Claude Sonnet 4.6 vs Step 5 Preview
Wins 0 of 6 areas
—
Wins 5 of 6 areas
Coding · Agents · Reasoning · Facts · Long documents
Step 5 Preview is the stronger all-rounder.
Scores updated · 15 tests both models report · How we compare
Where each one wins
Tests won in each of the six 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.
- AgentsCarrying out multi-step tasks on its own04Step 5 Preview4 of 4 tests
- CodingWriting and fixing software02Step 5 Preview2 of 2 tests
- ReasoningHard problems that need careful thinking02Step 5 Preview2 of 2 tests
- FactsGetting facts right instead of making them up01Step 5 Preview1 of 2 tests · 1 tie
- Long documentsFinding answers in very long texts01Step 5 Preview1 of 1 test
- Images and chartsUnderstanding pictures, charts and video11Even1 each
Long documents rests on a single test.
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.
Step 5 Preview costs 79% less for the same work.
The biggest differences
The tests each model wins by the widest margin, up to three each. Scores are out of 100.
Where Step 5 Preview pulls ahead
Where Claude Sonnet 4.6 pulls ahead
No clear win on a test scored out of 100.
Every test, side by side
All 15 tests both models report. The winning score is in its model's colour; marks a score checked independently.
CodingStep 5 Preview
- SciCodeStep 5 Preview by 8.850.158.9+8.8
- LMArena · WebDevStep 5 Preview by 48 rating points15231571+48 rating
AgentsStep 5 Preview
- Terminal-Bench 4.0Step 5 Preview by 30.3333.3+30.3
- GDPValStep 5 Preview by 17.736.654.3+17.7
- AA IT-Bench SREStep 5 Preview by 15.839.855.6+15.8
- AA ApexAgentsStep 5 Preview by 102838+10
ReasoningStep 5 Preview
- CritPtStep 5 Preview by 17.83.120.9+17.8
- Humanity's Last ExamStep 5 Preview by 12.933.646.5+12.9
FactsStep 5 Preview
- AA-Omniscience · Non-hallucinationStep 5 Preview by 5.451.657+5.4
- AA-Omniscience · Accuracytie40.941.5tie
Images and chartsEven
- MMMU-ProStep 5 Preview by 3.173.376.4+3.1
- LMArena · VisionClaude Sonnet 4.6 by 18 rating points12831265+18 rating
Other results2 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.
- AA IntelligenceStep 5 Preview by 13.630.143.7+13.6
- AA-OmniscienceStep 5 Preview by 4.212.216.4+4.2
Questions people ask
Which is better, Claude Sonnet 4.6 or Step 5 Preview?
Step 5 Preview wins five of the six areas where both have results: coding, agents, reasoning, facts and long documents. Claude Sonnet 4.6 wins none. They are level on images and charts.
Which is better for coding?
Step 5 Preview. It wins 2 of the 2 coding tests both models report; Claude Sonnet 4.6 wins none.
Which is cheaper?
Claude Sonnet 4.6 costs $3.00 per million input tokens and $15.00 per million output tokens; Step 5 Preview costs $1.00 and $2.70. That makes Step 5 Preview about 79% cheaper for the same work.
How do you compare the two?
We use the 15 benchmark tests both models have published scores on. The verdict counts the 13 tests in the eight capability areas, and a gap under one point (ten on rating-style scales) counts as a tie. The other 2 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.