputs, specs and price
  • Sonar Pro Search66 outputs, specs and price
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