Claude Sonnet 4.6 vs GPT-4o
Complete pricing and performance comparison between Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 4.6 and OpenAI's GPT-4o.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
GPT-4o
1.2x cheaper input, 1.5x cheaper output
Larger Context
Claude Sonnet 4.6
200K vs 128K
Higher Quality
Claude Sonnet 4.6
Score: 44 vs 17
Faster
GPT-4o
135 vs 54 tok/s
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | GPT-4o | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Anthropic | OpenAI | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $3 | $2.5 | GPT-4o is 17% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $15 | $10 | GPT-4o is 33% more expensive |
| Context Window | 200K | 128K | 2x difference |
| Max Output | 64K | 16K | |
| Tokenizer | cl100k_base | o200k_base |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | GPT-4o | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 44 | 17 | Claude Sonnet 4.6 |
| Output Speed | 54 tok/s | 135 tok/s | GPT-4o |
| Time to First Token | 1.17s | 0.53s | GPT-4o |
| Value (Quality/$) | 14.8 | 6.9 | Higher = better value |
Benchmark data from Artificial Analysis. Quality Index is a composite score across reasoning, coding, and knowledge tasks.
Cost at Scale
Estimated cost at different usage levels (3:1 input-to-output token ratio, typical for chat).
| Usage | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | GPT-4o | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0075 | $0.0055 | GPT-4o saves $0.0020 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.075 | $0.055 | GPT-4o saves $0.020 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.750 | $0.550 | GPT-4o saves $0.200 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $7.50 | $5.50 | GPT-4o saves $2.00 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $75.00 | $55.00 | GPT-4o saves $20.00 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $7500.00 | $5500.00 | GPT-4o saves $2000.00 |
Pros & Cons
Claude Sonnet 4.6 Strengths
- +Larger context window (200K vs 128K)
- +Higher max output tokens
- +Higher quality score (44 vs 17)
GPT-4o Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Faster output (135 vs 54 tok/s)
- +Lower latency (faster first token)
When to Use Each Model
Choose Claude Sonnet 4.6 for
- →Long documents, large codebases, or multi-turn conversations
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
- →Tasks requiring maximum accuracy and reasoning
Choose GPT-4o for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
- →Real-time applications, chat, or autocomplete
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, Claude Sonnet 4.6 or GPT-4o?
For input tokens, GPT-4o is 1.2x cheaper at $2.5/1M tokens. For output tokens, GPT-4o is 1.5x cheaper at $10/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), Claude Sonnet 4.6 costs $7.50 vs GPT-4o at $5.50.
What's the context window difference?
Claude Sonnet 4.6 supports 200K context (200,000 tokens), while GPT-4o supports 128K (128,000 tokens). Claude Sonnet 4.6 can handle 2x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
Quality Index: Claude Sonnet 4.6 scores 44 vs GPT-4o at 17. Speed: Claude Sonnet 4.6 generates 54 tok/s vs GPT-4o at 135 tok/s. Time to first token: Claude Sonnet 4.6 at 1.17s vs GPT-4o at 0.53s.
When should I choose Claude Sonnet 4.6 over GPT-4o?
Choose Claude Sonnet 4.6 when you need: Larger context window (200K vs 128K), Higher max output tokens, Higher quality score (44 vs 17). Choose GPT-4o when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Faster output (135 vs 54 tok/s), Lower latency (faster first token).
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): Claude Sonnet 4.6 = $75.00, GPT-4o = $55.00. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): Claude Sonnet 4.6 = $450.00, GPT-4o = $350.00.