AI model comparison

GPT-4.1 vs Sonar Pro

Pricing, context window, benchmarks, and features compared side by side. Or skip the guesswork and send one prompt to both.

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OpenAI

GPT-4.1

GPT-4.1 is a flagship large language model optimized for advanced instruction following, real-world software engineering, and long-context reasoning.

Input / 1M
$2
Output / 1M
$8
Context
1.05M
perplexity logo

Perplexity

Sonar Pro

Note: Sonar Pro pricing includes Perplexity search pricing.

Input / 1M
$3
Output / 1M
$15
Context
200K

At a glance

Quick verdict

How the two models stack up on the things people ask about most.

Lower price

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GPT-4.1

1.7x cheaper for a typical chat

Higher intelligence score

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GPT-4.1

12.7 vs 7.6 on Artificial Analysis

Larger context window

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GPT-4.1

1.05M vs 200K tokens

Newer release

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GPT-4.1

Released April 14, 2025

Benchmarks

Benchmark scores

Independent scores from Artificial Analysis. Higher is better.

Intelligence index

openai logoGPT-4.112.7
perplexity logoSonar Pro7.6

Coding index

openai logoGPT-4.1Not available
perplexity logoSonar ProNot available

Agentic index

openai logoGPT-4.1Not available
perplexity logoSonar ProNot available

Pricing

GPT-4.1 vs Sonar Pro API pricing

Per-token API rates. Cheaper option highlighted.

Metricopenai logoGPT-4.1perplexity logoSonar Pro
Input tokensPer 1M tokens$2$3
Output tokensPer 1M tokens$8$15
Cached input (read)Per 1M tokens$0.50Not available
Cache writePer 1M tokensNot availableNot 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

openai logoGPT-4.1$8
perplexity logoSonar Pro$13.50

Coding task

30K in, 4K out

openai logoGPT-4.1$92$47 cached
perplexity logoSonar Pro$150

Long document summary

150K in, 2K out

openai logoGPT-4.1$316$91 cached
perplexity logoSonar Pro$480

Specs

Context window and capabilities

How much each model can read, how much it can write, and what it accepts as input.

Metricopenai logoGPT-4.1perplexity logoSonar Pro
Context window1.05M tokens200K tokens
Max output33K tokens8K tokens
Input typesFile, Image, TextImage, Text
Output typesTextText
Reasoning effort levelsNot availableNot available
Default reasoning effortNot availableNot available
Release dateApril 14, 2025March 7, 2025

Features

Supported features

API features available for each model.

Metricopenai logoGPT-4.1perplexity logoSonar Pro
Tool callingSupportedNot supported
Structured outputsSupportedNot supported
JSON modeSupportedNot supported
ReasoningNot supportedNot supported
TemperatureSupportedSupported
Stop sequencesNot supportedNot supported
Deterministic seedSupportedNot supported
Verbosity controlNot supportedNot supported

Our take

GPT-4.1 is 1.7x cheaper for a typical chat. GPT-4.1 scores higher on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index (12.7 vs 7.6). GPT-4.1 has the larger context window (1.05M vs 200K 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 or Sonar Pro cheaper?

GPT-4.1 is cheaper for a typical chat (2K input tokens and 500 output tokens). GPT-4.1 costs $2 per 1M input tokens and $8 per 1M output tokens, while Sonar Pro costs $3 per 1M input tokens and $15 per 1M output tokens.

Which has a bigger context window, GPT-4.1 or Sonar Pro?

GPT-4.1 supports up to 1.05M tokens of context, compared with 200K for Sonar Pro.

Is GPT-4.1 smarter than Sonar Pro?

On the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, GPT-4.1 scores 12.7 and Sonar Pro scores 7.6, putting GPT-4.1 ahead. Benchmarks don't capture everything, so the best test is running your own prompts through both.

Can I use GPT-4.1 and Sonar Pro at the same time?

Yes. Shortcut Chat sends one prompt to multiple models at once, so you can see GPT-4.1 and Sonar Pro answer side by side and keep the better response.

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Why choose? Ask both.

Send one prompt to GPT-4.1 and Sonar Pro at the same time. Compare the answers side by side and keep the best one.