Claude Sonnet 4.5 vs GPT-5.4 Nano
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 Sonnet 4.5 if you need
- ✓Choose GPT-5.4 Nano if you need the lowest output price at $1.25 per million tokens.
- ✓Choose GPT-5.4 Nano if you need documented output speed of 146.5 tokens per second.
- ✓Choose GPT-5.4 Nano if you need 400k context with file, image, and text inputs.
- ✓Choose GPT-5.4 Nano if you need multimodal flexibility without audio or video.
Choose GPT-5.4 Nano if you need
- ✓Choose Claude Sonnet 4.5 if you need the largest context window at 1M tokens.
- ✓Choose Claude Sonnet 4.5 if you need strong safety alignment and careful reasoning.
- ✓Choose Claude Sonnet 4.5 if you need reliable large-context multimodal file support.
- ✓Choose Claude Sonnet 4.5 if you need detailed analysis despite potential verbosity.
Verdict
GPT-5.4 Nano leads on known speed (146.5 t/s) and price ($1.25/M) with 400k context and explicit file/image support, while Claude Sonnet 4.5 offers a larger 1M context and stronger documented safety/reasoning traits. Missing intelligence and speed data for Claude prevent direct comparison on those axes. Overall, Nano wins on cost-efficiency for multimodal file tasks where its metrics are available.
Claude Sonnet 4.5 vs GPT-5.4 Nano: side by side
| Spec | Claude Sonnet 4.5 | GPT-5.4 Nano | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence | — | 44 | Tie |
| Output speed | — | 147 t/s | Tie |
| Output price | $15.00/1M | $1.25/1M | GPT-5.4 Nano |
| Context | 1000K | 400K | Claude Sonnet 4.5 |
| Params | — | — | Tie |
| Type | Proprietary | Proprietary | Tie |
| Provider | Anthropic | OpenAI | Tie |
Detailed analysis
Pricing
Winner: GPT-5.4 NanoGPT-5.4 Nano is listed at $1.25 per million output tokens. Claude Sonnet 4.5 is listed at $15 per million output tokens. The 12x price difference favors Nano on cost for high-volume use.
Context Window
Winner: Claude Sonnet 4.5Claude Sonnet 4.5 provides a 1M token context. GPT-5.4 Nano provides 400k tokens. Claude's larger window supports bigger multimodal inputs.
Speed
Winner: GPT-5.4 NanoGPT-5.4 Nano reports 146.5 tokens per second. No speed figure is provided for Claude Sonnet 4.5. Direct speed comparison is not possible from the given data.
Multimodal Capabilities
Winner: TieBoth models support multimodal file handling. GPT-5.4 Nano explicitly lists file, image, and text inputs. Claude Sonnet 4.5 lists effective multimodal file support with noted variation by image complexity.
Claude Sonnet 4.5
Pros
- +Strong safety alignment
- +Reliable handling of large contexts
- +Careful and detailed reasoning
- +Effective multimodal file support
Cons
- –Can be overly cautious with refusals
- –Vision performance varies by image complexity
- –May produce verbose responses
GPT-5.4 Nano
Pros
- +Very large 400k token context
- +Handles file, image, and text inputs
- +Multimodal flexibility
Cons
- –Nano size may limit depth on complex tasks
- –No audio or video modalities
Summary: Claude Sonnet 4.5 vs GPT-5.4 Nano
Select GPT-5.4 Nano when price, speed, and 400k context matter most for file/image tasks. Select Claude Sonnet 4.5 when maximum context size and safety-focused reasoning are priorities. The models serve different cost-performance trade-offs based on the listed specs.
Frequently asked questions
GPT-5.4 Nano at $1.25 per million output tokens versus Claude Sonnet 4.5 at $15 per million.