claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929 vs gemini-3.6-flash Benchmark Comparison

Direct benchmark comparison between claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929 and gemini-3.6-flash based on LMArena Elo and the latest 2026 API pricing.

Direct Technical & Pricing Comparison

Frontier Model	LMArena Elo	API Cost (1M)	Throughput
claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929	1455	$0.000003	56
gemini-3.6-flash	1485	$0.0000015	164

*These models represent the Pareto Frontier (optimal cost-to-performance).*

Comparison Summary: gemini-3.6-flash is the more capable model in this pair, leading by 30 Elo points. However, neither model is currently Pareto-optimal. Developers looking for peak efficiency should investigate hy3, which offers a superior benchmark-to-price ratio.