MAI-Thinking-1 wins more areas, narrowly.
Scores updated · 12 tests both models report · How we compare
Where each one wins
Tests won in each of the five areas where both have results. Each piece is one test, so a longer bar means more evidence; grey means the two scored within a point of each other.
- CodingWriting and fixing software12MAI-Thinking-12 of 3 tests
- ReasoningHard problems that need careful thinking00Even0 each · 1 tie
- FactsGetting facts right instead of making them up00Even0 each · 1 tie
- Long documentsFinding answers in very long texts00Even0 each · 1 tie
- Following instructionsDoing exactly what it is asked11Even1 each
Reasoning, facts and long documents rest on a single test each.
What it costs
Prices per million tokens, roughly 750,000 words. The bars show the cost of a million tokens read plus a million written.
The biggest differences
The tests each model wins by the widest margin, up to three each. Scores are out of 100.
Where MAI-Thinking-1 pulls ahead
- Recent programming contest problemsLiveCodeBench v6+23.7points ahead
- Follows unfamiliar, precisely checkable instructionsIFBench+11.7points ahead
- Long, multi-file coding tasks in real codebasesSWE-bench Pro+9.2points ahead
Where Claude Sonnet 4.5 pulls ahead
- Fixes real GitHub issues in Python projectsSWE-bench Verified+3.7points ahead
- Keeps track of context across a multi-turn chatMulti-Challenge+2.3points ahead
Every test, side by side
All 12 tests both models report. The winning score is in its model's colour; marks a score checked independently.
CodingMAI-Thinking-1
- LiveCodeBench v6MAI-Thinking-1 by 23.76487.7+23.7
- SWE-bench ProMAI-Thinking-1 by 9.243.652.8+9.2
- SWE-bench VerifiedClaude Sonnet 4.5 by 3.777.273.5+3.7
Following instructionsEven
- IFBenchMAI-Thinking-1 by 11.757.369+11.7
- Multi-ChallengeClaude Sonnet 4.5 by 2.355.353+2.3
Other results4 tests, not counted
Tests outside the eight areas. They are not counted above: several are summary scores built from other tests, or the same test under another name.
- AIME 2025MAI-Thinking-1 by 108797+10
- Terminal-Bench 2.0Claude Sonnet 4.5 by 45046+4
- MMLU-ProClaude Sonnet 4.5 by 2.587.585+2.5
- AIR-Bench 2024Claude Sonnet 4.5 by 1.889.888+1.8
Questions people ask
Which is better, Claude Sonnet 4.5 or MAI-Thinking-1?
MAI-Thinking-1 wins one of the five areas where both have results: coding. Claude Sonnet 4.5 wins none. They are level on reasoning, facts, long documents and following instructions.
Which is better for coding?
MAI-Thinking-1. It wins 2 of the 3 coding tests both models report; Claude Sonnet 4.5 wins 1.
How do you compare the two?
We use the 12 benchmark tests both models have published scores on. The verdict counts the 8 tests in the eight capability areas, and a gap under one point (ten on rating-style scales) counts as a tie. The other 4 are listed but not counted, because several are summary scores or repeat a test. Each score is the one shown on the model's own page.