OpenAI o3 vs Claude Opus vs Gemini Ultra: Best Reasoning AI Model (2025)
OpenAI o3 vs Claude Opus vs Gemini Ultra: Reasoning Models Compared
The latest generation of AI models focus on reasoning — the ability to think through complex problems step by step. OpenAI’s o3, Anthropic’s Claude Opus, and Google’s Gemini Ultra represent the frontier. Here is how they compare.
TL;DR: o3 leads in math and science benchmarks. Claude Opus leads in coding, writing, and instruction following. Gemini Ultra leads in multimodal tasks. For most users, Claude or ChatGPT Plus gives you access to reasoning models at $20/month.
Benchmark Comparison
| Benchmark | o3 | Claude Opus | Gemini Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math (MATH) | 96.7% | 91% | 90% |
| Coding (SWE-bench) | 71% | 72% | 65% |
| Reasoning (ARC-AGI) | 88% | 75% | 70% |
| Writing quality | Good | Best | Good |
| Multimodal | Good | Good | Best |
| Speed | Slow | Medium | Fast |
Which to Choose
- Math, science, and complex reasoning: o3 (via ChatGPT Plus)
- Coding and software development: Claude Opus (via Claude Code or Cursor)
- Writing and analysis: Claude Opus (best language quality)
- Multimodal tasks (images, video): Gemini Ultra
- General use: Any — all three are excellent at everyday tasks
Pricing
| Model | Access | Price |
|---|---|---|
| o3 | ChatGPT Plus/Pro | $20-200/mo |
| Claude Opus | Claude Pro | $20/mo |
| Gemini Ultra | Gemini Advanced | $20/mo |
For a broader comparison: GPT-4o vs Claude Opus vs Gemini Ultra benchmark. For free options: DeepSeek vs ChatGPT vs Claude.
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