Claude Sonnet 5 or Claude Haiku 5.5?
Choose Claude Sonnet 5 when production coding and agents where speed and quality both matter 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.
Production coding and agents where speed and quality both matter
Real-time user assistants, high-speed document triage and background data parsing
Claude Sonnet 5
Anthropic's fast workhorse model balancing intelligence, speed and price.
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 Sonnet 5 | Claude Haiku 5.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Anthropic | Anthropic |
| Type | Model · Balanced reasoning model | Model · Fast model |
| Pricing summary | $2 input, $0.20 cache read and $10 output per 1M tokens | $0.80 input, $0.08 cache read and $4 output per 1M tokens |
| Input price | $2 / 1M tokens | $0.80 / 1M tokens |
| Cached input | $0.20 / 1M tokens | $0.08 / 1M tokens |
| Output price | $10 / 1M tokens | $4 / 1M tokens |
| Context window | 1M tokens | 500K tokens |
| Maximum output | 128K tokens | 64K tokens |
| Knowledge cutoff | January 2026 | July 2026 |
| Reasoning | Adaptive; high default effort | Fast extended thinking |
| Relative speed | Fast | 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 | Production coding and agents where speed and quality both matter | Real-time user assistants, high-speed document triage and background data parsing |
| Company | Anthropic | Anthropic |
| Product category | Model · Balanced reasoning model | Model · Fast model |
| Current pricing note | $2 input, $0.20 cache read and $10 output per 1M tokens | $0.80 input, $0.08 cache read and $4 output per 1M tokens |
| Best suited to | Production coding and agents where speed and quality both matter | Real-time user assistants, high-speed document triage and background data parsing |
| Key capabilities | Agentic coding; Adaptive thinking; 1M context; Fast production work | 500K context; Ultra-low latency; Extended thinking; Cost-efficient triage |
| Last verified | 2026-09-08 | 2026-10-15 |
| Official product source | https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/models/sonnet-5/overview | 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 Sonnet 5 or Claude Haiku 5.5: which should I choose?
Choose Claude Sonnet 5 for production coding and agents where speed and quality both matter. 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 Sonnet 5 cheaper than Claude Haiku 5.5?
Pricing units can differ. Claude Sonnet 5: $2 input, $0.20 cache read and $10 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 Sonnet 5 is positioned for production coding and agents where speed and quality both matter; 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 Sonnet 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.