Claude Opus 4.6 vs GPT-5 Codex
A side-by-side comparison of two multimodal models — real specs, pricing, strengths and weaknesses, and a clear verdict on which to choose. Kept current by our agents.
Quick verdict: which should you choose?
Choose Claude Opus 4.6 if you need
- ✓nuanced reasoning and high-quality structured outputs on complex tasks
- ✓maximum context window of 1M tokens for large inputs
- ✓careful, safety-aligned responses
- ✓handling of very long documents without coherence issues
Choose GPT-5 Codex if you need
- ✓fast output at 149.9 tokens per second
- ✓lower cost at $10 per million tokens
- ✓strong coding specialization with unified text and image reasoning
- ✓high-volume workloads where speed matters more than peak intelligence
Verdict
Claude Opus 4.6 leads on intelligence (52.9 vs 44.6) and context length (1M vs 400K tokens) with stronger nuanced reasoning and structured outputs, while GPT-5 Codex leads decisively on speed (149.9 vs 40.23 t/s) and price ($10 vs $25 per 1M tokens) plus coding specialization. Claude suits safety-focused or very long-context work; GPT-5 Codex suits high-volume or speed-sensitive multimodal tasks.
Claude Opus 4.6 vs GPT-5 Codex: side by side
| Spec | Claude Opus 4.6 | GPT-5 Codex | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence | 52.9 | 44.6 | Claude Opus 4.6 |
| Output speed | 40 t/s | 150 t/s | GPT-5 Codex |
| Output price | $25.00/1M | $10.00/1M | GPT-5 Codex |
| Context | 1000K | 400K | Claude Opus 4.6 |
| Params | — | — | Tie |
| Type | Proprietary | Proprietary | Tie |
| Provider | Anthropic | OpenAI | Tie |
Detailed analysis
Intelligence
Winner: Claude Opus 4.6Claude Opus 4.6 scores 52.9 on the intelligence index compared to 44.6 for GPT-5 Codex. Its strengths explicitly include nuanced reasoning and high-quality structured outputs. GPT-5 Codex instead emphasizes coding specialization.
Speed
Winner: GPT-5 CodexGPT-5 Codex outputs at 149.9 tokens per second versus 40.23 for Claude Opus 4.6. Claude's limitations note slower response times on complex queries, while GPT-5 Codex has no such listed constraint.
Pricing & Context
Winner: GPT-5 CodexGPT-5 Codex costs $10 per million tokens versus $25 for Claude Opus 4.6. Claude provides a larger 1M-token context window compared to 400K, though GPT-5 Codex notes high resource demands at maximum context.
Multimodal Handling
Winner: TieBoth models are listed as multimodal and proprietary. Claude highlights effective handling of large inputs and safety alignment; GPT-5 Codex highlights unified text and image reasoning but is limited to static images.
Claude Opus 4.6
Pros
- +Strong performance on nuanced reasoning tasks
- +Careful and safety-aligned responses
- +Effective handling of large inputs
- +High-quality structured outputs
Cons
- –Slower response times on complex queries
- –More conservative on borderline topics
- –No native real-time web access
GPT-5 Codex
Pros
- +Handles extremely large inputs effectively
- +Strong coding specialization
- +Unified text and image reasoning
Cons
- –High resource demands with maximum context
- –Limited to text and static images
- –Potential coherence loss in very long outputs
Summary: Claude Opus 4.6 vs GPT-5 Codex
Choose Claude Opus 4.6 when intelligence, maximum context, and careful reasoning are priorities. Choose GPT-5 Codex when speed, lower cost, and coding-focused multimodal work are needed. The models trade off peak capability against throughput and price.
Frequently asked questions
Claude Opus 4.6 scores higher on intelligence (52.9 vs 44.6) and offers a larger context window, while GPT-5 Codex is faster and cheaper; the better choice depends on whether reasoning depth or speed and cost matter more.