Claude Sonnet 5 vs GPT-5.4
Anthropic · US | OpenAI · US · Updated June 2026
Quick verdict
Pick Claude Sonnet 5 for agentic workflows that plan, use tools, and run autonomously or multi-step coding, debugging, and tool use. Pick GPT-5.4 for strong general-purpose default or coding and software engineering. On a tight budget at scale, Claude Sonnet 5 is the value pick.
Claude Sonnet 5 (Anthropic) and GPT-5.4 (OpenAI) are two of the models people most often weigh against each other in 2026. Claude Sonnet 5 is anthropic's most agentic Sonnet, with near-Opus-4.8 performance at Sonnet prices; the default model on Free and Pro. 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
- ▸Price: nearly identical — $2/$10 per 1M tokens vs $2.5/$15 per 1M tokens. Cost will not be the deciding factor here.
- ▸Context window: both advertise 1M (~1,500 pages). Tie on paper — test on your own long inputs, since usable recall varies by model.
- ▸Recency: Claude Sonnet 5 is the newer model by about 4 months (released June 30, 2026), usually meaning fresher training data and capabilities.
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | Claude Sonnet 5 | GPT-5.4 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Anthropic (US) | OpenAI (US) |
| Released | June 30, 2026 | March 5, 2026 |
| Context window | 1M (~1,500 pages) | 1M (~1,500 pages) |
| Price (in/out) | $2/$10 per 1M tokens | $2.5/$15 per 1M tokens |
| Open weight? | No — API only | No — API only |
| Modalities | text, image, code | text, image, code |
| SWE-Bench Verified | Not published | Not published |
| MRCR v2 @ 1M | Not published | Not published |
Who wins what
Agentic workflows that plan, use tools, and run autonomously
Claude Sonnet 5
Anthropic's most agentic Sonnet, with near-Opus-4.8 performance at Sonnet prices; the default model on Free and Pro — and it runs cheaper at $2/$10 per 1M tokens.
Multi-step coding, debugging, and tool use
Claude Sonnet 5
Anthropic's most agentic Sonnet, with near-Opus-4.8 performance at Sonnet prices; the default model on Free and Pro — and it is the newer of the two.
Everyday professional and knowledge work
Claude Sonnet 5
Claude Sonnet 5 lists everyday professional and knowledge work among its strengths; GPT-5.4 does not.
Strong general-purpose default
GPT-5.4
GPT-5.4 lists strong general-purpose default among its strengths; Claude Sonnet 5 does not.
Coding and software engineering
GPT-5.4
GPT-5.4 lists coding and software engineering among its strengths; Claude Sonnet 5 does not.
Document understanding and tool use
GPT-5.4
GPT-5.4 lists document understanding and tool use among its strengths; Claude Sonnet 5 does not.
Lowest cost at scale
Claude Sonnet 5
At $2/$10 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
→ Claude Sonnet 5
At $2/$10 per 1M tokens it undercuts GPT-5.4, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.
Anyone whose priority is agentic workflows that plan, use tools, and run autonomously
→ Claude Sonnet 5
It is specifically built for that.
Anyone whose priority is strong general-purpose default
→ GPT-5.4
That is its strongest area.
Claude Sonnet 5: where it fits
Anthropic's most agentic Sonnet, with near-Opus-4.8 performance at Sonnet prices; the default model on Free and Pro. Released June 30, 2026 by Anthropic, it is built for agentic workflows that plan, use tools, and run autonomously, multi-step coding, debugging, and tool use, everyday professional and knowledge work, and long-document analysis and reasoning.
Its trade-offs are real: lower peak accuracy than Opus 4.8 on the hardest tasks, and an updated tokenizer that can use 1.0-1.35x more tokens for the same text. At $2 in / $10 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid 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 Sonnet 5 and GPT-5.4 overlap enough that the right pick depends on your specific job. Claude Sonnet 5 costs less per token; and each leads in its own area — Claude Sonnet 5 for agentic workflows that plan, use tools, and run autonomously, 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 Sonnet 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 pricingFrequently asked questions
Is Claude Sonnet 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 Sonnet 5 leans toward agentic workflows that plan, use tools, and run autonomously 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 Sonnet 5 or GPT-5.4?
Claude Sonnet 5 is cheaper — $2/$10 per 1M tokens vs $2.5/$15 per 1M tokens, roughly 1.3× 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 Sonnet 5 and GPT-5.4 together?
Yes — a multi-model platform like LumiChats gives you Claude Sonnet 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 Sonnet 5 or GPT-5.4?
Claude Sonnet 5 — released June 30, 2026, about 4 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.