BenchLM comparison
ChatGPT vs Claude (July 2026): Benchmarks, Price & Verdict
Claude wins on measured capability right now: Claude Fable 5scores 88 on BenchLM with the top Arena Elo (1508.5), while ChatGPT's new GPT-5.6 models are still being benchmarked. ChatGPT wins on price — GPT-5.6 Sol costs half of Fable 5 per API token — and stays the stronger all-purpose assistant.
This page compares ChatGPT and Claude as products, not just as models. Concretely, that means the flagship models behind each app: ChatGPT currently runs on OpenAI's GPT-5.6 family — Sol, Terra, and Luna(launched July 9, 2026), while the Claude app runs on Anthropic's Claude Fable 5, Claude Opus 4.8, and Claude Sonnet 5. Every number below comes from BenchLM's sourced benchmark and pricing data for those specific models.
Whether you search for "ChatGPT vs Claude" or "Claude vs ChatGPT", the question is the same: which assistant should get your $20 a month, and which API should run your workload? Here is what the data says in July 2026.
The short answer
On BenchLM's current data, Claude has the strongest fully benchmarked model of the two products. Claude Fable 5 posts an 88 overall score and the highest Arena Elo we track at 1508.5 — the best human-preference rating of any model on the leaderboard. Its coding numbers are exceptional: 95 on SWE-bench Verified and 84.3 on Terminal-Bench 2.
ChatGPT's answer is the GPT-5.6 family, which went GA on July 9, 2026 — so recently that Sol, Terra, and Luna are still being benchmarked and do not yet have overall BenchLM scores. The early category results for GPT-5.6 Solare serious: 91.9 on Terminal-Bench 2 (ahead of Fable 5's 84.3) and 92.2 on BrowseComp. For context, ChatGPT's previous flagship GPT-5.5 scored 80 overall — eight points behind Fable 5.
On price the roles flip. GPT-5.6 Sol's API rate is $5 input / $30 output per million tokens against $10 / $50 for Claude Fable 5, and ChatGPT Plus at $20/month remains the default consumer subscription. If you want the highest benchmarked ceiling today, it is Claude; if you want more capability per dollar and the broader consumer feature set, it is ChatGPT.
ChatGPT vs Claude: the models behind the apps
A product comparison only makes sense at the model level, so here are the current flagships side by side. BenchLM scores are our sourced overall benchmark aggregate; Arena Elo is the human-preference rating where one has been published. The GPT-5.6 models show "benchmarking now" because sourced coverage is still filling in after their July 9 launch.
| Model | BenchLM score | Arena Elo | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-5.6 SolOpenAI | Benchmarking now | — | 1M |
| GPT-5.6 TerraOpenAI | Benchmarking now | — | 1M |
| GPT-5.6 LunaOpenAI | Benchmarking now | — | 1M |
| GPT-5.5OpenAI | 80 | 1474.6 | 1M |
| Claude Fable 5Anthropic | 88 | 1508.5 | 1M+ |
| Claude Opus 4.8Anthropic | 81 | 1476.5 | 1M |
| Claude Sonnet 5Anthropic | 82 | — | 1M |
Want the benchmark-by-benchmark breakdown? Every pairing has a dedicated model comparison page — start with Claude Fable 5 vs GPT-5.6 Sol for the flagship matchup, or Claude Opus 4.8 vs GPT-5.6 Sol if you use Opus for daily work.
ChatGPT vs Claude pricing: subscriptions and API
On subscriptions, ChatGPT Plus costs $20/monthand unlocks the GPT-5.6 models with higher usage limits. Anthropic's Claude Pro sits in the same consumer price band with usage caps that scale up on the more expensive Max tiers — Claude's subscription limits are generally tighter than ChatGPT's at the entry level, reflecting how expensive Fable 5 is to serve.
The API rates are where the gap is measurable. Sol undercuts Fable 5 by half on both input and output, Terra matches Claude Sonnet 5's standard rate, and Luna is the cheapest model on this page. Full provider rate cards live on the OpenAI API pricing and Anthropic API pricing hubs.
| Model | Input / 1M tokens | Output / 1M tokens | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-5.6 Sol | $5.00 | $30.00 | — |
| GPT-5.6 Terra | $2.50 | $15.00 | — |
| GPT-5.6 Luna | $1.00 | $6.00 | — |
| GPT-5.5 | $5.00 | $30.00 | Previous ChatGPT flagship, still on the API |
| Claude Fable 5 | $10.00 | $50.00 | — |
| Claude Opus 4.8 | $5.00 | $25.00 | — |
| Claude Sonnet 5 | $2.00 | $10.00 | Introductory rate through Aug 31, 2026; $3 / $15 standard |
Which should you pick?
