Claude Fable 5 vs GPT-5.4

Anthropic · US  |  OpenAI · US · Updated June 2026

Quick verdict

Pick Claude Fable 5 for the hardest reasoning and most complex problems or long-horizon, multi-step agentic work. Pick GPT-5.4 for strong general-purpose default or coding and software engineering. On a tight budget at scale, GPT-5.4 is the value pick.

Claude Fable 5 (Anthropic) and GPT-5.4 (OpenAI) are two of the models people most often weigh against each other in 2026. Claude Fable 5 is anthropic's top public Mythos-class model and its most capable yet, though tier access was temporarily suspended in June 2026 under a US export-control directive. GPT-5.4 is openAI's 2026 workhorse — unifies Codex and GPT into a strong default that costs half of GPT-5.5. Their biggest split is price, and the breakdown below shows exactly how that plays out for your workload.

Key differences at a glance

Side-by-side specs

SpecClaude Fable 5GPT-5.4
ProviderAnthropic (US) OpenAI (US)
ReleasedJune 9, 2026 March 5, 2026
Context window1M (~1,500 pages) 1M (~1,500 pages)
Price (in/out)$10/$50 per 1M tokens $2.5/$15 per 1M tokens
Open weight?No — API only No — API only
Modalitiestext, image, code text, image, code
SWE-Bench VerifiedNot published Not published
MRCR v2 @ 1MNot published Not published

Who wins what

The hardest reasoning and most complex problems

Claude Fable 5

A core design strength of Claude Fable 5.

Long-horizon, multi-step agentic work

Claude Fable 5

A core design strength of Claude Fable 5.

Frontier-level analysis and research

Claude Fable 5

A core design strength of Claude Fable 5.

Strong general-purpose default

GPT-5.4

A core design strength of GPT-5.4.

Coding and software engineering

GPT-5.4

A core design strength of GPT-5.4.

Document understanding and tool use

GPT-5.4

A core design strength of GPT-5.4.

Lowest cost at scale

GPT-5.4

At $2.5/$15 per 1M tokens, it is the cheaper of the two — the gap dominates the bill on high-volume workloads.

Which should you pick?

A cost-sensitive startup shipping high volume

GPT-5.4

At $2.5/$15 per 1M tokens it undercuts Claude Fable 5, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.

Anyone whose priority is the hardest reasoning and most complex problems

Claude Fable 5

It is specifically built for that.

Anyone whose priority is strong general-purpose default

GPT-5.4

That is its strongest area.

Claude Fable 5: where it fits

Anthropic's top public Mythos-class model and its most capable yet, though tier access was temporarily suspended in June 2026 under a US export-control directive. Released June 9, 2026 by Anthropic, it is built for the hardest reasoning and most complex problems, long-horizon, multi-step agentic work, frontier-level analysis and research, and work where maximum capability outweighs cost.

Its trade-offs are real: highest price in the Claude lineup, and tier access was temporarily suspended in June 2026 under a US export-control directive. At $10 in / $50 out per million tokens, it sits in the premium price band.

GPT-5.4: where it fits

OpenAI's 2026 workhorse — unifies Codex and GPT into a strong default that costs half of GPT-5.5. Released March 5, 2026 by OpenAI, it is built for strong general-purpose default, coding and software engineering, document understanding and tool use, and 1M context with good token efficiency.

Its trade-offs: topped by GPT-5.5 on the hardest tasks, and pricier than open-weight rivals. At $2.5 in / $15 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.

The bottom line for this matchup

Claude Fable 5 and GPT-5.4 overlap enough that the right pick depends on your specific job. GPT-5.4 costs less per token; and each leads in its own area — Claude Fable 5 for the hardest reasoning and most complex problems, GPT-5.4 for strong general-purpose default. Rather than crowning one, run the same hard task through both once and let the results decide.

Want both Claude Fable 5 and GPT-5.4 without two subscriptions? LumiChats gives you these plus 40+ models under one ₹69/day pass (about $1/day) — draft with one, cross-check with the other.

See pricing

Frequently asked questions

Is Claude Fable 5 or GPT-5.4 better for coding?

Public SWE-Bench figures are not available for either model, so the honest test is your own repository — run an identical real bug through both. By design, Claude Fable 5 leans toward the hardest reasoning and most complex problems while GPT-5.4 leans toward strong general-purpose default, and that positioning usually predicts which feels better on your codebase.

Which is cheaper, Claude Fable 5 or GPT-5.4?

GPT-5.4 is cheaper — $10/$50 per 1M tokens vs $2.5/$15 per 1M tokens, roughly 4× apart on input.

Which has the bigger context window?

Both advertise 1M (~1,500 pages). Remember advertised ≠ usable: recall typically degrades before the ceiling.

Can I use both Claude Fable 5 and GPT-5.4 together?

Yes — a multi-model platform like LumiChats gives you Claude Fable 5, GPT-5.4 and 40+ others under one ₹69/day pass (about $1/day), so you can draft with one and cross-check with the other instead of buying two subscriptions.

Which is newer, Claude Fable 5 or GPT-5.4?

Claude Fable 5 — released June 9, 2026, about 3 months after GPT-5.4.

Related comparisons

Specifications and benchmarks reflect publicly reported figures as of June 2026 and may change as providers release updates. Always verify on your own workload.