Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 16, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, GPT-5.6 Sol delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,608 vs 1,295), while GPT-5.6 Sol leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (77.6%), while Gemini 2.5 Flash is more budget-friendly at $0.4/1M per 1M output tokens. Review the complete breakdown below to determine which model best fits your performance and budget requirements.
8 direct benchmark disciplines evaluated across capability, speed, and cost
Previous Google speed workhorse.
OpenAI 5.6 flagship tier. Official API $5/$30 per 1M tokens (OpenAI pricing, Jul 30 2026 update left Sol unchanged).
Currently comparing Gemini 2.5 Flash vs GPT-5.6 Sol. Alternative family tiers available.
Simulate accuracy gains vs added response time & token cost
Reasoning models “think before answering” by generating internal reasoning tokens. Higher effort improves math, coding, and logic accuracy, but increases response delay and token costs.
Δ 313 Arena Elo pts
185 tok/s
$0.4 / 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 | Gemini 2.5 Flash | GPT-5.6 Sol | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +313 | ||
| Coding Elo | — | — | |
| LiveBench | +22.5% | ||
| SWE-bench | +29.6% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +18.6% | ||
| Time to first token | +160 ms | ||
| Output speed | 185 tok/s | 84 tok/s | +101 tok/s |
| Input price | $0.1/1M | +$4.9/1M | |
| Output price | $0.4/1M | +$29.6/1M | |
| Context window | — |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
Gemini 2.5 Flash is estimated to save $615.50/month ($7,386/year).
Higher SWE-bench (77.6%).
Lower output list price ($0.4/1M).
Lower TTFT (110 ms).
Larger window (1M).
Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (GPT-5.6 Sol).
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | GPT-5.6 Sol | Higher SWE-bench (77.6%). |
| High-volume chat | Gemini 2.5 Flash | Lower output list price ($0.4/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | Gemini 2.5 Flash | Lower TTFT (110 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Gemini 2.5 Flash | Larger window (1M). |
| Screenshots / vision | GPT-5.6 Sol | Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (GPT-5.6 Sol). |
Brand hub remaps to top xAI vs top OpenAI. After Aug 12 that is Grok 4.6 vs Sol.
Not a frozen 2025 article. Today that is usually Opus 5 vs GPT-5.6 Sol. Dated cells, not a brand fight.
Hub remaps to top Google vs top OpenAI Elo. Usually 3.6 Pro vs Sol. Window vs price is the plot.
Jul 9 2026 family; Jul 30 price update left Sol unchanged. This is the GPT side of Claude vs GPT.
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Verified Head-to-Head Telemetry
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