Claude Sonnet 4.6 vs Gemini 3 Pro: Which is Better in 2026?
Claude Sonnet 4.6 and Gemini 3 Pro are both strong at the frontier tier — but Gemini 3 Pro is deprecated March 9, 2026 and replaced by Gemini 3.1 Pro at the same price. For new projects, the better comparison is Claude Sonnet 4.6 vs Gemini 3.1 Pro. For the current matchup: Claude wins on writing quality and factual reliability; Gemini wins on context size, price, and Google integration.
Last updated: February 2026
Our Pick
Claude Sonnet 4.6
Claude Sonnet 4.6 is the better model for most everyday tasks — writing, analysis, and complex instruction-following. It also has no hallucination problems at the scale Gemini does: Gemini 3 Pro has an 88% hallucination rate (AA-Omniscience) that requires Search grounding to control. Gemini 3 Pro is cheaper ($2/$12 vs $3/$15 per 1M) and has a 1M token context window — genuine advantages — but it is deprecated March 9, 2026. For new projects comparing these two, consider Gemini 3.1 Pro as the live comparison point.
Try Claude Sonnet 4.6At a glance
| Feature | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Gemini 3 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 6.6 / 10 | 7.8 / 10 |
| Provider | Anthropic | |
| Context window | 200K tokens | 1M tokens |
| Input (per 1M tokens) | $3 | $2 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | $15 | $12 |
| Multimodal | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | No |
Use case breakdown
Claude produces more natural, controlled prose. Gemini is capable but less consistent on tone and style.
1M token context vs 200K — Gemini handles 5× larger files in a single prompt.
Claude's 200K context fits large codebases. Both are strong but Claude is more precise on refactoring tasks.
$2/$12 per 1M tokens vs Claude's $3/$15. Meaningful difference at API scale.
Gemini has native video understanding. Claude handles images but has no video input.
Gemini is built directly into Gmail, Docs, and Sheets. Claude requires a separate interface.
Gemini 3 Pro is deprecated March 9, 2026. Claude Sonnet 4.6 has no announced end-of-life date. Any new project built on Gemini 3 Pro needs a migration plan before that deadline.
FAQ
Is Claude Sonnet 4.6 or Gemini 3 Pro better?
Claude Sonnet 4.6 is better for writing, analysis, and instruction-following — and has far better factual reliability (Gemini 3 Pro has an 88% hallucination rate without Search grounding). Gemini 3 Pro wins on context window (1M tokens), price ($2 vs $3/1M input), and video understanding. Note: Gemini 3 Pro is deprecated March 9, 2026. Gemini 3.1 Pro is the current replacement at the same price.
Which is cheaper, Claude Sonnet 4.6 or Gemini 3 Pro?
Gemini 3 Pro is cheaper: $2/1M input vs Claude Sonnet 4.6's $3/1M, and $12/1M output vs Claude's $15/1M. At high API volume, that gap adds up. But factor in the March 9, 2026 deprecation date — building on Gemini 3 Pro today means migrating soon.
What is Gemini 3 Pro's context window?
1 million tokens — five times larger than Claude Sonnet 4.6's 200K. The same 1M window is available on Gemini 3.1 Pro, which supersedes 3 Pro at the same price.
Can I use both for free?
Claude.ai has a free tier. Gemini at gemini.google.com has a free consumer product powered by Gemini Flash — not Gemini 3 Pro. Gemini 3 Pro requires the AI Pro plan ($19.99/month).