Model vs Model · API pricing
GPT-4.1 vs Claude Sonnet 4.6GPT-4.1 is cheaper. Sonnet has the edge on reasoning.
Verdict
GPT-4.1 at $2 input / $8 output per million tokens is consistently cheaper than Claude Sonnet 4.6 at $3 / $15. For high-volume workloads, GPT-4.1 saves 33% on input and 47% on output. Both models include a 1M token context window. Choose Sonnet for complex reasoning and nuanced instruction following.
API pricing — March 2026
| GPT-4.1 (OpenAI) | Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Anthropic) | |
|---|---|---|
| Input price /1M tokens | $2 | $3 |
| Output price /1M tokens | $8 | $15 |
| Context window | 1M tokens | 1M tokens |
| Batch API discount | 50% off | 50% off |
| At 10M input tokens | $20 | $30 |
| At 10M output tokens | $80 | $150 |
Real-world cost at scale
Content generation pipeline — 50M output tokens/month
Automated article generation or customer support responses. Heavy output workload.
GPT-4.1
$400
50M output tokens
Claude Sonnet 4.6
$750
50M output tokens
Document analysis — 50M input tokens/month
RAG pipeline processing large documents. Heavy input workload.
GPT-4.1
$100
50M input tokens
Claude Sonnet 4.6
$150
50M input tokens
When to choose each
GPT-4.1
Cost is the primary concern
High-volume standard tasks
Coding and agentic workflows
1M context needed at lower cost
Claude Sonnet 4.6
Complex reasoning tasks
Nuanced instruction following
Long document analysis with reasoning
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Prices updated daily · Last fetch: Mar 26, 2026
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