Claude Opus 5 vs GPT-5.6 Sol
Claude Opus 5 and GPT-5.6 Sol are the two flagship closed models of mid-2026. Opus 5 leads the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index 63 to 61 and undercuts Sol on output price ($25 vs $30 per million tokens) at identical $5 input pricing. Both carry 1M-token context windows. Opus 5 currently wins on the measured numbers.
Side by side
| Claude Opus 5 | GPT-5.6 Sol | |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | Anthropic | OpenAI |
| Released | 2026-07-24 | 2026-07-09 |
| Context window | 1M tokens | 1M tokens |
| Modalities in | text, image | text, image |
| Input $/MTok | $5 | $5 |
| Output $/MTok | $25 | $30 |
| Open weights | No | No |
Benchmark deltas
| Benchmark | Claude Opus 5 | GPT-5.6 Sol | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA Intelligence Index | 63 | 61 | +2 |
Δ is Claude Opus 5 minus GPT-5.6 Sol, in points. Shaded cell wins the row. Dashed values are vendor-published, not yet reproduced — methodology.
Cost calculator
- Claude Opus 5
- $500/mo
- GPT-5.6 Sol
- $550/mo
- Difference
- $50/mo
List prices as of 2026-08-11; excludes caching, batch, and long-context tiers — see model pages for tier notes.
Verdict
The August 2026 measurement gives Claude Opus 5 the edge on every tracked axis that separates these flagships: two Intelligence Index points, $5 less per million output tokens, and equivalent context. GPT-5.6 Sol answers with marginally faster output (68 vs 54 tokens per second) and OpenAI's larger tool ecosystem, which for many production stacks is the real switching cost. Teams already on OpenAI lose little; teams choosing fresh should start from Opus 5's scoreboard lead and price advantage.
Verdicts are analysis, not measurement, and are labeled as such per our editorial policy.
FAQ
- Is Claude Opus 5 cheaper than GPT-5.6 Sol?
- It depends on your token mix. Claude Opus 5 bills $5 input / $25 output per million tokens; GPT-5.6 Sol bills $5 / $30 (as of August 11, 2026). Output-heavy workloads change the ranking.
- Which has the longer context window — Claude Opus 5 or GPT-5.6 Sol?
- They match: both accept 1M tokens of context.
- Which is the more capable model, Claude Opus 5 or GPT-5.6 Sol?
- Claude Opus 5 scores higher on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index: 63 (measured August 11, 2026) against 61 for GPT-5.6 Sol (measured August 11, 2026).
Related news
Comparison published August 11, 2026; underlying data last changed August 11, 2026.