Model Comparison
Claude Sonnet 4.6 vs Gemini 2.5 Flash
Claude Sonnet 4.6 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemini 2.5 Flash is 7.1x cheaper per token.
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Claude Sonnet 4.6 outperforms in 3 benchmarks (GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam, SWE-Bench Verified), while Gemini 2.5 Flash is better at 0 benchmarks.
Claude Sonnet 4.6 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Claude Sonnet 4.6 ($3.00/1M tokens) is 10.0x more expensive than Gemini 2.5 Flash ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, Claude Sonnet 4.6 ($15.00/1M tokens) is 6.0x more expensive than Gemini 2.5 Flash ($2.50/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Claude Sonnet 4.6 is more expensive than Gemini 2.5 Flash.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Gemini 2.5 Flash accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Claude Sonnet 4.6's 200,000 tokens. Gemini 2.5 Flash can generate longer responses up to 65,536 tokens, while Claude Sonnet 4.6 is limited to 64,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Claude Sonnet 4.6 and Gemini 2.5 Flash support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Claude Sonnet 4.6
Gemini 2.5 Flash
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 Sonnet 4.6 was released on 2026-02-17, while Gemini 2.5 Flash was released on 2025-05-20.
Claude Sonnet 4.6 is 9 months newer than Gemini 2.5 Flash.
Feb 17, 2026
1 months ago
9mo newerMay 20, 2025
11 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemini 2.5 Flash has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2025-01-31, while Claude Sonnet 4.6's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Gemini 2.5 Flash's training data extends to 2025-01-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without Claude Sonnet 4.6's cutoff date.
—
Jan 2025
Provider Availability
Claude Sonnet 4.6 is available from Anthropic. Gemini 2.5 Flash is available from Google.
Claude Sonnet 4.6
Gemini 2.5 Flash
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Claude Sonnet 4.6
View detailsAnthropic
Detailed Comparison
| Feature |
|---|
FAQ
Common questions about Claude Sonnet 4.6 vs Gemini 2.5 Flash