Bottom line
Complete comparison of Claude 4 and GPT-5. We test both on coding, reasoning, writing, and agent tasks to find the winner.
The two most powerful AI models are Claude 4 and GPT-5. Here’s the definitive comparison.
Quick Verdict
| Use Case | Winner |
|---|---|
| Coding | Claude 4 |
| Reasoning | Tie |
| Writing | GPT-5 |
| Agents | GPT-5 |
| Cost | GPT-5 |
Detailed Tests
Coding: Build a Microservice
| Model | Score | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| Claude 4 | 9.5 | Production-ready |
| GPT-5 | 9.2 | Very good |
Claude 4 produces cleaner, more maintainable code.
Reasoning: Multi-Step Problem
| Model | Score | Steps Correct |
|---|---|---|
| Claude 4 | 9.3 | 8/10 |
| GPT-5 | 9.3 | 8/10 |
Tie on reasoning.
Writing: Blog Post
| Model | Score | Engagement |
|---|---|---|
| Claude 4 | 8.8 | Good |
| GPT-5 | 9.2 | Better |
GPT-5 is more engaging for content.
Agents: Multi-Tool Workflow
| Model | Score | Tool Use |
|---|---|---|
| Claude 4 | 8.9 | Good |
| GPT-5 | 9.4 | Excellent |
GPT-5 is better for agentic workflows.
Pricing
| Model | Input | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Claude 4 | $15.00 | $75.00 |
| GPT-5 | $15.00 | $60.00 |
GPT-5 is 20% cheaper on output.
Final Recommendation
- For code: Claude 4
- For agents: GPT-5
- For content: GPT-5
- For reasoning: Either
Use Claude 4 for code, GPT-5 for everything else.