Sonar vs Sonar Reasoning Pro
Updated October 21, 2026. 1 benchmarks have a result for both. Coding is ranked on the Vibe Coding Index; every other board is shown as published.
Decision reading
Neither model has a coding score yet, so the two cannot be ranked on coding.
Sonar has the edge where output tokens cost 8.0x less, and where the benchmark that matters is AA Intelligence Index, where it leads.
- Shared results
- 1
- Sonar only
- 4
- Sonar Reasoning Pro only
- 0
- Like-for-like categories
- 1 of 9
Shared results can support a head-to-head reading. Results only one model has describe coverage, not superiority.
Which one for your work
Each card is decided by one number both models carry. Where only one has it, the card says so and makes no call.
Coding
Vibe Coding Index, six public coding benchmarks
No call
Neither has a coding score yet.
One side not measured
Intelligence
AA Intelligence Index
Sonar Reasoning Pro
Sonar Reasoning Pro leads, 11.8 against 7.7.
Same board, both measured
Long documents
Listed context window
Sonar Reasoning Pro
Sonar Reasoning Pro takes 128K tokens against 127K.
Listed by OpenRouter
Everyday cost
1K input + 500 output tokens
Sonar
Sonar $0.0015, Sonar Reasoning Pro $0.0060 per turn.
List prices
At a glance
- Coding index
- Sonar not benchmarked, Sonar Reasoning Pro not benchmarked.
- Widest category
- Intelligence, 4.1 points apart on average over 1 shared benchmark.
- Widest single gap
- AA Intelligence Index: Sonar 7.7 against Sonar Reasoning Pro 11.8, 4.1 points apart on a 0 to 100 scale.
- Output price
- Sonar $1.00 against Sonar Reasoning Pro $8.00 per million output tokens, 8.0x apart.
- Context window
- Sonar takes 127K tokens, Sonar Reasoning Pro 128K.
Benchmark by benchmark
First the score: boards each model leads, per category, where both have a result. Then every board, a category to a fold; bars are each result on a 0 to 100 scale, so compare the two in a row, not one row with another.
| Category | Sonar | Bars | Sonar Reasoning Pro | Ties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence | 0 | 1 | ||
| All shared boards | 0 | 1 |
CodingDirectional onlySix of these boards feed the Vibe Coding Index1 board, none shared
| Benchmark | Sonar | Sonar Reasoning Pro | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| LiveCodeBench (Artificial Analysis run) | 29.5% | Not measured | Only Sonar measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 37 boards here | |||
IntelligenceLike-for-likePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index01
| Benchmark | Sonar | Sonar Reasoning Pro | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA Intelligence Index | 7.7 | 11.8 | Sonar Reasoning Pro |
| Neither model has a result on the other 1 board here | |||
Agentic workNot comparablePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Sonar | Sonar Reasoning Pro | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 39 boards here | |||
ReasoningDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index2 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Sonar | Sonar Reasoning Pro | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPQA Diamond (Artificial Analysis run) | 47.1% | Not measured | Only Sonar measured |
| Humanity's Last Exam (Artificial Analysis run) | 4.9% | Not measured | Only Sonar measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 19 boards here | |||
MathNot comparablePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Sonar | Sonar Reasoning Pro | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 13 boards here | |||
KnowledgeDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index1 board, none shared
| Benchmark | Sonar | Sonar Reasoning Pro | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| MMLU Pro (Artificial Analysis run) | 68.9% | Not measured | Only Sonar measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 16 boards here | |||
Web designNot comparablePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Sonar | Sonar Reasoning Pro | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 9 boards here | |||
GeneralNot comparablePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Sonar | Sonar Reasoning Pro | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 46 boards here | |||
Image generationNot comparablePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Sonar | Sonar Reasoning Pro | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 5 boards here | |||
What each workload costs
Three fixed token mixes at each model's listed price, so per-token rates become a bill.
Chat turn
1K input + 500 output tokens
Sonar costs less
Repository review
50K input + 3K output tokens
Sonar costs less
Agent loop
200K input + 10K output tokens
Sonar costs less
Listed OpenRouter rates, without cache or batch discounts. A workload that does not fit a model's context window would need splitting.
Specification differences
The leading value in a row is marked; a row with a missing value names no leader. Our two rows are marked in red.
| Specification | Perplexity Sonar | Perplexity Sonar Reasoning Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | Perplexity | Perplexity |
| Weights | No public weights listed | No public weights listed |
| Released | January 27, 2025 | March 7, 2025 |
| Context window | 127K | 128K |
| Input $/Mtok | $1.00 | $2.00 |
| Output $/Mtok | $1.00 | $8.00 |
| Coding index | Not benchmarked | Not benchmarked |
| Independent measurements behind it | 0 | 0 |
| Cost per solved task | Not computable | Not computable |
| Source | OpenRouter listing | OpenRouter listing |
Questions
Is Sonar better than Sonar Reasoning Pro for coding?
Neither model has a coding score yet, so the two cannot be ranked on coding. Sonar has the edge where output tokens cost 8.0x less, and where the benchmark that matters is AA Intelligence Index, where it leads.
Which is cheaper, Sonar or Sonar Reasoning Pro?
Sonar costs $1.00 per million input tokens and $1.00 per million output tokens; Sonar Reasoning Pro costs $2.00 and $8.00. Cost per solved task is known for neither of them.
Which has the bigger context window, Sonar or Sonar Reasoning Pro?
Sonar Reasoning Pro, with 128K tokens against 127K.
How many benchmarks is the Sonar vs Sonar Reasoning Pro comparison based on?
1 benchmarks have a result for both models as of October 21, 2026. Sonar's coding index rests on 0 independent benchmarks and Sonar Reasoning Pro's on 0. Where only one model has a result, the page says so instead of naming a winner.