API cost decision in 10 seconds

GPT-5.4 Nano vs 🔥Claude Opus 4.6

Pick GPT-5.4 Nano for lower cost; pick Claude Opus 4.6 only if the larger context window matters more.

Pricing data updated:  Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output

Budget verdict

Pick GPT-5.4 Nano for lower cost; pick Claude Opus 4.6 only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, GPT-5.4 Nano is estimated at $0.82 vs $17.5 for Claude Opus 4.6, saving $16.68 (95.3% lower).

Cost-first pickGPT-5.4 Nano
Context-first pickClaude Opus 4.6
Sample savings$16.6895.3%
10x traffic gap$166.75

Claude Opus 4.6 has more context, but GPT-5.4 Nano saves $16.68 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $166.75. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

GPT-5.4 Nano stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickGPT-5.4 NanoClaude Opus 4.6
Input-heavy / RAG 5M input + 500K output GPT-5.4 Nano $1.63 $37.5
Balanced workload 1M input + 1M output GPT-5.4 Nano $1.45 $30
Output-heavy chatbot 1M input + 5M output GPT-5.4 Nano $6.45 $130
Cheaper inputGPT-5.4 Nano$0.2 vs $5 / 1M
Cheaper outputGPT-5.4 Nano$1.25 vs $25 / 1M
Larger contextClaude Opus 4.6400K vs 1M
Sample workloadGPT-5.4 Nano$0.82 vs $17.5

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
GPT-5.4 NanoCalculating…Estimated API cost
Claude Opus 4.6Calculating…Estimated API cost
Cheaper for this workloadCalculating…Difference: calculating…

This estimate uses normalized public API pricing per 1M tokens. It is a planning aid, not a billing quote. Verify provider pricing, limits, and terms before production use.

Quick Decision

Verdict

GPT-5.4 Nano has the lower input price, GPT-5.4 Nano has the lower output price, and Claude Opus 4.6 offers the larger context window.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.82 for GPT-5.4 Nano and $17.5 for Claude Opus 4.6.

Best Fit

Choose GPT-5.4 Nano when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.

Choose Claude Opus 4.6 when you care most about larger context window.

Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureGPT-5.4 Nano
(OpenAI)		🔥Claude Opus 4.6
(Anthropic)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M		$0.2$5
Completion Price
per 1M tokens		$1.25$25
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output		$0.82$17.5
Context Window400K1M
Release Date2026-03-172026-02-04
Popularity#18
GPT-5.4 Nano

GPT-5.4 nano is the most lightweight and cost-efficient variant of the GPT-5.4 family, optimized for speed-critical and high-volume tasks. It supports text and image inputs and is designed for low-latency...

Claude Opus 4.6

Opus 4.6 is Anthropic’s strongest model for coding and long-running professional tasks. It is built for agents that operate across entire workflows rather than single prompts, making it especially effective...

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionGPT-5.4 NanoOn the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, GPT-5.4 Nano is estimated at $0.82 vs $17.5 for Claude Opus 4.6, saving $16.68 (95.3% lower).
High-volume input processingGPT-5.4 NanoLower prompt-token price matters most when prompts or retrieved passages dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsGPT-5.4 NanoLower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workClaude Opus 4.6A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages and source files.