Claude Haiku 4.5 vs Claude Opus 5.5
Claude Opus 5.5 leads overall, B- to F. Claude Haiku 4.5 is about 2.0x cheaper per task. By suite, Claude Opus 5.5 takes real-world issues (C+ to D-) and spec planning (C+ to F). Take Claude Haiku 4.5 anyway when you want the side that is cheaper per task.Measured
Each agent graded on the same private suites, running headless through its own tools. Advantages are oriented so a win is a win, whichever way the metric runs.
Verdict: Claude Opus 5.5 vs Claude Haiku 4.5
Claude Opus 5.5 leads overall, B- to F. By suite: Claude Opus 5.5 takes real-world issues, C+ to D- (73% vs 37% capability); Claude Opus 5.5 takes spec planning, C+ to F (73% vs 21% capability); Claude Opus 5.5 takes vibe coding, B+ to F (90% vs 22% capability). Claude Haiku 4.5 used 1% of Claude Max 5x's weekly limit per pass, $0.012 per task at the listed price. Claude Opus 5.5 used 2% of Claude Max 5x's weekly limit per pass, $0.024 per task at the listed price. Per task, Claude Haiku 4.5 is about 2.0x cheaper ($0.012 vs $0.024). Claude Opus 5.5 is faster on real-world issues: a median task takes 1m 17s against 3m 8s. Both finished every task on it. Reasons to pick Claude Haiku 4.5 anyway: it is cheaper per task ($0.012 vs $0.024).
Changed since W39: Claude Haiku 4.5: real-world issues D+ to D-; Claude Opus 5.5: real-world issues C- to C+, vibe coding B to B+.
| Dimension | Claude Haiku 4.5 | Claude Opus 5.5 | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 37% | 73% | +37% (Claude Opus 5.5 leads) |
| Median task time | 3m 8s | 1m 17s | 1m 52s faster (Claude Opus 5.5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.015 / task | $0.015 / task | Even |
Claude Haiku 4.5: 8.0% of Claude Max 5x (8.0% / 5h, 1.0% / 1w) per run. Its weekly limit holds about 13.8 of the week's 33.6 5h windows. Claude Opus 5.5: 11.0% of Claude Max 5x (11.0% / 5h, 1.0% / 1w) per run. Its weekly limit holds about 13.8 of the week's 33.6 5h windows. Each figure is a share of that agent's own plan, so there is no delta to draw.
Work per window: Claude Haiku 4.5 1826 vs Claude Opus 5.5 1328 suite runs per month (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads); per plan-dollar: 18.26 vs 13.28 (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads). Work figures compare outputs, so unlike quota shares they are comparable across plans.
| Dimension | Claude Haiku 4.5 | Claude Opus 5.5 | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 21% | 73% | +52% (Claude Opus 5.5 leads) |
| Median task time | 2m 8s | 4m 17s | 2m 9s faster (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.002 / task | $0.057 / task | $0.056 / task lower (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads) |
Claude Haiku 4.5: 1.0% of Claude Max 5x (1.0% / 5h) per run. Its weekly limit holds about 13.8 of the week's 33.6 5h windows. Claude Opus 5.5: 6.0% of Claude Max 5x (6.0% / 5h, 1.0% / 1w) per run. Its weekly limit holds about 13.8 of the week's 33.6 5h windows. Each figure is a share of that agent's own plan, so there is no delta to draw.
Work per window: Claude Haiku 4.5 14610 vs Claude Opus 5.5 2435 suite runs per month (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads); per plan-dollar: 146.10 vs 24.35 (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads). Work figures compare outputs, so unlike quota shares they are comparable across plans.
| Dimension | Claude Haiku 4.5 | Claude Opus 5.5 | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 22% | 90% | +68% (Claude Opus 5.5 leads) |
| Median task time | 4m 4s | 2m 44s | 1m 19s faster (Claude Opus 5.5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.009 / task | $0.007 / task | $0.002 / task lower (Claude Opus 5.5 leads) |
Claude Haiku 4.5: 1.3% of Claude Max 5x (1.3% / 5h) per good solve. Its weekly limit holds about 13.8 of the week's 33.6 5h windows. Claude Opus 5.5: 1.0% of Claude Max 5x (1.0% / 5h) per good solve. Its weekly limit holds about 13.8 of the week's 33.6 5h windows. Each figure is a share of that agent's own plan, so there is no delta to draw.
Work per window: Claude Haiku 4.5 11688 vs Claude Opus 5.5 14610 good solves per month (Claude Opus 5.5 leads); per plan-dollar: 116.88 vs 146.10 (Claude Opus 5.5 leads). Work figures compare outputs, so unlike quota shares they are comparable across plans.
Grades and deltas are comparable only within a suite version. See methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for coding, Claude Haiku 4.5 or Claude Opus 5.5?
Claude Opus 5.5 clears higher: tier 4 of 5 versus tier 2 for Claude Haiku 4.5 on real-world@v3, our private suite of real-world coding problems. Latest measurement 2026-09-28.
Which is cheaper per task, Claude Haiku 4.5 or Claude Opus 5.5?
Claude Haiku 4.5 used 1% of Claude Max 5x's weekly limit per pass, $0.012 per task at the listed price. Claude Opus 5.5 used 2% of Claude Max 5x's weekly limit per pass, $0.024 per task at the listed price. Per task, Claude Haiku 4.5 is about 2.0x cheaper ($0.012 vs $0.024).
Which gives more coding work per dollar, Claude Haiku 4.5 or Claude Opus 5.5?
Claude Haiku 4.5 delivers more benchmark work per subscription dollar: 18.26 suite runs per plan-dollar versus 13.28 for Claude Opus 5.5 (at $100/month priced 2026-07-20, and $100/month priced 2026-07-27). Work figures compare outputs, so unlike raw quota shares they are comparable across plans.
What do Claude Haiku 4.5 and Claude Opus 5.5 cost a month?
Claude Haiku 4.5 runs on Claude Max 5x at $100/month (public price as of 2026-07-20). Claude Opus 5.5 runs on Claude Max 5x at $100/month (public price as of 2026-07-27).