Claude Sonnet 5 vs Gemini 3.5 Flash
Claude Sonnet 5 leads the LLM Stats Score 48.2 to 42.5. Gemini 3.5 Flash is 1.2x cheaper per token.
Anthropic · Google · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Claude Sonnet 5 leads the overall LLM Stats Score 48.2 to 42.5, ranking #25 overall.
In the 8 individual benchmarks reported for both models, Claude Sonnet 5 wins 7; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, Gemini 3.5 Flash is roughly 1.2x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Claude Sonnet 5
- overall performance matters — it scores 48.2 and ranks #25 on LLM Stats
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 7 of 8 exact shared results
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jun 2026
Choose Gemini 3.5 Flash
- cost matters — it's about 1.2x cheaper per token
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
23 reported for Claude Sonnet 5 · 16 for Gemini 3.5 Flash
Claude Sonnet 5 outperforms in 7 benchmarks (CharXiv-R, DeepSWE 1.1, Humanity's Last Exam, Legal Agent Benchmark, OSWorld-Verified, SWE-Bench Pro, Terminal-Bench 2.0), while Gemini 3.5 Flash is better at 1 benchmark (Toolathlon).
Claude Sonnet 5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Claude Sonnet 5 ($2.00/1M tokens) is 1.3x more expensive than Gemini 3.5 Flash ($1.50/1M tokens).
For output processing, Claude Sonnet 5 ($10.00/1M tokens) is 1.1x more expensive than Gemini 3.5 Flash ($9.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Claude Sonnet 5 is more expensive than Gemini 3.5 Flash.*
* 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 1,000,000 tokens. Gemini 3.5 Flash can generate longer responses up to 1,000,000 tokens, while Claude Sonnet 5 is limited to 64,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both Claude Sonnet 5 and Gemini 3.5 Flash support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Claude Sonnet 5
Gemini 3.5 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 5 was released on 2026-06-30, while Gemini 3.5 Flash was released on 2026-05-19.
Claude Sonnet 5 is 1 month newer than Gemini 3.5 Flash.
Jun 30, 2026
2 months ago
1mo newerMay 19, 2026
4 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemini 3.5 Flash has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-01-31, while Claude Sonnet 5's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Gemini 3.5 Flash's training data extends to 2026-01-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without Claude Sonnet 5's cutoff date.
—
Jan 2026
Provider Availability
Claude Sonnet 5 is available from Anthropic, DeepInfra. Gemini 3.5 Flash is available from DeepInfra, Google.
Claude Sonnet 5
Gemini 3.5 Flash
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Claude Sonnet 5 and Gemini 3.5 Flash side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Claude Sonnet 5 vs Gemini 3.5 Flash.