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Models / Claude Opus 5.5 / Alternatives

Claude Opus 5.5 alternatives

The best cheaper alternative to Claude Opus 5.5 is Gemini 3.8 Flash: 23 points lower Overall, for 81% less per output token.

The best open-weights alternative is Kimi K3, 27 points lower Overall.

Claude Opus 5.5 leads Overall, so every alternative trades some score for price or open weights.

Updated Oct 13, 2026 · Method v1.2 · Higher score, lower price or open weights, best first

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Top 10 of 23 alternatives

  1. Gemini 3.8 Flash

    Google DeepMind

    Overall67
    Rank
    #8 Overall
    Best job
    #4 Reasoning
    Price, 1M tokens
    $0.75 in · $3.75 out
    Released
    Sep 2, 2026
    Cheaper23 points lower Overall · 81% less per output token
    Compare Gemini 3.8 Flash with Claude Opus 5.5

  2. Gemini 3.7 Flash

    Google DeepMind

    Overall65
    Rank
    #9 Overall
    Best job
    #6 Agents
    Price, 1M tokens
    $0.75 in · $3.75 out
    Released
    Aug 13, 2026
    Cheaper25 points lower Overall · 81% less per output token
    Compare Gemini 3.7 Flash with Claude Opus 5.5

  3. Kimi K3

    Moonshot

    Open weights
    Overall63
    Rank
    #10 Overall
    Best job
    #8 Coding
    Price, 1M tokens
    $3 in · $15 out
    Released
    Jul 16, 2026
    CheaperOpen weights27 points lower Overall · 25% less per output token
    Compare Kimi K3 with Claude Opus 5.5

  4. GPT-6 Sol

    OpenAI

    New
    Overall60
    Rank
    #11 Overall
    Best job
    #5 Reasoning
    Price, 1M tokens
    $2 in · $10 out
    Released
    Sep 22, 2026
    Cheaper30 points lower Overall · 50% less per output token
    Compare GPT-6 Sol with Claude Opus 5.5

  5. GLM-5.3

    Z.ai (Zhipu AI)

    Overall56
    Rank
    #15 Overall
    Best job
    #11 Coding
    Price, 1M tokens
    $1.40 in · $4.40 out
    Released
    Aug 14, 2026
    Cheaper34 points lower Overall · 78% less per output token

  6. Grok 4.6

    xAI

    Overall53
    Rank
    #17 Overall
    Best job
    #13 Reasoning
    Price, 1M tokens
    $2 in · $6 out
    Released
    Aug 12, 2026
    Cheaper37 points lower Overall · 70% less per output token

  7. GPT-5.6 Terra

    OpenAI

    Overall52
    Rank
    #18 Overall
    Best job
    #10 Math
    Price, 1M tokens
    $2 in · $12 out
    Released
    Jul 9, 2026
    Cheaper38 points lower Overall · 40% less per output token

  8. Gemini 3.5 Flash

    Google DeepMind

    Overall51
    Rank
    #19 Overall
    Best job
    #13 Writing
    Price, 1M tokens
    $1.50 in · $9 out
    Released
    May 19, 2026
    Cheaper39 points lower Overall · 55% less per output token

  9. GPT-5.4

    OpenAI

    Overall51
    Rank
    #19 Overall
    Best job
    #10 Agents
    Price, 1M tokens
    $2.50 in · $15 out
    Released
    Mar 5, 2026
    Cheaper39 points lower Overall · 25% less per output token

  10. Gemini 3.6 Flash

    Google DeepMind

    Overall48
    Rank
    #21 Overall
    Best job
    #16 Reasoning
    Price, 1M tokens
    $0.75 in · $3.75 out
    Released
    Jul 21, 2026
    Cheaper42 points lower Overall · 81% less per output token