Claude Sonnet 4.6 vs GPT-5.4 mini
Pricing, context window, and benchmark comparison · Last updated April 2026
GPT-5.4 mini is cheaper than Claude Sonnet 4.6 at $0.75/1M/1M vs $3.00/1M/1M input tokens — a 4.0x cost difference. Claude Sonnet 4.6 scores higher on quality benchmarks (ELO 1390). Choose GPT-5.4 mini for cost-sensitive workloads; choose Claude Sonnet 4.6 for maximum quality.
Which is cheaper: Claude Sonnet 4.6 or GPT-5.4 mini?
GPT-5.4 mini is the cheaper option at $0.75/1M per 1M input tokens, compared to $3.00/1M for Claude Sonnet 4.6. That is a 4.0x cost difference on input tokens. Output pricing follows a similar pattern: Claude Sonnet 4.6 charges $15.00/1M/1M vs $4.50/1M/1M for GPT-5.4 mini.
Which has better quality: Claude Sonnet 4.6 or GPT-5.4 mini?
Based on LMSYS Chatbot Arena rankings, Claude Sonnet 4.6 achieves a higher ELO score (1390 vs 1360), suggesting stronger performance on open-ended tasks. Claude Sonnet 4.6 excels at best combination of speed and intelligence in the claude family. GPT-5.4 mini is known for strong mid-tier quality close to gpt-5.4 at 1/3 the price.
Which should you choose: Claude Sonnet 4.6 or GPT-5.4 mini?
- → Best combination of speed and intelligence in the Claude family
- → 1M token context window at standard pricing
- → Extended thinking and adaptive thinking supported
- → Strong mid-tier quality close to GPT-5.4 at 1/3 the price
- → Fast inference and low latency
- → Same 272K context window as flagship
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper: Claude Sonnet 4.6 or GPT-5.4 mini?
GPT-5.4 mini is cheaper at $0.75/1M per 1M input tokens, making it 4.0x more affordable.
Which has better quality: Claude Sonnet 4.6 or GPT-5.4 mini?
Claude Sonnet 4.6 scores higher on the LMSYS Chatbot Arena with an ELO of 1390, suggesting better overall quality for most tasks.
Which has a larger context window: Claude Sonnet 4.6 or GPT-5.4 mini?
Claude Sonnet 4.6 has a larger context window at 1000K tokens.
Should I choose Claude Sonnet 4.6 or GPT-5.4 mini?
Choose GPT-5.4 mini if cost is the priority. Choose Claude Sonnet 4.6 if benchmark quality is most important. Consider your specific use case: Claude Sonnet 4.6 is best for coding and function-calling, while GPT-5.4 mini excels at customer-support and data-extraction.
Is Claude Sonnet 4.6 or GPT-5.4 mini open source?
Claude Sonnet 4.6 is proprietary. GPT-5.4 mini is proprietary.