Claude Opus 4.6 vs ChatGPT (GPT-5.2): Which is Better in 2026?
Claude Opus 4.6 and GPT-5.2 are the two strongest non-reasoning models available right now. Claude Opus holds the top spot on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index (AA 46 vs 46.58 for GPT-5.2 — essentially tied). The difference comes down to use case, price, and ecosystem — not capability.
Last updated: February 2026
Our Pick
Claude Opus 4.6
For tasks where output quality is the only thing that matters — high-stakes writing, complex analysis, nuanced multi-step reasoning — Claude Opus 4.6 wins. It produces more controlled, careful output than any other model. For everything else, GPT-5.2 is the smarter choice: 400K context vs 200K, deeper developer ecosystem, and $1.75/1M input vs $5/1M. Opus costs 3× more per token than GPT-5.2. Only use it when that quality gap genuinely justifies the price.
Try Claude Opus 4.6At a glance
| Feature | Claude Opus 4.6 | GPT-5.2 |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 7.5 / 10 | 8.3 / 10 |
| Provider | Anthropic | OpenAI |
| Context window | 200K tokens | 400K tokens |
| Input (per 1M tokens) | $5 | $1.75 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | $25 | $14 |
| Multimodal | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | No |
Use case breakdown
Opus produces the most controlled, precise prose of any model. Style instruction following and creative nuance are noticeably better than GPT-5.2.
Both are strong, but Opus is more thorough, acknowledges uncertainty more honestly, and maintains accuracy over longer reasoning chains.
GPT-5.2 has by far the larger developer ecosystem — Cursor, GitHub Copilot, and IDE integrations are all OpenAI-first. Comparable capability, much better tooling.
400K tokens (GPT-5.2) vs 200K (Claude Opus). Meaningful difference for large codebases, long documents, and extended conversations.
$1.75/1M input vs $5/1M — GPT-5.2 is 65% cheaper per token. At API scale the difference is significant.
Opus tracks multi-step instructions with greater reliability, makes fewer mistakes across long task chains, and is better at knowing when to ask for clarification.
FAQ
Is Claude Opus better than GPT-5.2?
On writing quality, nuanced analysis, and multi-step agentic tasks, yes. On context window size, developer ecosystem, and price, GPT-5.2 wins. Both score nearly identically on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index (46 vs 46.58). The deciding factor is what you are doing with it.
Is Claude Opus 4.6 worth the price?
If output quality is mission-critical and you can measure the difference it makes, yes. For most everyday use — answering questions, drafting emails, writing code — Claude Sonnet 4.6 at $3/1M input delivers 90% of Opus quality at 60% of the price.
How do I access Claude Opus 4.6?
Via the API at $5/$25 per 1M tokens. For consumer use, the Claude Max plan ($100/month) gives unrestricted Opus access. Claude Pro ($20/month) includes limited Opus messages before routing to Sonnet.
Which has a larger context window, Opus or GPT-5.2?
GPT-5.2 wins with 400K tokens vs Claude Opus's 200K. For very long documents or very large codebases, GPT-5.2 can fit twice as much in a single prompt. If you need even more, Gemini 3 Pro has 1M tokens and Llama 4 Scout has 10M.