Claude Opus 5.5 vs Claude Sonnet 5.5: API pricing
Claude Sonnet 5.5 is cheaper: a typical support answer costs $0.00940 against $0.019 on Claude Opus 5.5 at list prices checked 26 October 2026.
Claude Opus 5.5: $4 input / $20 output per 1M tokens. Claude Sonnet 5.5: $2 / $10.
Prices side by side
Sources: Anthropic, checked 26 October 2026. Full details: Claude Opus 5.5 · Claude Sonnet 5.5.
| Claude Opus 5.5 | Claude Sonnet 5.5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Input | $4 | $2 |
| Cached input | $0.2 | $0.1 |
| Output | $20 | $10 |
| Batch input / output | $2 / $10 | $1 / $5 |
| Cache write | $5 | $2.50 |
| Long prompts | No long-prompt surcharge listed | No long-prompt surcharge listed |
| Announced change | None announced | None announced |
Cost per request
Token counts are stated so you can check the arithmetic.
| Task | Tokens | Claude Opus 5.5 | Claude Sonnet 5.5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chat reply | 2,000 input tokens, none cached, 300-token reply | $0.014 | $0.00700 |
| Support answer | 6,000 input tokens (4,000 cached instructions and help text), 500-token answer | $0.019 | $0.00940 |
| Document summary | 20,000-token document, no caching, 800-token summary | $0.096 | $0.048 |
Monthly cost of support answers
| Answers per month | Claude Opus 5.5 | Claude Sonnet 5.5 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10,000 | $188 | $94.00 | $94.00 |
| 100,000 | $1,880 | $940 | $940 |
| 1,000,000 | $18,800 | $9,400 | $9,400 |
Price per token is only part of the story: the model that answers in fewer tokens, or needs fewer retries, can be cheaper in practice. Test both on your own requests before switching.
Claude Opus 5.5 vs Claude Sonnet 5.5: pricing questions
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Is Claude Opus 5.5 cheaper than Claude Sonnet 5.5?
Claude Sonnet 5.5 is cheaper: a typical support answer costs $0.00940 against $0.019 on Claude Opus 5.5 at list prices checked 26 October 2026.
How much more does Claude Opus 5.5 cost than Claude Sonnet 5.5?
For a support answer with 6,000 input tokens (4,000 cached) and a 500-token reply, Claude Opus 5.5 costs 2.0× more than Claude Sonnet 5.5: $18.80 against $9.40 per 1,000 answers.
What do Claude Opus 5.5 and Claude Sonnet 5.5 cost with batch processing?
Batch prices per million tokens: Claude Opus 5.5 $2 input / $10 output, Claude Sonnet 5.5 $1 / $5. Batch requests return within 24 hours.
Should I switch from Claude Opus 5.5 to Claude Sonnet 5.5?
Only if quality holds on your own examples. Price per token is one factor; how many tokens each model uses for your task, and how often its answers need a retry, decide the real cost. Test both on 50 to 100 real requests before switching.
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