Claude Opus 4.6 vs Gemini 3 Pro
Side-by-side benchmark comparison across coding, math, reasoning, speed, and pricing.
Gemini 3 Pro by Google wins on 7 of 16 benchmarks against Claude Opus 4.6 by Anthropic, which leads on 6. This head-to-head comparison covers coding, math, reasoning, speed, and pricing metrics from the AI Value Index.
Category-by-Category Breakdown
General Intelligence: In general intelligence, Claude Opus 4.6 scores 1496 on Chatbot Arena ELO compared to Gemini 3 Pro's 1492, while Gemini 3 Pro scores 89.8% on MMLU-Pro compared to Claude Opus 4.6's 82.0%, while both score 91.0% on IFEval.
Coding: In coding, Claude Opus 4.6 scores 93.5% on HumanEval+ compared to Gemini 3 Pro's 91.0%, while Claude Opus 4.6 scores 80.8% on SWE-bench Verified compared to Gemini 3 Pro's 65.0%, while both score 72.0% on LiveCodeBench.
Math: In math, both score 92.0% on MATH, while Gemini 3 Pro scores 97.5% on GSM8K compared to Claude Opus 4.6's 97.0%, while Claude Opus 4.6 scores 100.0% on AIME 2025 compared to Gemini 3 Pro's 95.0%.
Reasoning: In reasoning, Gemini 3 Pro scores 91.9% on GPQA Diamond compared to Claude Opus 4.6's 91.3%, while Claude Opus 4.6 scores 60.0% on ARC-AGI compared to Gemini 3 Pro's 54.0%.
Context: In context, Gemini 3 Pro scores 1.0M on Context Length compared to Claude Opus 4.6's 200K.
Pricing Comparison
Claude Opus 4.6 costs $5.0/1M input tokens and $25.0/1M output tokens, while Gemini 3 Pro costs $2.0/1M input and $12.0/1M output. Gemini 3 Pro is the more affordable option for API usage.
Speed Comparison
Claude Opus 4.6 generates output at 68 tok/s compared to Gemini 3 Pro's 60 tok/s, and the time to first token is 1680 ms for Claude Opus 4.6 versus 450 ms for Gemini 3 Pro. Claude Opus 4.6 delivers faster throughput.
Verdict
For developers prioritizing coding and general intelligence and speed, Claude Opus 4.6 has the edge. For those who value affordability, Gemini 3 Pro is the stronger choice.
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Claude Opus 4.6 vs Gemini 3 Pro — FAQ
Which is better, Claude Opus 4.6 or Gemini 3 Pro?
Gemini 3 Pro wins on more benchmarks overall (7 vs 6). However, the best choice depends on your specific needs — each model excels in different areas.
How does Claude Opus 4.6 compare to Gemini 3 Pro for coding?
Claude Opus 4.6 is better for coding, scoring 80.8% on SWE-bench Verified compared to 65.0%. SWE-bench tests real-world software engineering by resolving actual GitHub issues.
Is Claude Opus 4.6 cheaper than Gemini 3 Pro?
Yes, Gemini 3 Pro is cheaper. Claude Opus 4.6 costs $5.0/1M input and $25.0/1M output tokens. Gemini 3 Pro costs $2.0/1M input and $12.0/1M output tokens.
Which is faster, Claude Opus 4.6 or Gemini 3 Pro?
Claude Opus 4.6 is faster, generating output at 68 tok/s compared to 60 tok/s. Faster output speed means shorter wait times for API responses.
What benchmarks does the Claude Opus 4.6 vs Gemini 3 Pro comparison cover?
This comparison covers 16 benchmarks including Chatbot Arena ELO, MMLU-Pro, HumanEval+, IFEval, MATH, SWE-bench Verified, GPQA Diamond, Output Speed, and more. Metrics span general intelligence, coding, math, reasoning, speed, and cost categories.