OpenAI launches GPT-4.1 for ChatGPT users, free tier to get faster 'Mini' model

OpenAI is making waves again—this time by bringing its latest AI models, GPT-4.1 and GPT-4.1 mini, directly to ChatGPT users. Until now, these advanced models were only available through OpenAI’s API, but they’re now rolling out across ChatGPT’s web and app platforms.

What’s New?

GPT-4.1 is designed for high-performance tasks like coding and complex instruction-following. It’s replacing the older “o3” model for users who need top-tier technical results. Meanwhile, GPT-4.1 mini, a smaller and faster version, will soon be available for free-tier users, replacing the previous GPT-4o mini.

Who Gets Access?

Plus, Pro, and Team users can already start accessing GPT-4.1 from the “more models” menu.

Enterprise and education customers will get it in the coming weeks.

Free users will automatically get upgraded to GPT-4.1 mini soon.

Why It Matters

OpenAI says GPT-4.1 marks a big leap forward in AI capabilities. In tests, it scored:

54.6% on the SWE-bench Verified benchmark (great for software engineering tasks)

38.3% on the MultiChallenge benchmark (excellent instruction-following)

72% on the Video-MME benchmark (long-form multimodal understanding)

One standout feature is its massive context window—it can handle up to 1 million tokens, meaning it can remember and work with huge amounts of information at once.

GPT-4.1 Mini: Small But Mighty

Despite being a lighter model, GPT-4.1 mini outperforms GPT-4o in several intelligence tests. It’s also more efficient:

50% faster response times

83% lower cost, according to OpenAI

This makes it a powerful upgrade for users on the free plan, without compromising speed or quality.