AI model comparison

GPT-5.1-Codex vs Claude Sonnet 4.5

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

GPT-5.1-Codex is a specialized version of GPT-5.1 optimized for software engineering and coding workflows.

Input / 1M
$1.25
Output / 1M
$10
Context
400K

Claude Sonnet 4.5 is Anthropic’s most advanced Sonnet model to date, optimized for real-world agents and coding workflows.

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

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-5.1-Codex

1.8x cheaper for a typical chat

Higher intelligence score

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GPT-5.1-Codex

23.7 vs 20.7 on Artificial Analysis

Larger context window

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Claude Sonnet 4.5

1M vs 400K tokens

Newer release

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GPT-5.1-Codex

Released November 13, 2025

Benchmarks

Benchmark scores

Independent scores from Artificial Analysis. Higher is better.

Intelligence index

openai logoGPT-5.1-Codex23.7
anthropic logoClaude Sonnet 4.520.7

Coding index

openai logoGPT-5.1-CodexNot available
anthropic logoClaude Sonnet 4.552.1

Agentic index

openai logoGPT-5.1-CodexNot available
anthropic logoClaude Sonnet 4.515.8

Pricing

GPT-5.1-Codex vs Claude Sonnet 4.5 API pricing

Per-token API rates. Cheaper option highlighted.

Metricopenai logoGPT-5.1-Codexanthropic logoClaude Sonnet 4.5
Input tokensPer 1M tokens$1.25$3
Output tokensPer 1M tokens$10$15
Cached input (read)Per 1M tokens$0.13$0.30
Cache writePer 1M tokensNot available$3.75
Long-context pricingPer 1M tokens, for very long promptsSame rate at any length$6 in / $22.50 out above 200K
Web searchPer request$0.01$0.01

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-5.1-Codex$7.50
anthropic logoClaude Sonnet 4.5$13.50

Coding task

30K in, 4K out

openai logoGPT-5.1-Codex$77.50$43.90 cached
anthropic logoClaude Sonnet 4.5$150$69 cached

Long document summary

150K in, 2K out

openai logoGPT-5.1-Codex$207.50$39.50 cached
anthropic logoClaude Sonnet 4.5$480$75 cached

Specs

Context window and capabilities

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

Metricopenai logoGPT-5.1-Codexanthropic logoClaude Sonnet 4.5
Context window400K tokens1M tokens
Max output128K tokens64K tokens
Input typesImage, TextFile, Image, Text
Output typesTextText
Reasoning effort levelsHigh, Medium, LowNot available
Default reasoning effortMediumNot available
Release dateNovember 13, 2025September 29, 2025

Features

Supported features

API features available for each model.

Metricopenai logoGPT-5.1-Codexanthropic logoClaude Sonnet 4.5
Tool callingSupportedSupported
Structured outputsSupportedSupported
JSON modeSupportedSupported
ReasoningSupportedSupported
TemperatureNot supportedSupported
Stop sequencesNot supportedSupported
Deterministic seedSupportedNot supported
Verbosity controlSupportedNot supported

Our take

GPT-5.1-Codex is 1.8x cheaper for a typical chat. GPT-5.1-Codex scores higher on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index (23.7 vs 20.7). Claude Sonnet 4.5 has the larger context window (1M vs 400K 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-5.1-Codex or Claude Sonnet 4.5 cheaper?

GPT-5.1-Codex is cheaper for a typical chat (2K input tokens and 500 output tokens). GPT-5.1-Codex costs $1.25 per 1M input tokens and $10 per 1M output tokens, while Claude Sonnet 4.5 costs $3 per 1M input tokens and $15 per 1M output tokens.

Which has a bigger context window, GPT-5.1-Codex or Claude Sonnet 4.5?

Claude Sonnet 4.5 supports up to 1M tokens of context, compared with 400K for GPT-5.1-Codex.

Is GPT-5.1-Codex smarter than Claude Sonnet 4.5?

On the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, GPT-5.1-Codex scores 23.7 and Claude Sonnet 4.5 scores 20.7, putting GPT-5.1-Codex ahead. Benchmarks don't capture everything, so the best test is running your own prompts through both.

Can I use GPT-5.1-Codex and Claude Sonnet 4.5 at the same time?

Yes. Shortcut Chat sends one prompt to multiple models at once, so you can see GPT-5.1-Codex and Claude Sonnet 4.5 answer side by side and keep the better response.

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Why choose? Ask both.

Send one prompt to GPT-5.1-Codex and Claude Sonnet 4.5 at the same time. Compare the answers side by side and keep the best one.