Claude 4.5 Opus vs Claude 4 Sonnet

1. Maximum capability with more practical pricing

• Anthropic introduced Opus 4.5 as its most intelligent model, combining maximum capability with practical performance.
• It was positioned as the best model in the world for coding, agents, and computer use at launch, with pricing reduced to $5/M input and $25/M output.

2. Step-change gains for coding and advanced agent work

• Anthropic describes Opus 4.5 as state-of-the-art on real-world software engineering tests.
• It also improved everyday knowledge-work tasks like deep research, slides, and spreadsheets while staying strong on long-horizon agent workflows.

3. Better control over reasoning depth

• Opus 4.5 introduced the effort parameter, letting developers trade off response thoroughness against token efficiency.
• This made it easier to use one flagship model across both high-depth analysis and more cost-sensitive production workloads.

4. Stronger computer use and continuity

• Added enhanced computer use with a zoom action for inspecting detailed screen regions.
• Preserves prior thinking blocks across turns, helping the model maintain reasoning continuity in extended multi-step tasks.

• Hybrid reasoning: supports both fast (“near-instant”) and extended thinking modes.
• Optimised for responsiveness, cost and high-volume production workloads.
• Strong coding performance relative to prior Sonnet versions (improved over Sonnet 3.7).
• Available even in free tiers (alongside paid plans).
• Better suited for general-purpose use and agents where speed + cost-efficiency matter.