Claude Sonnet 5 vs GPT-4.1

Pricing verdict: Claude Sonnet 5 vs GPT-4.1: input pricing is tied at $2.00/M, GPT-4.1 is cheaper for output-heavy usage ($8.00/M output), and Claude Sonnet 5 is better for long-context tasks (1,000,000 tokens).

Direct answer: input pricing is tied. Choose GPT-4.1 for cheaper output and choose Claude Sonnet 5 when your workload needs longer context.

Compare API pricing, input and output token costs, context windows, and monthly estimates on one page so you can pick the right model fast.

Anthropic

Claude Sonnet 5

OpenAI

GPT-4.1

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Claude Sonnet 5 pricing page GPT-4.1 pricing page Anthropic provider overview OpenAI provider overview

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

Claude Sonnet 5

Per Request:$0.007000

Daily:$0.70

Monthly:$21.00

Yearly:$255.50

GPT-4.1

Per Request:$0.006000

Daily:$0.60

Monthly:$18.00

Yearly:$219.00

Cost Differences

$0.001000

Per Request

$0.10

Daily

$3.00

Monthly

$36.50

Yearly

GPT-4.1 costs less than Claude Sonnet 5

Quick Recommendation

Winner for direct API pricing: GPT-4.1. At the default workload, GPT-4.1 saves about $3.00/month ($36.50/year) versus Claude Sonnet 5.

Claude Sonnet 5 full pricing breakdown GPT-4.1 full pricing breakdown Anthropic API pricing details OpenAI API pricing details Anthropic vs OpenAI API pricing Codex Mini vs GPT-5.2 Codex Mini vs GPT-5.5

Feature Comparison

Feature	Claude Sonnet 5	GPT-4.1
Provider	Anthropic	OpenAI
Input Price	$2.00/1M tokens	$2.00/1M tokens
Output Price	$10.00/1M tokens	$8.00/1M tokens
Context Window	1,000,000 tokens	200,000 tokens
Max Output	128,000 tokens	32,768 tokens
Category	balanced	flagship
Capabilities	textvisioncodereasoningcomputer-use	textvisioncode
Release Date	6/30/2026	4/14/2025

Claude Sonnet 5 vs GPT-4.1: Which Should You Choose?

Choosing between Claude Sonnet 5 and GPT-4.1 depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. Both models charge $2.00/1M input tokens, but GPT-4.1 is cheaper on output at $8.00/1M. Meanwhile, Claude Sonnet 5 offers a significantly larger context window at 1,000,000 tokens vs 200,000 for GPT-4.1.

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.

These models target different tiers: Claude Sonnet 5 is a balanced model while GPT-4.1 is flagship. This means they're optimized for different workloads. GPT-4.1 targets more demanding workloads, while Claude Sonnet 5 provides a cost-effective option for everyday tasks.

Output costs matter too. Claude Sonnet 5 charges $10.00/1M output tokens vs $8.00 for GPT-4.1. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. GPT-4.1 has the edge here at $8.00/1M 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 Sonnet 5 when:

• You need a larger context window (1,000,000 tokens)
• You need more capabilities (reasoning, computer-use)
• You need longer outputs (up to 128,000 tokens)
• You're already using Anthropic's API ecosystem

Choose GPT-4.1 when:

• You're already using OpenAI's API ecosystem

Pros and Caveats at a Glance

Claude Sonnet 5

• Input pricing: $2.00/M tokens
• Output pricing: $10.00/M tokens
• Context window: 1,000,000 tokens
• Max output: 128,000 tokens

Watch out for

• Higher output cost than GPT-4.1

GPT-4.1

• Input pricing: $2.00/M tokens
• Output pricing: $8.00/M tokens
• Context window: 200,000 tokens
• Max output: 32,768 tokens

Watch out for

• Smaller context window than Claude Sonnet 5

Try Different Scenarios

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

Claude Sonnet 5 (Anthropic)

Cost Calculator

Provider

Model

Input Tokens

Output Tokens

Requests/Day

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GPT-4.1 (OpenAI)

Cost Calculator

Provider

Model

Input Tokens

Output Tokens

Requests/Day

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, Claude Sonnet 5 or GPT-4.1?▼

Input pricing is tied at $2.00 per million tokens. GPT-4.1 is cheaper on output at $8.00 vs $10.00 for Claude Sonnet 5, so it wins for output-heavy usage.

What is the context window difference between Claude Sonnet 5 and GPT-4.1?▼

Claude Sonnet 5 supports 1,000,000 tokens while GPT-4.1 supports 200,000 tokens — a difference of 800,000 tokens in favor of Claude Sonnet 5.

Which model is better for AI Chatbot?▼

Both models support text. For ai chatbot, GPT-4.1 is the lower-cost option, while Claude Sonnet 5 offers a larger context window (1,000,000 vs 200,000 tokens). Choose GPT-4.1 for budget sensitivity or Claude Sonnet 5 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 Sonnet 5 costs about $21.00/month and GPT-4.1 costs about $18.00/month. Overall, GPT-4.1 has lower combined input + output rates ($2.00 in, $8.00 out) vs Claude Sonnet 5.

Where can I compare Anthropic and OpenAI API pricing beyond this model matchup?▼

See the Anthropic vs OpenAI provider comparison page for lineup-level averages, then review each model page for exact per-token rates.