GPT-5.5 vs Claude Opus 4.7: the premium frontier API cost showdown
Their input pricing is identical, but Claude Opus 4.7 is slightly cheaper on output tokens ($25.00 vs $30.00), making it more economical for long generation tasks.
The frontier intelligence showdown.
When you need the absolute maximum level of frontier intelligence, GPT-5.5 and Claude Opus 4.7 are the prime choices. Let's compare their premium cost structures.
By TechCompare · Updated
Cost Comparison
Based on 100,000 input tokens (50% cached), 5,000 output tokens, and 100 requests.Prices are fetched live from OpenRouter and may include temporary promotional discounts not accounted for in our article and comparison figures.
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | GPT-5.5 | Claude Opus 4.7 |
|---|---|---|
| Input Cost (per M) | $5.00 | $5.00 |
| Output Cost (per M) | $30.00 | $25.00 (better on this spec) |
| Cached Input (per M) | $0.50 | $0.50 |
| Batch Discount | 50% | 50% |
How they differ
GPT-5.5 costs $5.00 per million input tokens and $30.00 per million output tokens. Claude Opus 4.7 is priced at $5.00 per million input tokens and $25.00 per million output tokens. Both models support a 90% caching discount.
Verdict
Both charge $5.00/M input and both apply a 90% cache discount, so cached input ties at $0.50/M and batch ties at 50% output reduction. The single cost lever is output pricing: Opus 4.7's $25.00/M versus GPT-5.5's $30.00/M, a $5 gap that compounds on long-form generation. At 1M output tokens per day that's about $1,825 a year. The decision rests on capability and OpenAI-ecosystem fit, not the base rate.
Which should you pick?
Choose GPT-5.5
Cutting-edge OpenAI tool integrations, planning, and raw multi-step reasoning.
Choose Claude Opus 4.7
Long-form high-accuracy code generation, deep literature analysis, and specialized logic.