AI model comparison
GPT-4.1 Nano vs Sonar
Side by side comparison of GPT-4.1 Nano and Sonar on pricing, benchmark scores, context window, and more.
For tasks that demand low latency, GPT‑4.1 nano is the fastest and cheapest model in the GPT-4.1 series.
- Input / 1M
- $0.10
- Output / 1M
- $0.40
- Context
- 1.05M
Sonar is lightweight, affordable, fast, and simple to use — now featuring citations and the ability to customize sources.
- Input / 1M
- $1
- Output / 1M
- $1
- Context
- 127K
Comparing image generators? Compare image models
At a glance
Quick verdict
How the two models stack up on the things people ask about most.
Lower price
GPT-4.1 Nano
6.3x cheaper for a typical chat
Higher intelligence score
GPT-4.1 Nano
7.8 vs 7.7 on Artificial Analysis
Larger context window
GPT-4.1 Nano
1.05M vs 127K tokens
Newer release
GPT-4.1 Nano
Released April 14, 2025
Benchmarks
Benchmark scores
Independent scores from Artificial Analysis. Higher is better.
Intelligence index
GPT-4.1 Nano7.8
Sonar7.7Coding index
GPT-4.1 Nano11.1SonarNot availableAgentic index
GPT-4.1 NanoNot availableSonarNot availablePricing
GPT-4.1 Nano vs Sonar API pricing
Per-token API rates. Cheaper option highlighted.
| Metric | GPT-4.1 Nano | Sonar |
|---|---|---|
| Input tokensPer 1M tokens | $0.10 | $1 |
| Output tokensPer 1M tokens | $0.40 | $1 |
| Cached input (read)Per 1M tokens | $0.03 | Not available |
| Cache writePer 1M tokens | Not available | Not available |
| Web searchPer request | $0.01 | $0.005 |
What it costs in practice
Estimated cost per 1,000 requests at standard rates. Coding and long-document figures also show the cost when the input is already cached.
Chat message
2K in, 500 out
GPT-4.1 Nano$0.40Sonar$2.50Coding task
30K in, 4K out
GPT-4.1 Nano$4.60$2.35 cachedSonar$34Long document summary
150K in, 2K out
GPT-4.1 Nano$15.80$4.55 cachedSonar$152Specs
Context window and capabilities
How much each model can read, how much it can write, and what it accepts as input.
| Metric | GPT-4.1 Nano | Sonar |
|---|---|---|
| Context window | 1.05M tokens | 127K tokens |
| Max output | 33K tokens | 114K tokens |
| Input types | File, Image, Text | Image, Text |
| Output types | Text | Text |
| Reasoning effort levels | Not available | Not available |
| Default reasoning effort | Not available | Not available |
| Release date | April 14, 2025 | January 27, 2025 |
Features
Supported features
API features available for each model.
| Metric | GPT-4.1 Nano | Sonar |
|---|---|---|
| Tool calling | Supported | Not supported |
| Structured outputs | Supported | Not supported |
| JSON mode | Supported | Not supported |
| Reasoning | Not supported | Not supported |
| Temperature | Supported | Supported |
| Stop sequences | Not supported | Not supported |
| Deterministic seed | Supported | Not supported |
| Verbosity control | Not supported | Not supported |
Keep exploring
More on these models
Other head-to-heads, the full model page, and the alternatives list for each model.
GPT-4.1 NanoView full model details- GPT-4.1 Nano vs gpt-oss-120b
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- GPT-4.1 Nano vs GPT-4o-mini
- GPT-4.1 Nano vs gpt-oss-20b
- GPT-4.1 Nano vs GPT-5 Nano
- GPT-4.1 Nano vs Gemma 3 27B
- GPT-4.1 Nano vs Llama 3.3 70B Instruct
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- GPT-4.1 Nano vs Qwen3 VL 30B A3B Instruct
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- GPT-4.1 Nano vs Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B
- GPT-4.1 Nano vs LFM2.5-2.6B
- GPT-4.1 Nano vs Solar Pro 3
- GPT-4.1 Nano vs Qwen2.5 72B Instruct
- GPT-4.1 Nano vs Qwen3 30B A3B
- GPT-4.1 Nano vs Llama 3.1 70B Instruct
- GPT-4.1 Nano vs Saba
- GPT-4.1 Nano vs Llama 3.2 3B Instruct
Our take
GPT-4.1 Nano is 6.3x cheaper for a typical chat. GPT-4.1 Nano scores higher on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index (7.8 vs 7.7). GPT-4.1 Nano has the larger context window (1.05M vs 127K tokens). The right pick depends on your workload, so the quickest way to settle it is to send the same prompt to both and compare.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is GPT-4.1 Nano or Sonar cheaper?
GPT-4.1 Nano is cheaper for a typical chat (2K input tokens and 500 output tokens). GPT-4.1 Nano costs $0.10 per 1M input tokens and $0.40 per 1M output tokens, while Sonar costs $1 per 1M input tokens and $1 per 1M output tokens.
Which has a bigger context window, GPT-4.1 Nano or Sonar?
GPT-4.1 Nano supports up to 1.05M tokens of context, compared with 127K for Sonar.
Is GPT-4.1 Nano smarter than Sonar?
On the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, GPT-4.1 Nano scores 7.8 and Sonar scores 7.7, putting GPT-4.1 Nano ahead. Benchmarks don't capture everything, so the best test is running your own prompts through both.
Can I use GPT-4.1 Nano and Sonar at the same time?
Yes. Shortcut Chat sends one prompt to multiple models at once, so you can see GPT-4.1 Nano and Sonar answer side by side and keep the better response.
Why choose? Ask both.
Send one prompt to GPT-4.1 Nano and Sonar at the same time. Compare the answers side by side and keep the best one.