Model Comparison
Claude Opus 4.6 vs GPT-4.1 miniWhich is better in 2026?
Claude Opus 4.6 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-4.1 mini is 14.3x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Claude Opus 4.6 vs GPT-4.1 mini — which is better?
Claude Opus 4.6 (by Anthropic) and GPT-4.1 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 4.6 outperforms in 8 benchmarks (AIME 2025, CharXiv-R, GPQA, Graphwalks BFS >128k, Graphwalks parents >128k, Humanity's Last Exam, MMMLU, SWE-Bench Verified), while GPT-4.1 mini is better at 0 benchmarks. Claude Opus 4.6 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, GPT-4.1 mini is roughly 14.3x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-4.1 mini also accepts a larger context window (1,047,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Claude Opus 4.6 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 8 of 8 shared benchmarks
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2026
Choose GPT-4.1 mini if…
- cost matters — it's about 14.3x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,047,576 token context window
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Claude Opus 4.6 outperforms in 8 benchmarks (AIME 2025, CharXiv-R, GPQA, Graphwalks BFS >128k, Graphwalks parents >128k, Humanity's Last Exam, MMMLU, SWE-Bench Verified), while GPT-4.1 mini is better at 0 benchmarks.
Claude Opus 4.6 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Claude Opus 4.6 ($5.00/1M tokens) is 12.5x more expensive than GPT-4.1 mini ($0.40/1M tokens).
For output processing, Claude Opus 4.6 ($25.00/1M tokens) is 15.6x more expensive than GPT-4.1 mini ($1.60/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Claude Opus 4.6 is more expensive than GPT-4.1 mini.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-4.1 mini accepts 1,047,576 input tokens compared to Claude Opus 4.6's 1,000,000 tokens. Claude Opus 4.6 can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while GPT-4.1 mini is limited to 32,768 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Claude Opus 4.6 and GPT-4.1 mini support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Claude Opus 4.6
GPT-4.1 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 4.6 was released on 2026-02-05, while GPT-4.1 mini was released on 2025-04-14.
Claude Opus 4.6 is 10 months newer than GPT-4.1 mini.
Feb 5, 2026
4 months ago
9mo newerApr 14, 2025
1.1 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-4.1 mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-05-31, while Claude Opus 4.6's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm GPT-4.1 mini's training data extends to 2024-05-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without Claude Opus 4.6's cutoff date.
—
May 2024
Provider Availability
Claude Opus 4.6 is available from Anthropic. GPT-4.1 mini is available from OpenAI.
Claude Opus 4.6
GPT-4.1 mini
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Claude Opus 4.6
View detailsAnthropic
GPT-4.1 mini
View detailsOpenAI
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about Claude Opus 4.6 vs GPT-4.1 mini.