GPT-Audio-1.5 vs GPT-Realtime-2.1 Mini: price, context and capabilities

Choose GPT-Realtime-2.1 Mini for the lowest price; on the other points the two are level or the data is missing.

In short

  • GPT-Realtime-2.1 Mini is 69% cheaper than GPT-Audio-1.5 at the headline price ($10.00 / 1M audio tokens vs $32.00 / 1M audio tokens).
  • Both accept 128k tokens per request.
  • Only GPT-Realtime-2.1 Mini offers reasoning.

Open in the full comparison table

Which should you choose?

Each answer below comes straight from the published prices, specifications and independent benchmark results.

Lowest price

Choose GPT-Realtime-2.1 Mini

GPT-Realtime-2.1 Mini costs $10.00 / 1M audio tokens, against $32.00 / 1M audio tokens for GPT-Audio-1.5.

Specifications side by side

GPT-Audio-1.5GPT-Realtime-2.1 Mini
ProviderOpenAIOpenAI
CategoryVoice and realtimeVoice and realtime
StatusGenerally availableGenerally available
Headline price$32.00 / 1M audio tokens$10.00 / 1M audio tokens
Context window128k128k
Max output16k32k
ReleasedFeb 23, 2026No data
Knowledge cutoffSeptember 2024September 2024
LicenceProprietaryProprietary
CapabilitiesAudio input, Tool callingAudio input, Reasoning, Tool calling
API model idgpt-audio-1.5gpt-realtime-2.1-mini

Frequently asked questions

Should I choose GPT-Audio-1.5 or GPT-Realtime-2.1 Mini?

Choose GPT-Realtime-2.1 Mini for the lowest price; on the other points the two are level or the data is missing.

Which is cheaper, GPT-Audio-1.5 or GPT-Realtime-2.1 Mini?

GPT-Realtime-2.1 Mini is 69% cheaper than GPT-Audio-1.5 at the headline price ($10.00 / 1M audio tokens vs $32.00 / 1M audio tokens).

Which has the larger context window, GPT-Audio-1.5 or GPT-Realtime-2.1 Mini?

Both accept 128k tokens per request.

What is the difference between GPT-Audio-1.5 and GPT-Realtime-2.1 Mini?

GPT-Audio-1.5 is made by OpenAI and GPT-Realtime-2.1 Mini by OpenAI. GPT-Realtime-2.1 Mini is 69% cheaper than GPT-Audio-1.5 at the headline price ($10.00 / 1M audio tokens vs $32.00 / 1M audio tokens). Both accept 128k tokens per request. Only GPT-Realtime-2.1 Mini offers reasoning.