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Claude 3 Opus vs GPT-5.1

Compare Anthropic and OpenAI AI models

Anthropic
Claude 3 Opus
vs
OpenAI
GPT-5.1

Cost Comparison (1000 input + 500 output tokens, 100 requests/day)

Claude 3 Opus

Per Request:$0.0525
Daily:$5.25
Monthly:$157.50
Yearly:$1,916.25

GPT-5.1

Per Request:$0.006250
Daily:$0.625
Monthly:$18.75
Yearly:$228.125

Cost Differences

$0.04625
Per Request
$4.625
Daily
$138.75
Monthly
$1,688.125
Yearly

GPT-5.1 costs less than Claude 3 Opus

Feature Comparison

FeatureClaude 3 OpusGPT-5.1
ProviderAnthropicOpenAI
Input Price$15.00/1M tokens$1.25/1M tokens
Output Price$75.00/1M tokens$10.00/1M tokens
Context Window200,000 tokens1,000,000 tokens
Max Output4,096 tokens131,072 tokens
Categoryflagshipflagship
Capabilities
textvisionreasoning
textvisionaudiocodereasoning
Release Date3/4/202411/12/2025

Claude 3 Opus vs GPT-5.1: Which Should You Choose?

Choosing between Claude 3 Opus and GPT-5.1 depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. GPT-5.1 is the more affordable option at $1.25/1M input tokens92% cheaper than Claude 3 Opus. Meanwhile, GPT-5.1 offers a significantly larger context window at 1,000,000 tokens vs 200,000 for Claude 3 Opus.

These models come from different providers — Anthropic and OpenAI — which means different API ecosystems, SDKs, rate limits, and terms of service. If you're already integrated with Anthropic, switching to OpenAIinvolves migration effort beyond just pricing. Factor in your existing infrastructure when deciding.

Both models are in the flagship category, making this a direct head-to-head comparison. At scale — say 10,000 requests per day — the cost difference adds up: GPT-5.1 would save you roughly $13,875.00/month compared to Claude 3 Opus. For startups and indie developers, that difference can be significant.

Output costs matter too. Claude 3 Opus charges $75.00/1M output tokens vs $10.00 for GPT-5.1. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. GPT-5.1 has the edge here at $10.00/1M output tokens.

Multimodal capabilities: Both models support vision (image understanding), so you can send images alongside text prompts with either option.

Best Use Cases

Choose Claude 3 Opus when:

  • • You're already using Anthropic's API ecosystem

Choose GPT-5.1 when:

  • • Budget is a primary concern
  • • You need a larger context window (1,000,000 tokens)
  • • You need more capabilities (audio, code)
  • • You need longer outputs (up to 131,072 tokens)
  • • You're already using OpenAI's API ecosystem

Try Different Scenarios

Use the calculator below to see how costs change with different usage patterns

Claude 3 Opus (Anthropic)

GPT-5.1 (OpenAI)

Start using Claude 3 Opus today

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Start using GPT-5.1 today

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, Claude 3 Opus or GPT-5.1?
GPT-5.1 is cheaper for input tokens at $1.25 per million tokens vs $15.00 for Claude 3 Opus — that's 92% savings on input costs.
What is the context window difference between Claude 3 Opus and GPT-5.1?
Claude 3 Opus supports 200,000 tokens while GPT-5.1 supports 1,000,000 tokens — a difference of 800,000 tokens in favor of GPT-5.1.
Which model is better for AI Chatbot?
Both models support text. For ai chatbot, GPT-5.1 is the lower-cost option, while GPT-5.1 offers a larger context window (1,000,000 vs 200,000 tokens). Choose GPT-5.1 for budget sensitivity or GPT-5.1 for longer context tasks.
Which model has better overall pricing for heavy usage?
At 100 requests/day with 1,000 input and 500 output tokens each, Claude 3 Opus costs about $157.50/month and GPT-5.1 costs about $18.75/month. Overall, GPT-5.1 has lower combined input + output rates ($1.25 in, $10.00 out) vs Claude 3 Opus.

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