Claude Sonnet 4.6 vs GPT-4.1
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.
Claude Sonnet 4.6 vs GPT-4.1: side by side
| Spec | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | GPT-4.1 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence | 42.6 | 26.3 | Claude Sonnet 4.6 |
| Output speed | 44 t/s | 130 t/s | GPT-4.1 |
| Output price | $15.00/1M | $8.00/1M | GPT-4.1 |
| Context | 1000K | 1048K | GPT-4.1 |
| Params | — | — | Tie |
| Type | Proprietary | Proprietary | Tie |
| Provider | Anthropic | OpenAI | Tie |
Claude Sonnet 4.6
Pros
- +Strong logical coherence
- +Careful safety alignment
- +Effective handling of large contexts
- +High-quality multimodal integration
Cons
- –Conservative refusal patterns on edge cases
- –Slower response times on complex inputs
- –Knowledge limited to training cutoff
GPT-4.1
Pros
- +Handles very large context windows
- +Processes images, text, and files together
- +Strong reasoning from OpenAI GPT lineage
- +Flexible multimodal inputs
Cons
- –Closed-source with no public weights
- –May hallucinate on complex tasks
- –High compute cost for full context
Frequently asked questions
It depends on your needs. Claude Sonnet 4.6 and GPT-4.1 are both multimodal models; the comparison table above shows where each one leads on the metrics that matter. See the verdict for a recommendation.