OpenAI o3 vs Sonar Pro Search
Compare OpenAI o3 by OpenAI against Sonar Pro Search by Perplexity, tested across 53 shared challenges. Updated May 2026.
Which is better, OpenAI o3 or Sonar Pro Search?
OpenAI o3 and Sonar Pro Search are both competitive models. OpenAI o3 costs $10/M input tokens vs $3/M for Sonar Pro Search. Compare their real outputs side by side below.
Key Differences Between OpenAI o3 and Sonar Pro Search
OpenAI o3 is made by openai while Sonar Pro Search is from perplexity. On pricing, OpenAI o3 costs $10/M input tokens vs $3/M for Sonar Pro Search.
API pricing
Per 1M tokens
OpenAI o3
Input
$10.00
Output
$40.00
Sonar Pro Search
Input
$3.00
3.3× cheaper
Output
$15.00
2.7× cheaper
Sonar Pro Search is cheaper on both — 3.3× input, 2.7× output
Our Verdict
OpenAI o3
Sonar Pro SearchRunner-up
No community votes yet. On paper, OpenAI o3 has the edge — bigger model tier, major provider backing.
Too close to call
Writing DNA
Style Comparison
Similarity
81%
Sonar Pro Search uses 5.5x more headings
OpenAI o3
Sonar Pro Search
68%Vocabulary60%
14wSentence Length22w
0.26Hedging0.30
0.7Bold2.7
3.0Lists2.6
0.00Emoji0.00
0.38Headings2.08
0.12Transitions0.07
Based on 16 + 25 text responses
FAQ
