Claude Sonnet 4.5 vs GPT-5
Claude Sonnet 4.5 and GPT-5 are closely matched at 32.6 and 34.4 on the LLM Stats Score. GPT-5 is 1.7x cheaper per token.
Anthropic · OpenAI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Claude Sonnet 4.5 and GPT-5 are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 32.6 and 34.4.
In the 2 individual benchmarks reported for both models, GPT-5 wins 2; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, GPT-5 is roughly 1.7x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-5 also accepts a larger context window (400,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Claude Sonnet 4.5
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Sep 2025
Choose GPT-5
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 2 of 2 exact shared results
- cost matters — it's about 1.7x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 400,000 token context window
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
9 reported for Claude Sonnet 4.5 · 34 for GPT-5
Claude Sonnet 4.5 outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GPT-5 is better at 2 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA).
GPT-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 4.5 ($3.00/1M tokens) is 2.4x more expensive than GPT-5 ($1.25/1M tokens).
For output processing, Claude Sonnet 4.5 ($15.00/1M tokens) is 1.5x more expensive than GPT-5 ($10.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Claude Sonnet 4.5 is more expensive than GPT-5.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-5 accepts 400,000 input tokens compared to Claude Sonnet 4.5's 200,000 tokens. GPT-5 can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while Claude Sonnet 4.5 is limited to 64,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both Claude Sonnet 4.5 and GPT-5 support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Claude Sonnet 4.5
GPT-5
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 4.5 was released on 2025-09-29, while GPT-5 was released on 2025-08-07.
Claude Sonnet 4.5 is 2 months newer than GPT-5.
Sep 29, 2025
11 months ago
1mo newerAug 7, 2025
1.1 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Claude Sonnet 4.5 has a knowledge cutoff of 2025-01-31, while GPT-5 has a cutoff of 2024-09-30.
Claude Sonnet 4.5 has more recent training data (up to 2025-01-31), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to GPT-5 (2024-09-30).
Jan 2025
4 mo newerSep 2024
Provider Availability
Claude Sonnet 4.5 is available from Anthropic. GPT-5 is available from OpenAI.
Claude Sonnet 4.5
GPT-5
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Claude Sonnet 4.5 and GPT-5 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Claude Sonnet 4.5 vs GPT-5.