comparison
Claude Sonnet 4.6 vs GPT-5.4 mini
Token pricing, context window and real monthly cost, side by side. GPT-5.4 mini is the cheaper of the two for a typical workload — about 3.6× less.
Positioned by published specs — size, context and modality — not measured performance; a smaller model can sometimes outperform a larger one on your task.
Claude Sonnet 4.6 is one class larger (Mid vs Mini). Lean to the cheaper GPT-5.4 mini unless your task is demanding enough to need the larger class.
| metric | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | GPT-5.4 mini |
|---|---|---|
| Input / 1M | $3.00 | $0.75 |
| Output / 1M | $15.00 | $4.50 |
| Context | 1M | 400K |
| Technical class | Mid | Mini |
| Cost @ typical workload | $2,400/mo | $675/mo |
| Modality | text + image | text + image |
| Price source | list | list |
| Provider | Anthropic | OpenAI |
Snapshot . Cost uses a typical workload; tune it in the calculator. How we measure →
Which should you pick?
On a typical workload, GPT-5.4 mini costs $675/mo against Claude Sonnet 4.6's $2,400/mo — roughly 3.6× cheaper. But the ranking depends on your output-to-input ratio: output is the pricier direction for both, so an output-heavy job (code generation, long answers) widens the gap while an input-heavy one (summarization, retrieval) narrows it. If you need to fit more in a single prompt, Claude Sonnet 4.6 has the larger 1M-token window (~1,500 pages). By technical class (size and context, not measured capability), Claude Sonnet 4.6 is a Mid and GPT-5.4 mini a Mini — so the lower price partly reflects a smaller class, not just a discount.
These are list and routed market prices, not measured outcomes. Two models at the same rate can still cost different amounts to finish the same task, because verbose or reasoning-heavy models emit more tokens. That gap is exactly what measured cost-per-task captures. The technical-class read above is likewise spec-based — size, context and modality, not measured performance — so a smaller model can still outperform a larger one on your specific task.
Frequently asked questions
Is Claude Sonnet 4.6 or GPT-5.4 mini cheaper?
For a typical workload (1,500 input + 500 output tokens × 200,000 requests/month), GPT-5.4 mini costs $675/mo versus $2,400/mo for Claude Sonnet 4.6 — about 3.6× less. Because output is priced higher than input, the winner can flip if your workload writes much more or less than this; check your own numbers in the calculator.
What's the main difference between Claude Sonnet 4.6 and GPT-5.4 mini?
On price, Claude Sonnet 4.6 is $3.00/$15.00 per 1M (in/out) and GPT-5.4 mini is $0.75/$4.50. By technical class (size & context) it's Mid (Claude Sonnet 4.6) versus Mini (GPT-5.4 mini). Claude Sonnet 4.6 has the larger context window at 1M tokens.
Why is GPT-5.4 mini so much cheaper than Claude Sonnet 4.6?
GPT-5.4 mini has a much lower per-token rate — $4.50/1M output versus $15.00, and it's a smaller technical class (Mini vs Mid). The headline rate isn't the whole story, though: a verbose model can cost more to finish a task than its rate implies — that's what measured cost-per-task captures.
More comparisons
- GPT-5.5 vs GPT-5.4 mini
- GPT-5.5 vs Claude Sonnet 4.6
- GPT-5.4 vs GPT-5.4 mini
- GPT-5.4 vs Claude Sonnet 4.6
- GPT-5.4 mini vs GPT-5.4 nano
- GPT-5.4 mini vs gpt-oss-120b
Related
- Claude Sonnet 4.6 and GPT-5.4 mini — full specs and price history.
- API cost calculator — compare on your own workload.
- All comparisons — the full head-to-head index.