Claude 3 Opus vs GPT-5.5
Claude 3 Opus vs GPT-5.5: GPT-5.5 is cheaper for input-heavy usage ($5.00/M vs $15.00/M input tokens), while GPT-5.5 is better for long-context tasks (1,050,000 tokens).
Direct answer: choose GPT-5.5 for lower token spend and choose GPT-5.5 when your workload needs longer context.
Common pricing searches covered on this page: Claude 3 Opus vs GPT-5.5 • Claude 3 Opus vs GPT-5.5 pricing • Claude 3 Opus vs GPT-5.5 API pricing and 3 opus vs 5 5 pricing.
Cost Comparison (1000 input + 500 output tokens, 100 requests/day)
Claude 3 Opus
GPT-5.5
Cost Differences
GPT-5.5 costs less than Claude 3 Opus
Quick Recommendation
Winner for direct API pricing: GPT-5.5. At the default workload, GPT-5.5 saves about $97.50/month ($1,186.25/year) versus Claude 3 Opus.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Claude 3 Opus | GPT-5.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Anthropic | OpenAI |
| Input Price | $15.00/1M tokens | $5.00/1M tokens |
| Output Price | $75.00/1M tokens | $30.00/1M tokens |
| Context Window | 200,000 tokens | 1,050,000 tokens |
| Max Output | 4,096 tokens | 128,000 tokens |
| Category | flagship | flagship |
| Capabilities | textvisionreasoning | textvisioncodereasoning |
| Release Date | 3/4/2024 | 4/24/2026 |
Claude 3 Opus vs GPT-5.5: Which Should You Choose?
Choosing between Claude 3 Opus and GPT-5.5 depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. GPT-5.5 is the more affordable option at $5.00/1M input tokens — 67% cheaper than Claude 3 Opus. Meanwhile, GPT-5.5 offers a significantly larger context window at 1,050,000 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-5.5 would save you roughly $9,750.00/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 $30.00 for GPT-5.5. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. GPT-5.5 has the edge here at $30.00/1M 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-5.5 when:
- • Budget is a primary concern
- • You need a larger context window (1,050,000 tokens)
- • You need more capabilities (code)
- • You need longer outputs (up to 128,000 tokens)
- • You're already using OpenAI's API ecosystem
Pros and Caveats at a Glance
Claude 3 Opus
- • Input pricing: $15.00/M tokens
- • Output pricing: $75.00/M tokens
- • Context window: 200,000 tokens
- • Max output: 4,096 tokens
Watch out for
- • Higher input cost than GPT-5.5
- • Higher output cost than GPT-5.5
- • Smaller context window than GPT-5.5
GPT-5.5
- • Input pricing: $5.00/M tokens
- • Output pricing: $30.00/M tokens
- • Context window: 1,050,000 tokens
- • Max output: 128,000 tokens
Watch out for
- • Trade-offs are minor in this matchup.
Try Different Scenarios
Use the calculator below to see how costs change with different usage patterns
Claude 3 Opus (Anthropic)
GPT-5.5 (OpenAI)
Start using Claude 3 Opus today
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Sign Up for OpenAI →Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, Claude 3 Opus or GPT-5.5?▼
What is the context window difference between Claude 3 Opus and GPT-5.5?▼
Which model is better for AI Chatbot?▼
Which model has better overall pricing for heavy usage?▼
Where can I compare Anthropic and OpenAI API pricing beyond this model matchup?▼
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