Claude Sonnet 4.6 vs Phi-4 Mini Reasoning
Claude Sonnet 4.6 (2026) and Phi-4 Mini Reasoning (2026) are frontier-tier reasoning models from Anthropic and Microsoft Research. Claude Sonnet 4.6 ships a 1m-token context window, while Phi-4 Mini Reasoning ships a 128k-token context window. On Google-Proof Q&A, Claude Sonnet 4.6 leads by 37.9 pts. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
Claude Sonnet 4.6 fits 8x more tokens; pick it for long-context work and Phi-4 Mini Reasoning for tighter calls.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Phi-4 Mini Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents | reasoning-heavy apps |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Long context |
| Context window | 1m | 128k |
| Cheapest output | $15/1M tokens | - |
| Provider routes | 6 tracked | 0 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | Google-Proof Q&A leader | 1 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Claude Sonnet 4.6 holds a shared-benchmark lead on Google-Proof Q&A, ahead by 37.9 points.
- Claude Sonnet 4.6 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Claude Sonnet 4.6 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Claude Sonnet 4.6 uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Claude Sonnet 4.6 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- Local decision data tags Phi-4 Mini Reasoning for Long context.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Claude Sonnet 4.6
$6,150
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Phi-4 Mini Reasoning
Unavailable
No complete token price in local provider data
Cost delta unavailable until both models have sourced input and output token prices.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Claude Sonnet 4.6 and Phi-4 Mini Reasoning; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling before moving production traffic.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Phi-4 Mini Reasoning and Claude Sonnet 4.6; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Claude Sonnet 4.6 adds Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-02-17 | 2026-05-16 |
| Context window | 1m | 128k |
| Parameters | — | 3.8B |
| Architecture | decoder only | - |
| License | Proprietary | MIT(OSI) |
| Openness | Proprietary | Open source |
| Commercial use | Commercial use with conditions | Commercial use allowed |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-12 | 2025-02 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Phi-4 Mini Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $3/1M tokens | - |
| Output price | $15/1M tokens | - |
| Providers | - |
Capabilities
| Capability | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Phi-4 Mini Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Multimodal | Yes | No |
| Reasoning | Yes | Yes |
| Function calling | Yes | No |
| Tool use | Yes | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | No |
| Code execution | Yes | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | Yes | No |
| Parallel agents | Yes | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Phi-4 Mini Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Google-Proof Q&A | 89.9 | 52.0 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, Google-Proof Q&A has Claude Sonnet 4.6 at 89.9 and Phi-4 Mini Reasoning at 52, with Claude Sonnet 4.6 ahead by 37.9 points. The largest visible gap is 37.9 points on Google-Proof Q&A, which matters most when that benchmark mirrors your workload. Treat isolated benchmark wins as directional, because provider routing, prompt style, and tool access can move real application results.
The capability footprint differs most on vision: Claude Sonnet 4.6, multimodal input: Claude Sonnet 4.6, function calling: Claude Sonnet 4.6, tool use: Claude Sonnet 4.6, structured outputs: Claude Sonnet 4.6, and code execution: Claude Sonnet 4.6. Both models share reasoning mode, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
Pricing coverage is uneven: Claude Sonnet 4.6 has $3/1M input tokens and Phi-4 Mini Reasoning has no token price sourced yet. Provider availability is 6 tracked routes versus 0. Treat unknown pricing as an integration gap, then verify the route you will actually call before estimating production spend.
Choose Claude Sonnet 4.6 when coding workflow support, larger context windows, and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Phi-4 Mini Reasoning when provider fit are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Claude Sonnet 4.6 or Phi-4 Mini Reasoning?
Claude Sonnet 4.6 supports 1m tokens, while Phi-4 Mini Reasoning supports 128k tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Is Claude Sonnet 4.6 or Phi-4 Mini Reasoning open source?
Claude Sonnet 4.6 is listed under Proprietary. Phi-4 Mini Reasoning is listed under MIT. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Which is better for vision, Claude Sonnet 4.6 or Phi-4 Mini Reasoning?
Claude Sonnet 4.6 has the clearer documented vision signal in this comparison. If vision is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for multimodal input, Claude Sonnet 4.6 or Phi-4 Mini Reasoning?
Claude Sonnet 4.6 has the clearer documented multimodal input signal in this comparison. If multimodal input is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for reasoning mode, Claude Sonnet 4.6 or Phi-4 Mini Reasoning?
Both Claude Sonnet 4.6 and Phi-4 Mini Reasoning expose reasoning mode. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Where can I run Claude Sonnet 4.6 and Phi-4 Mini Reasoning?
Claude Sonnet 4.6 is available on OpenRouter, Anthropic, AWS Bedrock, GCP Vertex AI, and Microsoft Foundry. Phi-4 Mini Reasoning is available on the tracked providers still being sourced. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-25. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.