Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 16, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, Claude Sonnet 5 delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,556 vs 1,455), while Claude Sonnet 5 leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (73.8%), while Claude Sonnet 5 is more budget-friendly at $10/1M per 1M output tokens. Review the complete breakdown below to determine which model best fits your performance and budget requirements.
10 direct benchmark disciplines evaluated across capability, speed, and cost
First Sonnet 4 generation. Bridge between 3.5/3.7 and Sonnet 5.
Anthropic workhorse. Official $2/$10 per 1M tokens made permanent on Aug 10 2026.
Δ 101 Arena Elo pts
118 tok/s
$10 / 1M output
Relative percentile scores computed across all active models in the benchmark catalog.
Comparing top Western standard models with China's leading frontier rival across 6 skill dimensions. Tap any spoke or dot to inspect.
Category wins across reasoning intelligence, generation speed, and token cost.
Preference Elo, Coding proficiency, SWE-bench & LiveBench accuracy
Generation throughput and time to first token responsiveness
Cost per million tokens and max context window length
| Benchmark | Claude Sonnet 4 | Claude Sonnet 5 | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +101 | ||
| Coding Elo | +94 | ||
| LiveBench | +7.2% | ||
| SWE-bench | +11% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +6.4% | ||
| Time to first token | +45 ms | ||
| Output speed | 92 tok/s | 118 tok/s | +26 tok/s |
| Input price | +$1/1M | ||
| Output price | +$5/1M | ||
| Context window | +800k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
Claude Sonnet 5 is estimated to save $110.00/month ($1,320/year).
Higher SWE-bench (73.8%).
Lower output list price ($10/1M).
Lower TTFT (175 ms).
Larger window (1M).
Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Claude Sonnet 5).
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | Claude Sonnet 5 | Higher SWE-bench (73.8%). |
| High-volume chat | Claude Sonnet 5 | Lower output list price ($10/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | Claude Sonnet 5 | Lower TTFT (175 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Claude Sonnet 5 | Larger window (1M). |
| Screenshots / vision | Claude Sonnet 5 | Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Claude Sonnet 5). |
Usually Sonnet 5 vs Opus 5. Coding delta versus output $/1M. The workhorse question.
Aug 10 2026 made the $2/$10 list permanent. Sonnet is the default Claude unless the repo is actually on fire.
Most of Opus 4.5 coding at a mid-tier price. Sonnet 5 replaced it as the buy; 4.5 remains a compare baseline.
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Verified Head-to-Head Telemetry
