Claude Haiku 4.5 vs Composer 2.5
Composer 2.5 leads overall, D to F. Claude Haiku 4.5 is about 1.8x cheaper per task. By suite, Composer 2.5 takes real-world issues (C- to D-) and spec planning (D 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: Composer 2.5 vs Claude Haiku 4.5
Composer 2.5 leads overall, D to F. By suite: Composer 2.5 takes real-world issues, C- to D- (57% vs 37% capability); Composer 2.5 takes spec planning, D to F (48% vs 21% capability); vibe coding is even at F (22% vs 23% capability). Claude Haiku 4.5 used 1% of Claude Max 5x's weekly limit per pass, $0.012 per task at the listed price. Composer 2.5 used 2.0% of Cursor Pro's monthly limit per pass, $0.021 per task at the listed price. Per task, Claude Haiku 4.5 is about 1.8x cheaper ($0.012 vs $0.021). Composer 2.5 is faster on real-world issues: a median task takes 1m 34s 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 $0.021).
Changed since W39: Claude Haiku 4.5: real-world issues D+ to D-; Composer 2.5: real-world issues D+ to C-.
| Dimension | Claude Haiku 4.5 | Composer 2.5 | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 37% | 57% | +20% (Composer 2.5 leads) |
| Median task time | 3m 8s | 1m 34s | 1m 34s faster (Composer 2.5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.015 / task | $0.021 / task | $0.006 / task lower (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads) |
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. Composer 2.5: 1.6% of Cursor Pro (1.6% / 1m) per run. 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 Composer 2.5 63 suite runs per month (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads); per plan-dollar: 18.26 vs 3.15 (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads). Work figures compare outputs, so unlike quota shares they are comparable across plans.
| Dimension | Claude Haiku 4.5 | Composer 2.5 | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 21% | 48% | +27% (Composer 2.5 leads) |
| Median task time | 2m 8s | 1m 8s | 1m 1s faster (Composer 2.5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.002 / task | $0.022 / task | $0.021 / 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. Composer 2.5: 0.4% of Cursor Pro (0.4% / 1m) per run. 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 Composer 2.5 225 suite runs per month (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads); per plan-dollar: 146.10 vs 11.23 (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads). Work figures compare outputs, so unlike quota shares they are comparable across plans.
| Dimension | Claude Haiku 4.5 | Composer 2.5 | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 22% | 23% | +1% (Composer 2.5 leads) |
| Median task time | 4m 4s | 1m 37s | 2m 27s faster (Composer 2.5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.009 / task | $0.022 / task | $0.013 / task lower (Claude Haiku 4.5 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. Composer 2.5: 0.1% of Cursor Pro (0.1% / 1m) per good solve. 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 Composer 2.5 920 good solves per month (Claude Haiku 4.5 leads); per plan-dollar: 116.88 vs 46.02 (Claude Haiku 4.5 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 Composer 2.5?
Claude Haiku 4.5 clears higher: tier 2 of 5 versus tier 1 for Composer 2.5 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 Composer 2.5?
Claude Haiku 4.5 used 1% of Claude Max 5x's weekly limit per pass, $0.012 per task at the listed price. Composer 2.5 used 2.0% of Cursor Pro's monthly limit per pass, $0.021 per task at the listed price. Per task, Claude Haiku 4.5 is about 1.8x cheaper ($0.012 vs $0.021).
Which gives more coding work per dollar, Claude Haiku 4.5 or Composer 2.5?
Claude Haiku 4.5 delivers more benchmark work per subscription dollar: 18.26 suite runs per plan-dollar versus 3.15 for Composer 2.5 (at $100/month priced 2026-07-20, and $20/month priced 2026-07-20). Work figures compare outputs, so unlike raw quota shares they are comparable across plans.
What do Claude Haiku 4.5 and Composer 2.5 cost a month?
Claude Haiku 4.5 runs on Claude Max 5x at $100/month (public price as of 2026-07-20). Composer 2.5 runs on Cursor Pro at $20/month (public price as of 2026-07-20).