At a glance
| Spec | Claude Opus 4.6 | Claude Sonnet 4.6 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Anthropic | Anthropic |
| Input / 1M | $3.00 | $0.60 |
| Output / 1M | $15.00 | $3.00 |
| Context | 200K | 200K |
| Extended thinking | Yes | Yes |
The verdict
For most teams, Claude Sonnet 4.6 is the better default if cost matters, while Claude Opus 4.6 earns its premium on the hardest tasks. Pick based on whether a wrong answer is expensive enough to justify the higher price.
Claude Opus 4.6: where it wins
Claude Opus 4.6 is Anthropic's most capable model, built for hard problems: complex refactors, multi-step agents, deep analysis, and research-grade reasoning. When output quality matters more than cost, this is the model you reach for.
Best for: hard code refactors and architecture work, long-horizon autonomous agents.
Claude Sonnet 4.6: where it wins
Claude Sonnet 4.6 hits the sweet spot for most production workloads. It's fast enough for real-time apps and smart enough for genuinely hard tasks, at one-fifth the price of Opus. For most teams, this is the default.
Best for: coding assistants and ide integrations, content generation at scale.
Cost in practice
On a typical request with 2,000 input and 800 output tokens, Claude Opus 4.6 costs about $0.01800 and Claude Sonnet 4.6 about $0.00360. Plug in your own numbers with the cost calculator.
Run both behind one API
Switch between Claude Opus 4.6 and Claude Sonnet 4.6 by changing one line. $1 free to start.
Start FreeFAQ
Is Claude Opus 4.6 or Claude Sonnet 4.6 cheaper?
Claude Sonnet 4.6 is cheaper on input tokens ($0.60 vs $3.00 per 1M). Output pricing follows the same order.
Which is better for coding, Claude Opus 4.6 or Claude Sonnet 4.6?
For most teams, Claude Sonnet 4.6 is the better default if cost matters, while Claude Opus 4.6 earns its premium on the hardest tasks. Pick based on whether a wrong answer is expensive enough to justify the higher price.
Can I use both Claude Opus 4.6 and Claude Sonnet 4.6 with one API?
Yes. Through KissAPI both run behind one OpenAI-compatible endpoint, so you can route between Claude Opus 4.6 and Claude Sonnet 4.6 by changing only the model id.