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Claude API PricingAnthropicClaude Sonnet 4.5Claude Opus 4.5API Costs

Claude API Pricing 2026: Opus 4.5 vs Sonnet 4.5 vs Haiku — Complete Guide

February 2026 updated — Anthropic Claude API pricing: Opus 4.5 $5/$25, Sonnet 4.5 $3/$15, Haiku $1/$5 per 1M tokens. Prompt caching saves 90%. Full cost comparison with GPT-5 and DeepSeek.

DevTk.AI 2026-02-23 Updated 2026-02-24

Anthropic’s Claude 4.5 family is one of the most popular AI API choices in 2026, especially for developers who need high-quality reasoning, long-form output, and strong instruction following. But with three tiers to choose from — Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku — picking the right model for your budget requires understanding exactly what you’re paying for.

This guide breaks down every Claude model’s pricing, compares them head-to-head with GPT-5 and DeepSeek, and shows you how to minimize costs using prompt caching, extended thinking, and tiered routing.

Claude 4.5 Pricing Table (February 2026)

ModelInput PriceOutput PriceContextMax OutputBest For
Claude Opus 4.5$5.00/M$25.00/M200K64KComplex analysis, research, agentic tasks
Claude Sonnet 4.5$3.00/M$15.00/M200K64KBest quality-to-price ratio
Claude Haiku 4.5$1.00/M$5.00/M200K64KHigh-throughput, low-cost tasks

All prices in USD per 1 million tokens. Source: Anthropic pricing page.

Prompt Caching Prices

Anthropic offers prompt caching that significantly reduces costs for repeated system prompts:

ModelCache WriteCache Read (Hit)
Opus 4.5$6.25/M$0.50/M (90% off)
Sonnet 4.5$3.75/M$0.30/M (90% off)
Haiku 4.5$1.00/M$0.08/M (90% off)

If your application uses a consistent system prompt, prompt caching can cut your input costs by up to 90% on subsequent requests.

Batch API Prices

For non-time-sensitive workloads, Anthropic’s Batch API offers 50% off:

ModelBatch InputBatch Output
Opus 4.5$2.50/M$12.50/M
Sonnet 4.5$1.50/M$7.50/M
Haiku 4.5$0.40/M$2.00/M

Claude vs. GPT-5 vs. DeepSeek: Price Comparison

ModelInputOutputQuality Tier
Claude Opus 4.5$5.00$25.00Premium
GPT-5$1.25$10.00Premium
Claude Sonnet 4.5$3.00$15.00High
GPT-4o$2.50$10.00High
Claude Haiku 4.5$1.00$5.00Mid
DeepSeek V3.2$0.27$1.10Mid-High
GPT-5 Mini$0.25$2.00Mid

Key takeaways:

  • Opus 4.5 is the most expensive mainstream model — 4x the input cost of GPT-5. Only use it for tasks that truly need maximum capability.
  • Sonnet 4.5 competes with GPT-5 on quality but costs 2.4x more on input and 1.5x more on output.
  • Haiku 4.5 is reasonably priced at $1.00/$5 and a strong alternative to GPT-4o Mini for simpler tasks.
  • DeepSeek V3.2 undercuts every Claude model by 3-18x on price.

Monthly Cost Estimates

Light Usage (Solo Developer)

100K input + 50K output tokens per day

Claude ModelMonthly Cost
Opus 4.5$52.50
Sonnet 4.5$31.50
Haiku 4.5$10.50
GPT-5 (reference)$18.75
DeepSeek V3.2 (reference)$2.46

Medium Usage (Startup)

1M input + 500K output tokens per day

Claude ModelMonthly Cost
Opus 4.5$525
Sonnet 4.5$315
Haiku 4.5$105
GPT-5 (reference)$187.50
DeepSeek V3.2 (reference)$24.60

Heavy Usage (Production)

10M input + 5M output tokens per day

Claude ModelMonthly Cost
Opus 4.5$5,250
Sonnet 4.5$3,150
Haiku 4.5$1,050
GPT-5 (reference)$1,875
DeepSeek V3.2 (reference)$246

Calculate your exact costs: Use our AI Model Pricing Calculator.

Cost-Saving Strategies for Claude

1. Use Prompt Caching (Biggest Savings)

If your system prompt is 2,000+ tokens and doesn’t change between requests, enable prompt caching. For Sonnet 4.5 with a 3,000-token system prompt at 10K requests/day:

  • Without caching: 3,000 × 10,000 × 30 × $3/M = $2,700/month on system prompt alone
  • With caching: First request at $3.75/M, subsequent at $0.30/M = ~$279/month
  • Savings: ~$2,400/month (90% off)

2. Use Tiered Model Routing

Route requests based on complexity:

  • Simple Q&A, classification → Haiku ($1.00)
  • General chat, code generation → Sonnet ($3.00)
  • Complex research, multi-step reasoning → Opus ($5.00)

A 70/20/10 split (Haiku/Sonnet/Opus) instead of all-Sonnet can cut costs by 60%.

3. Use Batch API for Non-Urgent Work

Data processing, content generation, analysis jobs that don’t need real-time responses — use the Batch API for 50% savings.

4. Optimize Token Usage

  • Keep system prompts concise — every extra 1,000 tokens costs $3/month per daily request at Sonnet pricing
  • Use structured output to get focused responses instead of verbose text
  • Set appropriate max_tokens limits to prevent runaway output

5. Consider Extended Thinking Wisely

Claude’s extended thinking feature (available on Sonnet and Opus) produces higher-quality output but generates more tokens internally. Only enable it for tasks that genuinely benefit from deeper reasoning.

Which Claude Model Should You Choose?

Your NeedRecommended ModelMonthly Budget (1M tokens/day)
Maximum quality, no budget constraintOpus 4.5$525+
Best quality-to-price balanceSonnet 4.5$315
High-volume, cost-sensitiveHaiku 4.5$105
Even cheaper, quality trade-off acceptableDeepSeek V3.2$25

Bottom Line

Claude’s pricing in 2026 positions it as a premium API — you’re paying more per token than OpenAI or DeepSeek, but getting best-in-class instruction following, nuanced reasoning, and strong creative output. The key to making Claude cost-effective is aggressive use of prompt caching, model tiering, and batch processing.

For most developers, Sonnet 4.5 with prompt caching offers the best balance of quality and cost. Reserve Opus for your hardest problems, and use Haiku or DeepSeek for everything else.

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