Comparison
Claude Sonnet 4.6 vs Claude Opus 4.8 — API pricing
Claude Sonnet 4.6 and Claude Opus 4.8, compared on real per-million-token pricing.
| Attribute | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Claude Opus 4.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Input / 1M | $3.00 | $5.00 |
| Output / 1M | $15.00 | $25.00 |
| Cache read / 1M | $0.30 | $0.50 |
| Cache write 1h / 1M | $6.00 | $10.00 |
Reading the comparison
All figures are USD per million tokens at API list prices. Cache-read economics often matter more than the headline input/output rates for a well-cached coding session.
Common questions
- Which is cheaper, Claude Sonnet 4.6 or Claude Opus 4.8?
- It depends on your input/output mix and how much you cache. The table shows each rate so you can weigh your own workload.
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