Claude Haiku 4.5 vs Claude Opus 4.6
Complete pricing and performance comparison between Anthropic's Claude Haiku 4.5 and Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.6.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
Claude Haiku 4.5
5.0x cheaper input, 5.0x cheaper output
Larger Context
Claude Haiku 4.5
200K vs 200K
Higher Quality
Claude Opus 4.6
Score: 47 vs 31
Faster
Claude Haiku 4.5
125 vs 56 tok/s
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | Claude Haiku 4.5 | Claude Opus 4.6 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Anthropic | Anthropic | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $1 | $5 | Claude Haiku 4.5 is 80% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $5 | $25 | Claude Haiku 4.5 is 80% more expensive |
| Context Window | 200K | 200K | Same |
| Max Output | 8K | 32K |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | Claude Haiku 4.5 | Claude Opus 4.6 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 31 | 47 | Claude Opus 4.6 |
| Output Speed | 125 tok/s | 56 tok/s | Claude Haiku 4.5 |
| Time to First Token | 0.41s | 1.77s | Claude Haiku 4.5 |
| Value (Quality/$) | 31.1 | 9.3 | Higher = better value |
Benchmark data from Artificial Analysis. Quality Index is a composite score across reasoning, coding, and knowledge tasks.
Cost at Scale
Estimated cost at different usage levels (3:1 input-to-output token ratio, typical for chat).
| Usage | Claude Haiku 4.5 | Claude Opus 4.6 | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0025 | $0.013 | Claude Haiku 4.5 saves $0.010 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.025 | $0.125 | Claude Haiku 4.5 saves $0.100 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.250 | $1.25 | Claude Haiku 4.5 saves $1.00 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $2.50 | $12.50 | Claude Haiku 4.5 saves $10.00 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $25.00 | $125.00 | Claude Haiku 4.5 saves $100.00 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $2500.00 | $12500.00 | Claude Haiku 4.5 saves $10000.00 |
Pros & Cons
Claude Haiku 4.5 Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Faster output (125 vs 56 tok/s)
- +Lower latency (faster first token)
Claude Opus 4.6 Strengths
- +Higher max output tokens
- +Higher quality score (47 vs 31)
When to Use Each Model
Choose Claude Haiku 4.5 for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
- →Real-time applications, chat, or autocomplete
Choose Claude Opus 4.6 for
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
- →Tasks requiring maximum accuracy and reasoning
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, Claude Haiku 4.5 or Claude Opus 4.6?
For input tokens, Claude Haiku 4.5 is 5.0x cheaper at $1/1M tokens. For output tokens, Claude Haiku 4.5 is 5.0x cheaper at $5/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), Claude Haiku 4.5 costs $2.50 vs Claude Opus 4.6 at $12.50.
What's the context window difference?
Claude Haiku 4.5 supports 200K context (200,000 tokens), while Claude Opus 4.6 supports 200K (200,000 tokens). Claude Opus 4.6 can handle 1x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
Quality Index: Claude Haiku 4.5 scores 31 vs Claude Opus 4.6 at 47. Speed: Claude Haiku 4.5 generates 125 tok/s vs Claude Opus 4.6 at 56 tok/s. Time to first token: Claude Haiku 4.5 at 0.41s vs Claude Opus 4.6 at 1.77s.
When should I choose Claude Haiku 4.5 over Claude Opus 4.6?
Choose Claude Haiku 4.5 when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Faster output (125 vs 56 tok/s), Lower latency (faster first token). Choose Claude Opus 4.6 when you need: Higher max output tokens, Higher quality score (47 vs 31).
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): Claude Haiku 4.5 = $25.00, Claude Opus 4.6 = $125.00. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): Claude Haiku 4.5 = $150.00, Claude Opus 4.6 = $750.00.
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