Pick ChatGPT if…
- You want more capability per dollar: GPT-5.6 Sol is $5 / $30 per million tokens versus $10 / $50 for Claude Fable 5, and Luna drops to $1 / $6.
- Agentic and terminal work matters: Sol's early results lead this matchup on Terminal-Bench 2 (91.9 vs 84.3) and BrowseComp (92.2 vs 86.9).
- You want one $20/month app that covers the widest consumer surface — voice, images, search, and custom GPTs alongside the core models.
- You would rather bet on the newest release: GPT-5.6 is the freshest flagship family here, with benchmark coverage still filling in.
- You need a cheap high-volume tier — GPT-5.6 Luna at $1 / $6 has no Claude equivalent at that price.
Pick Claude if…
- You want the highest fully benchmarked model available: Claude Fable 5 scores 88 overall, eight points clear of GPT-5.5's 80.
- Coding is the job: Fable 5's 95 on SWE-bench Verified and 80 on SWE-bench Pro lead this comparison (Sol posts 64.6 on SWE-bench Pro).
- Writing quality and conversational judgment matter — Fable 5's 1508.5 Arena Elo is the top human-preference score BenchLM tracks.
- You work with huge documents: Fable 5 is the only model here rated at a 1M+ context window.
- You want a strong mid-tier deal — Claude Sonnet 5 (82 overall) is $2 / $10 on introductory pricing through August 31, 2026.
How this comparison works
BenchLM compares products through the models that power them, because "ChatGPT" and "Claude" are moving targets — each app swaps in new flagships several times a year. Overall scores are our sourced benchmark aggregate; Arena Elo is the community human-preference rating where one has been published; API prices come from each provider's official rate card as recorded in BenchLM's pricing data. Where a model is too new to have an overall score — the entire GPT-5.6 family right now — we say so instead of guessing, and cite only the category results that have landed. Individual benchmark scores quoted in the text (SWE-bench Verified, Terminal-Bench 2, BrowseComp) come from the same sourced dataset that powers every model comparison page.
ChatGPT vs Claude FAQ
Is Claude better than ChatGPT?
On BenchLM's current data, yes — narrowly and provisionally. Claude Fable 5 scores 88 overall with the top Arena Elo (1508.5), while ChatGPT's GPT-5.6 models are still being benchmarked and its last scored flagship, GPT-5.5, sits at 80. But GPT-5.6 Sol's early category results (91.9 Terminal-Bench 2, 92.2 BrowseComp) suggest the gap may close once its overall score lands.
Is Claude cheaper than ChatGPT?
No — at the flagship level Claude is roughly twice the price. Claude Fable 5 costs $10 input / $50 output per million tokens on the API versus $5 / $30 for GPT-5.6 Sol, and nothing in Claude's lineup matches GPT-5.6 Luna's $1 / $6. The exception is the mid-tier: Claude Sonnet 5's $2 / $10 introductory rate undercuts GPT-5.6 Terra's $2.50 / $15 until August 31, 2026.
Which is better for coding, ChatGPT or Claude?
Claude, on the sourced numbers. Claude Fable 5 posts 95 on SWE-bench Verified and 80 on SWE-bench Pro — the best coding line in this comparison — with Claude Opus 4.8 close behind at 88.6 SWE-bench Verified. GPT-5.6 Sol counters on agentic terminal work, where its 91.9 Terminal-Bench 2 beats Fable 5's 84.3, so heavy CLI-agent users may still prefer ChatGPT.
Can I use both ChatGPT and Claude?
Yes, and many people do — two entry subscriptions cost about as much as one premium tier. A common split is Claude for coding and long-form writing, where Fable 5's SWE-bench and Arena Elo numbers lead, and ChatGPT for everyday questions, browsing-style research, and high-volume tasks on the cheaper GPT-5.6 tiers. On the API side, mixing providers per task is standard practice.