Claude Sonnet 5.5 vs Gemini 4 Argon: API price comparison (2026)
As of 2026-10-17, By blended price, Claude Sonnet 5.5 is cheaper — about 1.0× less. Claude Sonnet 5.5: $2 / $10 (Official (Intl)); Gemini 4 Argon: $2 / $10 (Official (Intl)), per 1M input/output tokens.
 Claude Sonnet 5.5 |  Gemini 4 Argon | |
|---|---|---|
| Blended | $4 | $4 |
| Cheapest channel | Official (Intl) | Official (Intl) |
| AA Intelligence | 56 | 52.6 |
| Context | 1M | 1M |
| China usability | ✗CN direct?Alipay·unverified?ID·unverified?Intl card·unverified Official (Intl) | ✗CN direct?Alipay·unverified?ID·unverified?Intl card·unverified Official (Intl) |
Claude Sonnet 5.5
| Channel | Blended | Input | Output | Cached | Access & payment (this channel) | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official (Intl) $2 / $10 | $4 | $2 | $10 | $0.1 | ✗CN direct?Alipay·unverified?ID·unverified?Intl card·unverified conditions source2026-10-17 | Cache write $2.50/MTok; batch -50% | www.anthropic.com 2026-10-17 |
| OpenRouter $2 / $10 | $4 | $2 | $10 | $0.1 | ✗CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card conditions source2026-10-17 | Original vendor endpoint: Anthropic Licensed cloud alternative: Google $2 / $10 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
Gemini 4 Argon
| Channel | Blended | Input | Output | Cached | Access & payment (this channel) | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official (Intl) $2 / $10 | $4 | $2 | $10 | $0.1 | ✗CN direct?Alipay·unverified?ID·unverified?Intl card·unverified conditions source2026-10-17 | Until 2026-11-30; from 2026-12-01 input $4 / output $20 / cache $0.20 models.dev ✓ | ai.google.dev 2026-10-17 |
| OpenRouter $2 / $10 | $4 | $2 | $10 | $0.1 | ✗CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card conditions source2026-10-17 | Original vendor endpoint: Google AI Studio | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
Claude hub · Gemini hub ·
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Claude Sonnet 5.5 or Gemini 4 Argon?
As of 2026-10-17, By blended price, Claude Sonnet 5.5 is cheaper — about 1.0× less. Claude Sonnet 5.5: $2 / $10 (Official (Intl)); Gemini 4 Argon: $2 / $10 (Official (Intl)), per 1M input/output tokens.
What are the context windows of Claude Sonnet 5.5 and Gemini 4 Argon?
Claude Sonnet 5.5: 1M; Gemini 4 Argon: 1M.
Can I use Claude Sonnet 5.5 and Gemini 4 Argon directly from mainland China?
Claude Sonnet 5.5（Official (Intl)）direct no, Alipay unverified; Gemini 4 Argon（Official (Intl)）direct no, Alipay unverified. Via each cheapest channel.
Which is stronger, Claude Sonnet 5.5 or Gemini 4 Argon?
Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index (via OpenRouter rankings, 2026-10-17): Claude Sonnet 5.5 56, Gemini 4 Argon 52.6.
How much can I save switching between them?
Blended (0.75×in+0.25×out): Claude Sonnet 5.5 $4 vs Gemini 4 Argon $4, a difference of $0 per 1M tokens.