Fragrance comparison

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne vs Sonia

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 29 Oct 2026 1,010 ratings analysed

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne

Chanel

4.07952 votes

Rank #2,187 PowderyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

55%scent match

Closely related

4 wins

Sonia

Bogner

4.1358 votes

Rank #8,371 PowderyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Sonia takes 4 of 6 categories.

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne
Choose it for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Sonia
Choose it for a powdery and amber character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne2/6

Sonia4/6

Ratings & consensus: Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne
Community sentiment: Sonia
Longevity: Sonia
Sillage & projection: Sonia
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Sonia
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Chanel No 5 Eau de CologneChanel

SoniaBogner

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.07/ 5 · 952 votes

Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%

4.13/ 5 · 58 votes

Have 42%Had 8%Want 50%

Category winnerChanel No 5 Eau de CologneRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

28%Like

2%Ok

20%Dislike

1%Hate

952 votes

45%Love

41%Like

3%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

29 votes

Category winnerSoniaMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevitySonia

SillageSonia

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value60

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

woody92%

musky84%

white floral77%

earthy69%

iris61%

powdery100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

musky77%

woody69%

sweet61%

Scent match55%Closely related · both powdery, woody and musky

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top15-30 mins

AldehydesYlang-YlangAfrican Orange FlowerBergamotAmalfi Lemon

Heart2-4 hrs

IrisJasmineRoseOrris RootLily-of-the-Valley

Base6-8+ hrs

CivettaMuskAmberSandalwoodoak mossVetiverPatchouliVanille

Top

AldehydesPeachAmalfi LemonGreen Notes

Heart

Ylang-YlangIrisCarnationRoseJasmine

Base

Tolu BalsamCivettaMuskSandalwoodAmberBenzoinPatchouliVanille

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, Amalfi Lemon and Iris. Durations are only published for Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring66

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day100

Night92

Spring40

Summer40

Fall100

Winter60

Day100

Night57

Category winnerSoniaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men5

Unisex39

Women55

Work 35%Casual 30%Date 25%Party 10%

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,187

PerfumerErnest Beaux

Launched—

Reviews125

Overall rank#8,371

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews16

Category winnerChanel No 5 Eau de CologneHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne presents an airy, earthy take on the legendary floral aldehyde formula. The opening bursts with bubbly aldehydes, tart bergamot, and sunny Amalfi lemon before settling into a powdery core of iris, jasmine, and earthy orris root. Unlike the plush modern Eau de Parfum, this vintage cologne ver…

Reviews →

Sonia is a classic floral aldehyde with a distinctly vintage shape. It opens bright and soapy with aldehydes, lemon, green notes, and a soft peach touch, then settles into a powdery floral heart of iris, carnation, rose, jasmine, and ylang-ylang. The dry-down turns warmer, deeper, and more textured, with amber, balsam…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne or Sonia?

Sonia takes 4 of 6 categories. Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne is rated 4.07/5 from 952 votes; Sonia is rated 4.13/5 from 58 votes. Choose Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne for a powdery and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Sonia for a powdery and amber character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne or Sonia?

Sonia lasts longest (Sonia 81/100, Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne or Sonia?

Sonia projects furthest (Sonia 75/100, Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne and Sonia smell similar?

Closely related: a 55% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share powdery, woody and musky accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, Amalfi Lemon and Iris.

Is Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne or Sonia better for summer or winter?

For summer, Sonia is the stronger pick. For winter, Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne is the stronger pick. Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne suits daytime wear; Sonia suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne and Sonia?

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne has top notes of Aldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, African Orange Flower and Bergamot, heart notes of Iris, Jasmine, Rose and Orris Root, a base of Civetta, Musk, Amber and Sandalwood. Sonia has top notes of Aldehydes, Peach, Amalfi Lemon and Green Notes, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Iris, Carnation and Rose, a base of Tolu Balsam, Civetta, Musk and Sandalwood.