What is the context window difference between GPT-5 and Claude Sonnet 4?

GPT-5 has a 272K token context window. Claude Sonnet 4 has a 200K token context window. GPT-5 offers 36% more context capacity, which can be important for processing long documents or maintaining extended conversations.

GPT-5 vs Claude Sonnet 4 — Pricing Comparison 2026

Q: Which is better for coding: GPT-5 or Claude Sonnet 4?

Both models excel at coding tasks. Claude Sonnet 4 has a larger context window (200K vs 272K) and is known for strong instruction following. GPT-5 offers competitive coding performance at a lower price point. For cost-sensitive coding workloads, GPT-5 is the better value. For complex reasoning tasks where quality matters most, Claude Sonnet 4 may be worth the premium.

Requests per Day

Days per Month

OpenAI

GPT-5

$0.00

per month

Input cost

Output cost

Cost per request

Requests/month

Anthropic

Claude Sonnet 4 (Retired)

$0.00

per month

Input cost

Output cost

Cost per request

Requests/month

Which Model for Which Use Case?

Code Generation & Debugging

Both models handle coding well. Claude Sonnet 4 excels at following complex instructions and producing clean, well-structured code. GPT-5 is competitive and significantly cheaper.

Budget-conscious: GPT-5 | Quality-first: Claude Sonnet 4

Chatbots & Customer Support

High-volume, lower-complexity tasks where cost per request matters most. GPT-5's lower pricing makes it the clear winner for production chatbots at scale.

Best value: GPT-5 (40% cheaper)

RAG Pipelines & Document Processing

Large input contexts with moderate output. GPT-5's 272K context window and lower input pricing give it an edge for document-heavy workloads.

Best value: GPT-5

Complex Reasoning & Analysis

Tasks requiring deep analysis, multi-step reasoning, or nuanced understanding. Claude Sonnet 4's reputation for careful reasoning may justify the premium.

Quality-first: Claude Sonnet 4

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is GPT-5 cheaper than Claude Sonnet 4?

Yes. GPT-5 costs $1.25/M input and $10/M output. Claude Sonnet 4 costs $3/M input and $15/M output. For a typical workload of 1M input + 500K output tokens/month, GPT-5 costs $6.25 vs Claude Sonnet 4's $10.50 — saving you $4.25/month (40%).

Which is better for coding: GPT-5 or Claude Sonnet 4?

Both models excel at coding tasks. Claude Sonnet 4 is known for strong instruction following and clean code output. GPT-5 offers competitive coding performance at a lower price point. For cost-sensitive coding workloads, GPT-5 is the better value. For complex reasoning tasks where quality matters most, Claude Sonnet 4 may be worth the premium.

What is the context window difference?

GPT-5 has a 272K token context window. Claude Sonnet 4 has a 200K token context window. GPT-5 offers 36% more context capacity, which matters for processing long documents or maintaining extended conversations.

Can I switch between GPT-5 and Claude Sonnet 4 easily?

Yes. Both use standard REST APIs with similar request/response formats. If you're using an abstraction layer (like LangChain or LiteLLM), switching is a one-line config change. Use our Model Switch Calculator to see exact savings from switching.