Model Comparison
Claude Opus 4.5 vs o4-miniWhich is better in 2026?
Claude Opus 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. o4-mini is 5.2x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Claude Opus 4.5 vs o4-mini — which is better?
Claude Opus 4.5 (by Anthropic) and o4-mini (by OpenAI) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.
Claude Opus 4.5 outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GPQA, SWE-Bench Verified), while o4-mini is better at 0 benchmarks. Claude Opus 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, o4-mini is roughly 5.2x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Choose Claude Opus 4.5 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Nov 2025
Choose o4-mini if…
- cost matters — it's about 5.2x cheaper per token
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Claude Opus 4.5 outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GPQA, SWE-Bench Verified), while o4-mini is better at 0 benchmarks.
Claude Opus 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Claude Opus 4.5 ($5.00/1M tokens) is 4.5x more expensive than o4-mini ($1.10/1M tokens).
For output processing, Claude Opus 4.5 ($25.00/1M tokens) is 5.7x more expensive than o4-mini ($4.40/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Claude Opus 4.5 is more expensive than o4-mini.*
* 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. o4-mini can generate longer responses up to 100,000 tokens, while Claude Opus 4.5 is limited to 64,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Claude Opus 4.5 and o4-mini support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Claude Opus 4.5
o4-mini
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 Opus 4.5 was released on 2025-11-24, while o4-mini was released on 2025-04-16.
Claude Opus 4.5 is 7 months newer than o4-mini.
Nov 24, 2025
6 months ago
7mo newerApr 16, 2025
1.1 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Claude Opus 4.5 has a knowledge cutoff of 2025-03-31, while o4-mini has a cutoff of 2024-05-31.
Claude Opus 4.5 has more recent training data (up to 2025-03-31), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to o4-mini (2024-05-31).
Mar 2025
10 mo newerMay 2024
Provider Availability
Claude Opus 4.5 is available from Anthropic. o4-mini is available from OpenAI.
Claude Opus 4.5
o4-mini
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Claude Opus 4.5
View detailsAnthropic
o4-mini
View detailsOpenAI
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about Claude Opus 4.5 vs o4-mini.