GPT-4o vs Claude 3.5 Sonnet
The two workhorse assistant models of 2024: GPT-4o is faster and natively multimodal, Claude 3.5 Sonnet writes and codes with more care over longer context.
| Spec | GPT-4o | Claude 3.5 Sonnet |
|---|---|---|
| Released | May 13, 2024 | Jun 20, 2024 |
| Context window | 128K tokens | 200K tokens |
| Licence | Closed / API | Closed / API |
| Inputs | text, image, audio | text, image |
| Public API | Yes | Yes |
GPT-4o
Omni-model unifying text, vision and audio in a single network with realtime capabilities.
Claude 3.5 Sonnet
Mid-tier 3.5 model that outperformed Claude 3 Opus on many tasks.
Differences
| Attribute | GPT-4o | Claude 3.5 Sonnet |
|---|---|---|
| Released | May 2024 | June 2024 |
| Context window | 128K tokens | 200K tokens |
| Inputs | Text, image, audio | Text, image |
| Latency | Very low | Moderate |
| Licence | Closed, API | Closed, API |
| Best for | Voice, vision, fast chat | Long-form writing, code review |
Verdict
Analysis
Positioning
GPT-4o was OpenAI''s push toward one fast model handling text, images and audio. Claude 3.5 Sonnet targeted quality per token: stronger drafting, editing and code reasoning at mid-tier pricing.
Multimodality
GPT-4o handles image and audio input natively with very low latency, which makes it the better base for voice assistants and live screen understanding. Claude 3.5 Sonnet accepts images but is text-first.
Writing and code
Claude tends to hold instructions over long documents and produce cleaner refactors. GPT-4o is quicker and better for interactive back-and-forth.
Context
Claude offers 200K tokens against GPT-4o''s 128K, which matters for whole-repository or contract-length inputs.
Frequently asked
- Which is better for coding?
- Claude 3.5 Sonnet is usually preferred for reviewing and refactoring existing code; GPT-4o is competitive for quick generation and iteration.
- Which is better for voice apps?
- GPT-4o, because it accepts audio natively with very low latency.