This guy spent 8 hours testing ChatGPT Pro ($200/month) vs. Claude Sonnet 3.5 ($20/month)—The results will surprise you
Daniel Levi
Posted On December 7, 2024
ChatGPT Pro vs. Claude Sonnet 3.5: Is the $200 Model Really Worth It Over the $20 Alternative?
For those interested in the raw data, below is the full transcript of his findings that inspired this article. You can read the full story on Reddit.
“I spent 8 hours testing o1 Pro ($200) vs Claude Sonnet 3.5 ($20) – Here’s what nobody tells you about the real-world performance difference:
Use cases
After seeing all the hype about o1 Pro’s release, I decided to do an extensive comparison. The results were surprising, and I wanted to share my findings with the community.
Testing Methodology
I ran both models through identical scenarios, focusing on real-world applications rather than just benchmarks. Each test was repeated multiple times to ensure consistency.
Key Findings
- Complex Reasoning
- Winner: o1 Pro (but the margin is smaller than you’d expect)
- Takes 20-30 seconds longer for responses
- Claude Sonnet 3.5 achieves 90% accuracy in significantly less time
- Code Generation
- Winner: Claude Sonnet 3.5
- Cleaner, more maintainable code
- Better documentation
- o1 Pro tends to overengineer solutions
- Advanced Mathematics
- Winner: o1 Pro
- Excels at PhD-level problems
- Claude Sonnet 3.5 handles 95% of practical math tasks perfectly
- Vision Analysis
- Winner: o1 Pro
- Detailed image interpretation
- Claude Sonnet 3.5 doesn’t have advanced vision capabilities yet
- Scientific Reasoning
- Tie:
- o1 Pro: deeper analysis
- Claude Sonnet 3.5: clearer explanations
- Tie:
Value Proposition Breakdown
- o1 Pro ($200/month):
- Superior at PhD-level tasks
- Vision capabilities
- Deeper reasoning
- That extra 5-10% accuracy in complex tasks
- Claude Sonnet 3.5 ($20/month):
- Faster responses
- More consistent performance
- Superior coding assistance
- Handles 90-95% of tasks just as well
Interesting Observations
- The response time difference is noticeable—o1 Pro often takes 20-30 seconds to “think.”
- Claude Sonnet 3.5’s coding abilities are surprisingly superior.
- The price-to-performance ratio heavily favors Claude Sonnet 3.5 for most use cases.
Should You Pay 10x More?
For most users, probably not. Here’s why:
- The performance gap isn’t nearly as wide as the price difference.
- Claude Sonnet 3.5 handles most practical tasks exceptionally well.
- The extra capabilities of o1 Pro are mainly beneficial for specialized academic or research work.
Who Should Use Each Model?
- Choose o1 Pro if:
- You need vision capabilities.
- You work with PhD-level mathematical/scientific content.
- That extra 5-10% accuracy is crucial for your work.
- Budget isn’t a primary concern.
- Choose Claude Sonnet 3.5 if:
- You need reliable, fast responses.
- You do a lot of coding.
- You want the best value for money.
- You need clear, practical solutions.
Unless you specifically need vision capabilities or that extra 5-10% accuracy for specialized tasks, Claude Sonnet 3.5 at $20/month provides better value for most users than o1 Pro at $200/month.”
