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How to Access OpenAI o3 and o4-mini: OpenAI's Latest Version for AI Coding


OpenAI is leading the AI race and it has proven its supremacy by introducing two new highly capable AI models. Slowly moving towards its superintelligence goals, the company has released two of its most capable models to date - o3 and o4-mini. These two new models by OpenAI are expected to usher in a new era of intelligent systems optimized for reasoning and high-level AI coding tasks. AI users were quick to look out for ways to access the models. If you're also looking to access OpenAI o3 or explore access o4 for development or experimentation, here’s everything you need to know.


Whether you’re a software developer, researcher, creative worker or tech enthusiast, understanding how to use OpenAI’s latest versions o3 and 4-mini, enables you to use generative models with extraordinary potential.




What are o3 and o4 mini models by OpenAI?


OpenAI’s o3 model is designed to push the boundaries of machine reasoning, understanding, and problem-solving. The o3 model is one of the most advanced models in the OpenAI family. This model outperforms GPT-4 in logic-based and multistep tasks, particularly in AI coding – the main thing which has got everyone excited about accessing it.


Meanwhile, o4-mini is a lighter, faster model. It is ideal for rapid inference tasks, chat support, and real-time data generation. The o4-mini AI model brings efficiency in deployment for developers and businesses.





How to access OpenAI o3 and o4


With so much buzz around the latest AI models by OpenAI, the searches around how to access o3 and o4 have spiked. Here’s how you can access o3 and o4 in easy steps.


1. Use ChatGPT interface


To access OpenAI o3 in ChatGPT, here is what you need to do.


  • Free ChatGPT users: You get access to o3-mini by regenerating a response or toggling to “Reason” mode in ChatGPT.

  • ChatGPT Plus, Team, Pro users: Choose o3-mini or o3-high from the model selector directly in ChatGPT to enjoy the enhanced capabilities of the new AI models.


2. Use OpenAI API


You can access o3 and access o4 using the OpenAI API dashboard. For this, you should be approved for trust tier access (tiers 1–5). o3 and o4-mini models support:


  • Function calling

  • Long-context understanding

  • Streaming

  • Advanced AI coding support


For API users, this is the primary method to programmatically access OpenAI o3.


3. Through Microsoft Copilot and Azure


Microsoft has integrated OpenAI latest version models (including o3 and o4-mini) into Azure OpenAI Service and GitHub Copilot. With this smart integration from Microsoft, it is easy for professionals to make full use of AI coding models in their productivity workflows.


4. Third-party web apps (no sign-up)


Here’s some good news. Sites like Giz.ai now offer trial access to o3-mini without any login requirement. It’s a great way to get a feel for OpenAI’s latest model and understand what it's capable of before subscribing.


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Capabilities of o3 and o4 mini for AI Coding


AI models have proven their worth in almost every type of task in every field. The area where they are being termed as game-changers is coding. There has already been news around how even the basic models by OpenAI ChatGPT, Qwen and DeepSeek are doing the coding work of an entry-level engineer easily. Continuing with the advancements, both the new OpenAI models shine in the AI coding domain:


  • o3: Solves real-world GitHub issues, scores 71.7% on SWE-bench Verified.

  • o3-high: Top performer on LiveBench with coding accuracy exceeding 82.74%.

  • o4-mini: Lightweight model. It’s optimized for speed and short response time with good coding proficiency.


Summary: Why you should access OpenAI o3


The opportunity to access OpenAI o3 or access o4 means gaining an edge in coding, automation, and smart workflows. Both these latest OpenAI models are well-suited for technical professionals who rely on reasoning-heavy tasks and powerful AI logic engines.







FAQ: Everything you need to know about accessing OpenAI o3


1. How do I access OpenAI o3 for free?


To access OpenAI o3 for free, use ChatGPT's free tier. Enable the “Reason” model, which uses o3-mini. Though it’s limited, it’s a great entry point for testing capabilities. You can learn more about it with OpenAI Academy courses.


2. Is API access required to access o3 or o4-mini?


Yes. If you want to programmatically access o3 via OpenAI’s API, you'll need approved access (Tier 1 to Tier 5). Check your model access in your API dashboard.


3. Can I access OpenAI o3 in Microsoft Copilot?


Yes. Microsoft has rolled out OpenAI latest version models like o3 and o4-mini. They work within GitHub Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot. The idea is to offer advanced AI coding and productivity enhancements to its users.


4. What makes o3 better than GPT-4 for AI coding?


GPT-4 has been outstanding in AI coding – users have worked on it endlessly and found it to be highly effective. Now with new models, you'll notice superior performance when you access OpenAI o3. It offers better performance in every field - logical reasoning, debugging, and problem-solving, especially in coding benchmarks where o3 outperforms GPT-4.


5. How do I access o4-mini if I don’t have a paid OpenAI plan?


Third-party platforms like Giz.ai offer limited free access to o4-mini. While functionality is basic, you can still test and experiment before committing to a paid plan.


6. What trust tier is needed to access OpenAI o3 in the API?


Trust Tiers 1 to 5 currently have some level of access to o3-mini and o4-mini. Tiers are based on your usage history, feedback, and API volume.




7. Is OpenAI o3 the most advanced version yet?


Yes. OpenAI’s latest version o3 is its most capable reasoning model. This makes it a powerful tool for developers who are looking to improve AI-assisted coding and analysis workflows.


8. What are the AI coding features available when I access OpenAI o3?


When you access o3, you get features like advanced code generation, multi-language support, bug fixing, and enhanced contextual understanding. These are ideal for software development and engineering-based tasks.


9. Can I integrate OpenAI o3 into my own app?


Yes, that’s possible. With API access, you can integrate OpenAI o3 into custom applications. This enables you to work efficiently on tasks like AI chatbots, coding assistants, or business automation.


10. Is there a price difference between accessing o3 and o4-mini?


Yes. The o3 model is more powerful and may be priced higher in API usage. o4-mini, being lightweight, is a budget-friendly way to experiment with OpenAI latest version technology.


11. How does OpenAI o3 and o4 compare with DeepSeek R1 for AI coding tasks?


It’s a close fight but we can still name the clear winner. In terms of AI coding, OpenAI o3, particularly the o3-high variant, outperforms DeepSeek R1 in most coding benchmarks. For example, o3-high scored over 82.7 on the LiveBench benchmark, surpassing DeepSeek latest models (Series R, V and Prover) in solving real-world coding issues. If you access OpenAI o3, you'll notice its ability to understand context, write efficient code, and debug at a level DeepSeek is still catching up to.


DeepSeek R1 is a strong open-source contender. It is preferred by developers who need full control or deployment flexibility. Still, if your priority is the highest performance and reasoning in complex coding environments, access o3 remains the superior choice when compared to DeepSeek or other AI coding models like Qwen.


12. What about Grok by xAI—how does it compare to OpenAI o3 and o4?


Grok, developed by xAI and integrated with X (formerly Twitter), is designed more for casual conversational AI and real-time social integrations. Grok has seen rapid development and a sudden increase in popularity with its features like Unhinged Mode. Still, it currently lacks the deep reasoning and professional AI coding abilities that you get when you access OpenAI o3 or access o4.


If your use case involves complex coding tasks, structured outputs, or logic-heavy workflows, OpenAI’s latest version models o3 and o4-mini are far more advanced. Grok may serve basic chatbot functionality well, but it doesn’t yet rival access OpenAI o3 in terms of technical depth or developer utility.




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