GPT-4 and Claude 3.5 Sonnet are the two leading AI models. Here’s how they actually compare on technical merits.
Model Specifications
| Spec | GPT-4 (OpenAI) | Claude 3.5 Sonnet |
|---|---|---|
| Context Window | 128K tokens | 200K tokens |
| Max Output | 4K tokens | 8K tokens |
| Training Cutoff | Dec 2023 | Apr 2024 |
| Web Access | Yes (ChatGPT) | No |
| Vision | Yes | Yes |
| Code Execution | Yes (ChatGPT) | No |
Context Window
GPT-4: 128,000 tokens (~96,000 words)
Claude 3.5: 200,000 tokens (~150,000 words)
What this means:
- Claude can handle longer documents
- GPT-4 is sufficient for most use cases
- Claude wins for: legal documents, codebases, research papers
- Real-world difference: significant for power users, minimal for most
Benchmark Performance
Based on public evaluations (MMLU, HumanEval, etc.):
| Benchmark | GPT-4 | Claude 3.5 Sonnet |
|---|---|---|
| MMLU | 86.4% | 88.7% |
| HumanEval (coding) | 67.0% | 92.0% |
| MATH | 42.5% | 71.1% |
| GSM8K | 92.0% | 96.4% |
Interpretation: Claude 3.5 Sonnet benchmarks higher on most tasks, especially coding and math. But benchmarks don’t always translate to real-world experience.
Real-World Performance
Writing Quality
GPT-4:
- More polished, marketing-friendly
- Can be verbose
- Good at matching requested tones
- Sometimes sounds “AI-ish”
Claude:
- More natural prose
- Better at nuance
- Follows complex instructions better
- Tends toward academic style
Winner: Depends on use case. Claude for nuanced writing, GPT-4 for marketing copy.
Coding
GPT-4:
- Strong across languages
- Good at explaining code
- Web access helps with new libraries
- Code interpreter for testing
Claude:
- Higher benchmark scores
- Better at complex refactoring
- Handles larger codebases
- More careful with edge cases
Winner: Slight edge to Claude for complex tasks, tie for everyday coding.
Reasoning
GPT-4:
- Strong logical reasoning
- Good at step-by-step
- Can miss subtle nuances
- More confident (sometimes overconfident)
Claude:
- Excellent at nuanced reasoning
- Better at acknowledging uncertainty
- Stronger at complex analysis
- More careful with edge cases
Winner: Claude for complex reasoning, GPT-4 for straightforward logic.
Following Instructions
Claude: Notably better at following complex, multi-part instructions. GPT-4 sometimes loses elements of complicated prompts.
Pricing Comparison
API Pricing (per 1M tokens)
| Model | Input | Output |
|---|---|---|
| GPT-4 | $30 | $60 |
| GPT-4-Turbo | $10 | $30 |
| Claude 3.5 Sonnet | $3 | $15 |
| Claude 3 Opus | $15 | $75 |
Claude 3.5 Sonnet is significantly cheaper for API use while matching or exceeding GPT-4 performance.
Consumer Pricing
| Product | Price |
|---|---|
| ChatGPT Plus | $20/mo |
| Claude Pro | $20/mo |
Same price for consumer access to both.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | GPT-4 (ChatGPT) | Claude |
|---|---|---|
| Web browsing | Yes | No |
| Image generation | Yes (DALL-E) | No |
| Code execution | Yes | No |
| File upload | Yes | Yes |
| Voice mode | Yes | Limited |
| Plugins/tools | Yes | No |
| Custom GPTs | Yes | No |
ChatGPT has more features. Claude focuses on being a better conversationalist.
Use Case Recommendations
Use GPT-4/ChatGPT for:
- Web research (needs current info)
- Image generation
- Plugin integrations
- Code that needs execution
- Voice interaction
- Quick, general tasks
Use Claude for:
- Long document analysis
- Complex writing tasks
- Nuanced reasoning
- Code review of large files
- Tasks requiring instruction-following
- Privacy-sensitive work (Anthropic’s policies)
The Real Question
Both are excellent. The differences matter at the margins.
If I could only have one:
- General use: ChatGPT (web access, features)
- Writing/analysis: Claude (quality, context)
- API development: Claude (price/performance)
Best approach: Use both. They cost the same. Different tools for different tasks.
Bottom Line
GPT-4 and Claude 3.5 Sonnet are remarkably close in capabilities. Claude edges ahead in benchmarks and long-form work. GPT-4/ChatGPT wins on features and web access.
The “best” model is the one that works for your specific task.
Related Articles
- ChatGPT Review - Full breakdown
- Claude Review - Full breakdown
- Claude vs ChatGPT - Practical comparison