Claude 4 vs RETRO XL
Comprehensive side-by-side comparison of pricing, performance benchmarks, and capabilities
At a Glance
Best Overall Performance
Claude 4
Higher overall benchmarks
Best for Coding
RETRO XL
88% coding score
Best for Reasoning
Claude 4
90% reasoning score
Best MMLU Score
Claude 4
90.2% general knowledge
Compare Different Models
Detailed Comparison
| Feature | Claude 4 | RETRO XL | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Anthropic | DeepMind | — |
| Context Window | 256k | 128k | — |
|
MMLU Score
General knowledge & reasoning | 90.2% | 89% | Claude 4 |
|
Coding Score
Code generation & debugging | 88% | 88% | RETRO XL |
|
Reasoning Score
Logic & problem-solving | 90% | 88.5% | Claude 4 |
| Release Date | 2025 | 2025 | — |
| Vision Support | ✓ Yes | — | — |
| Function Calling | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | — |
Performance Comparison
MMLU (General Knowledge)
Difference: 1.2%Coding Performance
Difference: 0.0%Reasoning & Logic
Difference: 1.5%Expert Analysis
Performance Analysis
Claude 4 achieves superior scores across 2 of 3 key benchmarks, including MMLU (90.2%), demonstrating stronger general capabilities.
Final Verdict
Our comprehensive recommendation based on all factors
Both models show comparable coding performance, with less than 5 points separating them on benchmark tests. The optimal choice between these models depends on your specific use case and performance requirements.
Our Recommendation
Choose Claude 4 for applications where response quality directly impacts business outcomes, or evaluate both models based on your specific use case requirements.
Best For These Use Cases
Claude 4 Excels At:
- Legal document drafting
- Research summarization
- Enterprise knowledge management
- Compliance AI assistants
- Creative writing
RETRO XL Excels At:
- Academic research AI
- Document retrieval augmentation
- Scientific content generation
- Knowledge discovery
- Research assistants
Strengths & Weaknesses
Claude 4
Strengths
- • Very long context
- • High-quality synthesis
- • Safety-focused outputs
- • Advanced reasoning
Considerations
- • High cost
- • Limited third-party integrations
- • Closed-source
- • Alpha bugs
RETRO XL
Strengths
- • RAG optimized
- • High-quality reasoning
- • Strong academic benchmarks
- • Open research integration
Considerations
- • Closed deployment options
- • Complex self-hosting
- • Limited enterprise tooling
- • High compute
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better: Claude 4 or RETRO XL?
Claude 4 offers superior overall performance with higher benchmark scores across MMLU, coding, and reasoning tests. The best choice depends on your specific use case requirements and performance priorities.
What are the key differences?
Claude 4 leads in overall performance with higher benchmark scores, while RETRO XL may offer advantages in specific areas like context window size or specialized capabilities. Both models have their strengths depending on your particular needs.
Which is better for coding?
RETRO XL leads in coding performance with a score of 88%, making it 0.0 percentage points better than Claude 4. This makes RETRO XL the superior choice for software development, code generation, and debugging tasks.
Can I use both models together?
Yes! Many organizations use multiple models strategically: one model for routine tasks where efficiency matters, and another for complex, mission-critical applications requiring maximum accuracy. This hybrid approach optimizes both performance and resource utilization across different use cases.
How often are these benchmarks updated?
We update all benchmark scores and pricing data daily to reflect the latest model versions and API pricing changes. Benchmark scores are sourced from official documentation, independent testing platforms like Artificial Analysis, and peer-reviewed academic evaluations. Last updated: 2/2/2026.
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