When it comes to the latest advancements in artificial intelligence, developers and enterprises are always on the lookout for the best model to fit their needs. Claude 3.5 Sonnet and GPT-4o are two of the most advanced AI models available today, but how do they compare when it comes to real-world applications like data extraction, classification, and reasoning? Let’s break it down.
Our Approach
To ensure a fair and comprehensive comparison, we analyzed both Claude 3.5 Sonnet and GPT-4o using:
Latency and Throughput Analysis – Measuring processing speed and efficiency.
Benchmark Comparisons – Evaluating performance on standardized tests.
Task-Based Evaluations – Conducting real-world tests on data extraction, classification, and reasoning.
Our goal is to provide a factual and insightful assessment that helps you decide which model is the best fit for your needs.
Performance Comparison
1. Latency Comparison
Claude 3.5 Sonnet is significantly faster than its predecessor, Claude 3 Opus, with a 2x speed improvement. However, it still lags behind GPT-4o, which boasts superior processing speeds in most latency tests. If real-time responsiveness is critical, GPT-4o has the edge.
2. Throughput Comparison
Throughput measures how many tokens a model can generate per second. Claude 3.5 Sonnet delivers three times the throughput of Claude 3 Opus, reaching approximately 78 tokens per second. While GPT-4o initially debuted at 109 tokens per second, recent tests show that both models now perform at similar levels in terms of throughput.
🔍 Key takeaway: Claude 3.5 Sonnet has improved significantly but still trails slightly behind GPT-4o in latency.
Task-Based Evaluations
Task 1: Data Extraction
Extracting information from complex legal contracts is no easy feat, and both models were put to the test.
We extracted 12 key contract fields, including contract title, vendor, customer name, termination clause, and force majeure presence. Using Vellum Evaluations, we compared their outputs against ground truth data across 10 contracts.
💡 Findings: ✅ GPT-4o outperformed Claude 3.5 Sonnet on 5 of 14 fields ✅ Both models had similar performance on 7 fields ✅ Claude 3.5 Sonnet performed better in structured data extraction but struggled with certain text variations
🔍 Winner: GPT-4o—but neither model is perfect for legal document extraction without additional fine-tuning and advanced prompting techniques.
Task 2: Classification
For this test, we analyzed each model’s ability to classify customer support tickets as resolved or unresolved. The evaluation involved 100 labeled test cases with various complexity levels.
💡 Findings: ✅ Claude 3.5 Sonnet achieved 72% accuracy, outperforming GPT-4o’s 65% ✅ GPT-4 scored the highest at 77% ✅ Claude 3.5 Sonnet had fewer false positives, making it a more reliable choice in some use cases ✅ GPT-4o had the highest precision (86.21%), reducing the likelihood of misclassification
🔍 Winner: GPT-4o for precision, GPT-4 for overall accuracy, Claude 3.5 Sonnet as a strong alternative
Task 3: Reasoning
To assess verbal reasoning, both models were tested on 16 analogy and logic-based questions.
💡 Findings: ✅ GPT-4o achieved 69% accuracy, outperforming Claude 3.5 Sonnet’s 44% ✅ Claude 3.5 Sonnet performed well in analogy-based tasks ✅ GPT-4o dominated in numerical reasoning and factual inference ✅ Both models struggled with complex riddles and ambiguous questions
🔍 Winner: GPT-4o—with stronger performance in logical reasoning and problem-solving tasks.
ELO Leaderboard Rankings
In terms of general AI performance, the LMSYS Chatbot Arena’s ELO Leaderboard currently ranks GPT-4o at the top spot. While Claude 3.5 Sonnet delivers impressive results, it falls short of taking the crown in most categories.
🔍 Key takeaway: If leaderboard rankings matter for your use case, GPT-4o still holds the lead.
Final Thoughts
While GPT-4o outperforms Claude 3.5 Sonnet in most areas, it’s important to test models against your specific requirements before making a final decision. Claude 3.5 Sonnet is a strong competitor, especially in classification and structured data tasks, but GPT-4o remains the best all-around performer across reasoning, speed, and general AI capabilities.
Which Model Should You Choose?
✅ Choose GPT-4o if you need superior reasoning, faster response times, and higher precision in classification tasks. ✅ Choose Claude 3.5 Sonnet if you prioritize structured data extraction, strong classification abilities, and an alternative to GPT-4o.
📖 Further Reading:
🔍 Want to test these models yourself? Book a demo with Vellum Evaluations to see which AI model works best for your tasks.