Claude Opus 5 or Claude Haiku 5.5?
Choose Claude Opus 5 when high-quality agents with a lower token price than fable is the closer match. Choose Claude Haiku 5.5 when real-time user assistants, high-speed document triage and background data parsing matters more. Test both on the same real tasks before moving a production workflow.
High-quality agents with a lower token price than Fable
Real-time user assistants, high-speed document triage and background data parsing
Claude Opus 5
Anthropic model for complex agentic coding and professional work.
Official specification ↗Claude Haiku 5.5
Anthropic's ultra-responsive reasoning model designed for high-concurrency applications.
Official specification ↗Side-by-side comparison
| Category | Claude Opus 5 | Claude Haiku 5.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Anthropic | Anthropic |
| Type | Model · Reasoning model | Model · Fast model |
| Pricing summary | $5 input, $0.50 cache read and $25 output per 1M tokens | $0.80 input, $0.08 cache read and $4 output per 1M tokens |
| Input price | $5 / 1M tokens | $0.80 / 1M tokens |
| Cached input | $0.50 / 1M tokens | $0.08 / 1M tokens |
| Output price | $25 / 1M tokens | $4 / 1M tokens |
| Context window | 1M tokens | 500K tokens |
| Maximum output | 128K tokens | 64K tokens |
| Knowledge cutoff | May 2026 | July 2026 |
| Reasoning | Adaptive; high default effort | Fast extended thinking |
| Relative speed | Moderate; optional Fast mode at higher price | Instantaneous |
| Input modalities | Text and image | Text and image |
| Output modalities | Text | Text |
| Tools and integrations | Claude API tool use, computer use and agent workflows | Claude API tool use and computer use |
| API / access | Claude Messages API | Claude Messages API |
| Best fit | High-quality agents with a lower token price than Fable | Real-time user assistants, high-speed document triage and background data parsing |
| Company | Anthropic | Anthropic |
| Product category | Model · Reasoning model | Model · Fast model |
| Current pricing note | $5 input, $0.50 cache read and $25 output per 1M tokens | $0.80 input, $0.08 cache read and $4 output per 1M tokens |
| Best suited to | High-quality agents with a lower token price than Fable | Real-time user assistants, high-speed document triage and background data parsing |
| Key capabilities | Complex agent work; Coding; Adaptive thinking; Optional Fast mode | 500K context; Ultra-low latency; Extended thinking; Cost-efficient triage |
| Last verified | 2026-09-08 | 2026-10-15 |
| Official product source | https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-opus-5 | https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/models/haiku-5-5/overview |
How we reached this verdict
We looked at the things that affect everyday use: what each product can do, how its plans are structured, where it fits into your existing workflow, and what the provider currently documents. Benchmark results are useful context, but they are not a universal winner score because test settings and tools vary.
Common questions
Claude Opus 5 or Claude Haiku 5.5: which should I choose?
Choose Claude Opus 5 for high-quality agents with a lower token price than fable. Choose Claude Haiku 5.5 for real-time user assistants, high-speed document triage and background data parsing. Validate the decision with your own prompts and total task cost.
Is Claude Opus 5 cheaper than Claude Haiku 5.5?
Pricing units can differ. Claude Opus 5: $5 input, $0.50 cache read and $25 output per 1M tokens. Claude Haiku 5.5: $0.80 input, $0.08 cache read and $4 output per 1M tokens. Check tool charges, plan limits, caching and long-context rules before comparing totals.
Which is better for coding and agent work?
Capability depends on the selected product surface, tools and harness. Claude Opus 5 is positioned for high-quality agents with a lower token price than fable; Claude Haiku 5.5 is positioned for real-time user assistants, high-speed document triage and background data parsing. Run the same repository task on both.
How do their context windows compare?
Claude Opus 5 lists 1M tokens; Claude Haiku 5.5 lists 500K tokens. A larger limit does not by itself guarantee better retrieval or lower cost.
Official sources
Use these provider pages to confirm current features, pricing and availability.
AI tools change quickly. We checked this page on 2026-09-08. Before you subscribe, confirm the latest price, regional availability and usage limits on the provider website.