Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 17, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, Claude Sonnet 4 delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,455 vs 1,272), while Claude Sonnet 4 leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (62.8%), while GPT-4o mini is more budget-friendly at $0.6/1M per 1M output tokens. Review the complete breakdown below to determine which model best fits your performance and budget requirements.
First Sonnet 4 generation. Bridge between 3.5/3.7 and Sonnet 5.
Δ 183 Arena Elo pts
160 tok/s
$0.6 / 1M output
Relative percentile scores computed across all active models in the benchmark catalog.
Each spoke is a skill. Farther from the center is better (0–100th percentile). Tap any dot to inspect details.
Category wins across reasoning intelligence, generation speed, and token cost.
Preference Elo, Coding proficiency, SWE-bench & LiveBench accuracy
Generation throughput and time to first token responsiveness
Cost per million tokens and max context window length
| Benchmark | Claude Sonnet 4 | GPT-4o mini | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | Claude Sonnet 4 (+183) | ||
| Coding Elo | — | — | |
| LiveBench | Claude Sonnet 4 (+15.1%) | ||
| SWE-bench | Claude Sonnet 4 (+21.6%) | ||
| GPQA Diamond | Claude Sonnet 4 (+16.3%) | ||
| Time to first token | GPT-4o mini (+90 ms) | ||
| Output speed | 92 tok/s | 160 tok/s | GPT-4o mini (+68 tok/s) |
| Input price | $0.15/1M | GPT-4o mini (+$2.85/1M) | |
| Output price | $0.6/1M | GPT-4o mini (+$14.4/1M) | |
| Context window | Claude Sonnet 4 (+872k) |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
GPT-4o mini is estimated to save $315.75/month ($3,789/year).
Higher SWE-bench (62.8%).
Lower output list price ($0.6/1M).
Lower TTFT (130 ms).
Larger window (1M).
Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Claude Sonnet 4).
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | Claude Sonnet 4 | Higher SWE-bench (62.8%). |
| High-volume chat | GPT-4o mini | Lower output list price ($0.6/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | GPT-4o mini | Lower TTFT (130 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Claude Sonnet 4 | Larger window (1M). |
| Screenshots / vision | Claude Sonnet 4 | Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Claude Sonnet 4). |
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Verified head-to-head card
