Alternatives to Claude Sonnet 4.6
These models are alternatives by measurable coding evidence: they share the current closed-model classificationand are closest to Claude Sonnet 4.6's SWE-bench score. Similarity here does not mean identical capabilities, licence terms, or output quality.
The target model
SWE-bench
75.2%
Cheapest input
$3.00
Cheapest output
$15.00
Hosts
10
| Alternative | SWE-bench | Input $/MTok | Output $/MTok | Hosts | Context | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 3 Flash Preview | 75.4% | $0.25 | $1.50 | 4 | — | lower input price |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite | 75.0% | $0.15 | $1.25 | 4 | — | lower input price |
| MiniMax M3 | 75.0% | $0.23 | $0.96 | 28 | 262k | lower input price |
| MiniMax M2.1 | 74.8% | $0.29 | $0.95 | 8 | 197k | lower input price |
| Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Custom Tools | 75.6% | $2.00 | $12.00 | 2 | 1.0M | lower input price |
| gpt-5.2 | 75.8% | $1.75 | $14.00 | 4 | — | lower input price |
| MiniMax M2.5 | 74.2% | $0.15 | $0.59 | 31 | 197k | lower input price |
| GLM 5.1 | 74.2% | $0.91 | $2.86 | 44 | 203k | lower input price |
| Claude Opus 4.5 | 76.4% | $5.00 | $25.00 | 10 | 200k | higher input price |
| MiniMax M2.7 | 73.8% | $0.24 | $0.96 | 21 | 197k | lower input price |
| GPT-5.4 Mini | 73.0% | $0.75 | $4.50 | 4 | 400k | lower input price |
| GPT-5.3-Codex | 78.0% | $1.75 | $14.00 | 4 | 400k | lower input price |
How alternatives are selected
Alternatives must have a benchmark score and the same current open/closed classification as the target. They are sorted by score distance, then by price/performance. The table compares hosted API economics; it does not establish licence compatibility or self-hosting rights.
Check the model licence, provider Terms, context limits, tool support, and output quality before switching a production workload.