GPT-4o Mini Transcribe vs GPT-4o Transcribe
GPT-4o Mini Transcribe is ahead of GPT-4o Transcribe on the Ocular Dataset and final-text delay. The Pipecat Dataset is too close to call.
Last updated Methodology by Dileep Chagam
Accuracy vs speed
Each dot is one model. Bottom-left is best: fewer errors and a faster final transcript.
Which to pick
GPT-4o Mini Transcribe is the better pick over GPT-4o Transcribe on every measure that separates them: accuracy on real phone conversations (8.00 points lower) and quick turn-taking once the caller stops (22ms sooner). For accuracy on clean, scripted audio, the gap is inside the margin of error, so neither is ahead.
The four metrics, side by side
- GPT-4o Mini Transcribe
- 3.35%11th
- GPT-4o Transcribe
- 3.90%14th
Too close to call: inside the margin of error
- GPT-4o Mini Transcribe
- 4.45%12th
- GPT-4o Transcribe
- 12.45%17th
GPT-4o Mini Transcribe, 8.00 points lower
- GPT-4o Mini Transcribe
- No text until the speaker stops
- GPT-4o Transcribe
- No text until the speaker stops
Not comparable
- GPT-4o Mini Transcribe
- 630ms16th
- GPT-4o Transcribe
- 652ms17th
GPT-4o Mini Transcribe, 22ms sooner
Lower is better on every metric. The small figure is each model's place in the whole field. What each metric measures.
- WER · Word error rate
- Share of words the model got wrong: replaced, missing or added. Lower is better.
- Pipecat Dataset
- 1,000 short public clips from Pipecat's STT benchmark dataset.
- Ocular Dataset
- 8 recordings from 4 real phone conversations, licensed from Ocular.
- TTFT · Time to first text
- How long after the audio starts streaming until the first words appear.
- TTFS · Final-text delay
- How long after the caller stops until the full transcript arrives. A voice agent waits for this before it replies.
First text and final text, at three percentiles
GPT-4o Mini Transcribe shows first text after 40.84s and final text after 1.53s, and GPT-4o Transcribe shows first text after 40.63s and final text after 1.97s, on a bad turn (P95) across the same streamed turns.
| Measure | Model | P50 | P90 | P95 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time to first text | GPT-4o Mini Transcribe | No text until the speaker stops | ||
| GPT-4o Transcribe | No text until the speaker stops | |||
| Final-text delay | GPT-4o Mini Transcribe | 630ms | 1.34s | 1.53s |
| GPT-4o Transcribe | 652ms | 1.73s | 1.97s | |
- P50 / P90 / P95 · Typical, slow and slowest turns
- Half of turns are faster than P50. Only 1 in 10 is slower than P90, and 1 in 20 slower than P95.
How each ranks among all 17 models
Place among the 17 models on each metric. Lower is better on all four.
| Metric | 4o Mini Transcribe | 4o Transcribe |
|---|---|---|
| Pipecat Dataset WER | 3.35%11th of 17 | 3.90%14th of 17 |
| Ocular Dataset WER | 4.45%12th of 17 | 12.45%17th of 17 |
| Time to first text | Not comparable | Not comparable |
| Final-text delay | 630ms16th of 17 | 652ms17th of 17 |
How much audio each model was tested on
| Model | Pipecat clips | Ocular recordings | Turns timed | Failed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-4o Mini Transcribe | 1,000 | 8 | 206 | 0 |
| GPT-4o Transcribe | 1,000 | 8 | 206 | 0 |
Only clips with usable text count, so the two totals can differ. How WER is scored.
Related comparisons
- GPT-4o Mini Transcribe vs Deepgram Nova-3
- GPT-4o Mini Transcribe vs Smallest Pulse
- GPT-4o Mini Transcribe vs Deepgram Flux English
- GPT-4o Mini Transcribe vs Inworld STT-1
- GPT-4o Mini Transcribe vs Soniox STT-RT v5
- GPT-4o Mini Transcribe vs Speechmatics Linden
- GPT-4o Mini Transcribe vs Cartesia Ink 2
- GPT-4o Mini Transcribe vs GPT Realtime Whisper
- GPT-4o Mini Transcribe vs Reson8
- GPT-4o Mini Transcribe vs Google Chirp 3
- GPT-4o Mini Transcribe vs AssemblyAI Universal 3.6 Pro
- GPT-4o Mini Transcribe vs Deepgram Flux Multilingual
- GPT-4o Mini Transcribe vs Gradium
- GPT-4o Transcribe vs Deepgram Flux English
- GPT-4o Transcribe vs Smallest Pulse
- GPT-4o Transcribe vs Deepgram Nova-3
- GPT-4o Transcribe vs Deepgram Flux Multilingual
- GPT-4o Transcribe vs Inworld STT-1
- GPT-4o Transcribe vs Soniox STT-RT v5
- GPT-4o Transcribe vs Speechmatics Linden
- GPT-4o Transcribe vs Cartesia Ink 2
- GPT-4o Transcribe vs GPT Realtime Whisper
- GPT-4o Transcribe vs Reson8
- GPT-4o Transcribe vs Google Chirp 3
- GPT-4o Transcribe vs AssemblyAI Universal 3.6 Pro
- GPT-4o Transcribe vs Gradium
Frequently asked questions
Which is more accurate, GPT-4o Mini Transcribe or GPT-4o Transcribe?
GPT-4o Mini Transcribe is more accurate on real conversations. On the 1,000 public Pipecat clips, GPT-4o Mini Transcribe scores 3.35% and GPT-4o Transcribe 3.90%, with likely ranges of 3.08 to 3.65% and 3.43 to 4.42%. The ranges overlap, so the difference is too close to call. On the eight licensed Ocular recordings, GPT-4o Mini Transcribe scores 4.45% and GPT-4o Transcribe 12.45%, so GPT-4o Mini Transcribe makes fewer errors by 8.00 points. Word error rate counts incorrect, missing, and extra words, so lower is better.
Is GPT-4o Mini Transcribe faster than GPT-4o Transcribe?
Yes. GPT-4o Mini Transcribe finishes the transcript 22ms sooner. GPT-4o Mini Transcribe has the final transcript 630ms after the speaker stops and GPT-4o Transcribe 652ms, at the median. Both are measured on the same 206 streamed turns.
Is GPT-4o Mini Transcribe or GPT-4o Transcribe better for voice agents?
GPT-4o Mini Transcribe is the stronger pick for voice agents: it makes fewer errors on real conversations and finishes the transcript 22ms sooner. A voice agent cannot reply until the final transcript arrives, and the Ocular recordings are real conversations.
Do GPT-4o Mini Transcribe and GPT-4o Transcribe stream text while the speaker is talking?
No. Neither returns text until the speaker stops, so both are judged on how soon the final transcript arrives.