Claude 3 Sonnet vs Claude Sonnet 4
Claude Sonnet 4 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Claude 3 Sonnet and Claude Sonnet 4 cost the same.
Anthropic · Anthropic · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Claude 3 Sonnet outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Claude Sonnet 4 is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA). Claude Sonnet 4 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Based on current benchmark, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Claude 3 Sonnet
- you want predictable pricing at $3.00/M input and $15.00/M output
Choose Claude Sonnet 4
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped May 2025
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Claude 3 Sonnet outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Claude Sonnet 4 is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA).
Claude Sonnet 4 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Playground indexes and blind preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Claude 3 Sonnet ($3.00/1M tokens) costs the same as Claude Sonnet 4 ($3.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, Claude 3 Sonnet ($15.00/1M tokens) costs the same as Claude Sonnet 4 ($15.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Claude 3 Sonnet and Claude Sonnet 4 cost the same.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Both models have the same input context window of 200,000 tokens. Claude 3 Sonnet can generate longer responses up to 200,000 tokens, while Claude Sonnet 4 is limited to 64,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Claude 3 Sonnet and Claude Sonnet 4 support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Claude 3 Sonnet
Claude Sonnet 4
License
Usage and distribution terms
Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.
Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.
Proprietary
Closed source
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Claude 3 Sonnet was released on 2024-02-29, while Claude Sonnet 4 was released on 2025-05-22.
Claude Sonnet 4 is 15 months newer than Claude 3 Sonnet.
Feb 29, 2024
2.5 years ago
May 22, 2025
1.3 years ago
1.2yr newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
Claude 3 Sonnet is available from Anthropic, Bedrock, Google. Claude Sonnet 4 is available from Anthropic, Bedrock, Google.
Claude 3 Sonnet
Claude Sonnet 4
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Claude 3 Sonnet and Claude Sonnet 4 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Claude 3 Sonnet vs Claude Sonnet 4.