Claude Opus 4.8 vs GPT-5.5 Pro
Anthropic's flagship meets OpenAI's ultra-premium powerhouse. Both have 1M context — but the price gap is massive. Find out if GPT-5.5 Pro's premium is worth it.
Pricing data verified: Jun 10, 2026
| Specification | Claude Opus 4.8 (Anthropic) | GPT-5.5 Pro (OpenAI) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price (per 1M tokens) | $5.00 | $30.00 |
| Output Price (per 1M tokens) | $25.00 | $180.00 |
| Context Window | 1M tokens | 1.05M tokens |
| Tier | Premium | Ultra-Premium |
| Provider | Anthropic | OpenAI |
Calculate Your Exact Costs
See if GPT-5.5 Pro's premium is justified for your workload — or if Claude Opus 4.8 is the smarter choice.
Other Premium-Tier Models
Which Model for Which Use Case?
Research & Deep Analysis
Multi-step reasoning, literature synthesis, complex problem-solving. GPT-5.5 Pro may produce marginally better results on the hardest tasks, but at 6x the cost. For most research, Claude Opus 4.8 is excellent value.
Complex Code Generation
Architecture design, multi-file refactoring, debugging tricky systems. Both handle complex code extremely well. The quality difference rarely justifies GPT-5.5 Pro's 6x premium.
Critical Production Decisions
Where the absolute best reasoning quality directly impacts revenue or safety. GPT-5.5 Pro's premium compute may provide the edge you need for high-stakes analysis.
AI Agents & Automation
Multi-step autonomous workflows. Output-heavy by nature — GPT-5.5 Pro's 7.2x output cost makes a massive difference at scale. Claude Opus 4.8 is the clear choice.
Comparing premium workloads?
APIpulse Pro lets you compare all 39 models including GPT-5.5 Pro ($30/$180), save scenarios, and export cost reports for your team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Claude Opus 4.8 cheaper than GPT-5.5 Pro?
Yes — dramatically. Claude Opus 4.8 costs $5/$25 per 1M tokens. GPT-5.5 Pro costs $30/$180 per 1M tokens. Claude is 83% cheaper on input and 86% cheaper on output. At 1M input + 500K output tokens/month, that's $17.50 vs $120.
Why is GPT-5.5 Pro so expensive?
GPT-5.5 Pro uses significantly more compute per token, targeting the most demanding reasoning tasks. For most production workloads, GPT-5.5 or Claude Opus 4.8 offer excellent quality at much lower cost.
When is GPT-5.5 Pro worth the premium?
Only when maximum reasoning quality directly impacts outcomes — critical research, high-stakes analysis, or tasks where even small quality improvements justify 6x higher cost. For most users, Claude Opus 4.8 is the better investment.
How does GPT-5.5 compare?
GPT-5.5 costs $5/$30 per 1M tokens — same input as Claude Opus 4.8, just 20% more on output. It's the sweet spot between Claude Opus 4.8 and GPT-5.5 Pro for most premium use cases.