Two API workhorses when a subscription stalls
Sol versus
Sonnet 5
After ChatGPT Pro $200 new sign-ups paused, people searching “which API carries daily coding” do not need another spec sheet. They need two ids with real traffic on one key. gpt-5.6-sol and claude-sonnet-5 both have 30-day QCode usage above 0. Official Sol list is $4 / $20 (promo through at least 2026-11-21). This page does not invent an unverified Anthropic list price.
Updated 2026-09-11
Four facts to pin
Official $4 / $20
The pricing page: GPT-5.6 Sol’s promotional pricing is available at least through November 21, 2026. Input $4, output $20 — current list, not the old $5 / $30.
Busiest Claude id on QCode
30-day CRS puts claude-sonnet-5 well above gpt-5.6-sol. The id already runs on the same gateway; it is not a paper name.
Change the model field
Category is comparison: try both with one key on the OpenAI-compatible or Anthropic-compatible endpoint. Not two consumer subscriptions.
Subscriptions are not the product
New Pro $200 sign-ups paused 2026-09-10. This page does not sell ChatGPT Pro. See chatgpt-pro-subscription-unavailable for that SKU.
How to make this class of choice
When a vendor subscription is blocked or the time window is the real limiter, the decision is which text workhorse id to run — not another “what is X” explainer. Confirm both ids have real usage, read the public list price you can actually cite, then A/B one tiny request. QCode resells API access. It does not resell anyone’s subscription.
Why this pairing is being searched in 2026-09
On 2026-09-10 OpenAI paused new ChatGPT Pro $200 sign-ups; TechCrunch wrote that the API stayed open. The same week developers looked for a coding workhorse outside a consumer plan. Sol is still the public GPT-5.6 flagship rate; Sonnet 5 is the top Claude id on QCode. That overlap is the search intent — not another model intro.
Timeline
2026-07-30 OpenAI still dated the Sol promo through at least 2026-11-21. The $4 / $20 on this page is the pricing page re-checked 2026-09-11.
2026-09-10 Pro $200 new purchases paused. API plus cheaper Go / Plus stayed open per the news write-up. A blocked subscription is not a stopped text API.
2026-09-11 CRS: claude-sonnet-5 and gpt-5.6-sol are both positive. The claude-sonnet-5 control must be findable or every in-sale claim is void.
Confirmed versus not printed here
What you can verify
Sol promo $4 / $20 through at least 2026-11-21; both ids have 30-day QCode usage > 0; the Pro $200 pause and “API remains available” are 2026-09-10 wording. That is enough for a comparison, not enough to crown a winner.
Rumors this page will not launder
Leaderboard posts declare “Sonnet 5 crushes Sol” or the reverse. We do not paste unverified benches, and we do not invent Anthropic input/output list prices — that card is not in this page’s primary sources. Unconfirmed: whether the Pro pause changes queueing on either API. 2026-09-11
When to switch which
Start on gpt-5.6-sol
Fits Codex CLI, OpenAI-compatible fields, and anyone costing a month at the public $4 / $20. Pathfinder requests start here too.
Switch to claude-sonnet-5
Fits Claude Code and ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL setups, and anyone who wants the Claude id that already has the most QCode traffic. Change model and endpoint shape; do not buy a new subscription.
Three steps on one key
First: sign up and copy the dashboard key. Second: OpenAI-compatible client, base URL https://api.qcode.cc , model=gpt-5.6-sol, one non-streaming tiny request. Third: Claude Code with ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL = https://api.qcode.cc and ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN, model=claude-sonnet-5, same task. Record HTTP, latency, echoed model. Do not switch on vibes.
What to do on QCode
QCode does not sell ChatGPT Pro or Claude subscriptions. Copy the dashboard key. Codex CLI: OpenAI-compatible base URL https://api.qcode.cc , model gpt-5.6-sol first (official $4 / $20, promo through at least 2026-11-21). Claude Code: ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL = https://api.qcode.cc , ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN the same key, model claude-sonnet-5. Next step: one tiny request each, both ids HTTP 200.
FAQ
Do both ids have real QCode traffic?
Yes. 30-day CRS shows gpt-5.6-sol and claude-sonnet-5 above 0. That is the precondition for a comparison page to promise “switch on the same endpoint”.
What is Sol’s official list price right now?
The official pricing page lists $4 / $20, promo through at least 2026-11-21. Do not copy an in-site legacy table.
What is Sonnet 5’s official list price?
This page has no primary source for Anthropic’s card, so it prints no number. Open Anthropic’s pricing page; do not copy a secondary table.
Is this a “what is X” intro?
No. It answers which two in-sale ids to switch when a subscription is blocked, not another spec dump.
Can QCode sell ChatGPT Pro or Claude Max?
No. API resale only. When a subscription is unavailable, use a key. Do not hunt a grey-market plan.
Where does Astra fit?
gpt-6-astra has usage too, but it is the expensive, credit-heavy GPT tier. This page compares daily workhorses: Sol and Sonnet 5. Astra has its quota page.
Sources
Sol $4 / $20 and 2026-11-21: developers.openai.com/api/docs/pricing (2026-09-11). Pro $200 pause and API still open: Help Center note plus TechCrunch 2026-09-10 (Gate A archives). Usage: internal CRS 30-day table with claude-sonnet-5 control.
Two workhorses, one key
gpt-5.6-sol and claude-sonnet-5 are both in sale. No subscriptions. Plans from ¥60/month.
Related
When ChatGPT Pro is unavailable
The pause is $200 new sign-ups, not the text API.
Astra versus Sol
Heavier GPT tier — not the same column as this daily pair.
Point Claude Code at a custom base URL
Two ANTHROPIC_* steps to land on Sonnet 5.
A comparison, not a vendor bake-off. No subscription resale. Anthropic list price is omitted because it is not in this page’s primary sources. /models and official pricing pages win.