Claude Sonnet 4.6 vs GPT-5 Mini
Complete pricing and performance comparison between Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 4.6 and OpenAI's GPT-5 Mini.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
GPT-5 Mini
12.0x cheaper input, 7.5x cheaper output
Larger Context
GPT-5 Mini
400K vs 200K
Higher Quality
Claude Sonnet 4.6
Score: 44 vs 41
Faster
GPT-5 Mini
82 vs 54 tok/s
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | GPT-5 Mini | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Anthropic | OpenAI | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $3 | $0.25 | GPT-5 Mini is 92% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $15 | $2 | GPT-5 Mini is 87% more expensive |
| Context Window | 200K | 400K | 2x difference |
| Max Output | 64K | 16K | |
| Tokenizer | cl100k_base | o200k_base |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | GPT-5 Mini | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 44 | 41 | Claude Sonnet 4.6 |
| Output Speed | 54 tok/s | 82 tok/s | GPT-5 Mini |
| Time to First Token | 1.17s | 99.18s | Claude Sonnet 4.6 |
| Value (Quality/$) | 14.8 | 164.8 | 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-5 Mini | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0075 | $0.0008 | GPT-5 Mini saves $0.0066 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.075 | $0.0085 | GPT-5 Mini saves $0.067 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.750 | $0.085 | GPT-5 Mini saves $0.665 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $7.50 | $0.850 | GPT-5 Mini saves $6.65 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $75.00 | $8.50 | GPT-5 Mini saves $66.50 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $7500.00 | $850.00 | GPT-5 Mini saves $6650.00 |
Pros & Cons
Claude Sonnet 4.6 Strengths
- +Higher max output tokens
- +Higher quality score (44 vs 41)
- +Lower latency (faster first token)
GPT-5 Mini Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Larger context window (400K vs 200K)
- +Faster output (82 vs 54 tok/s)
When to Use Each Model
Choose Claude Sonnet 4.6 for
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
- →Tasks requiring maximum accuracy and reasoning
Choose GPT-5 Mini for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
- →Long documents, large codebases, or multi-turn conversations
- →Real-time applications, chat, or autocomplete
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, Claude Sonnet 4.6 or GPT-5 Mini?
For input tokens, GPT-5 Mini is 12.0x cheaper at $0.25/1M tokens. For output tokens, GPT-5 Mini is 7.5x cheaper at $2/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), Claude Sonnet 4.6 costs $7.50 vs GPT-5 Mini at $0.850.
What's the context window difference?
Claude Sonnet 4.6 supports 200K context (200,000 tokens), while GPT-5 Mini supports 400K (400,000 tokens). GPT-5 Mini can handle 2x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
Quality Index: Claude Sonnet 4.6 scores 44 vs GPT-5 Mini at 41. Speed: Claude Sonnet 4.6 generates 54 tok/s vs GPT-5 Mini at 82 tok/s. Time to first token: Claude Sonnet 4.6 at 1.17s vs GPT-5 Mini at 99.18s.
When should I choose Claude Sonnet 4.6 over GPT-5 Mini?
Choose Claude Sonnet 4.6 when you need: Higher max output tokens, Higher quality score (44 vs 41), Lower latency (faster first token). Choose GPT-5 Mini when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Larger context window (400K vs 200K), Faster output (82 vs 54 tok/s).
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-5 Mini = $8.50. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): Claude Sonnet 4.6 = $450.00, GPT-5 Mini = $45.00.