Claude Opus 5.5 vs Composer 2.5
Claude Opus 5.5 leads overall, C+ to D-. Claude Opus 5.5 is about 1.9x cheaper per task. By suite, Claude Opus 5.5 takes real-world issues (C- to D+) and spec planning (C+ to D). Take Composer 2.5 anyway when you want the side that is faster on real-world issues.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 Opus 5.5
Claude Opus 5.5 leads overall, C+ to D-. By suite: Claude Opus 5.5 takes real-world issues, C- to D+ (60% vs 50% capability); Claude Opus 5.5 takes spec planning, C+ to D (69% vs 45% capability); Claude Opus 5.5 takes vibe coding, B to F (85% vs 23% capability). Claude Opus 5.5 used 1% of Claude Max 5x's weekly limit per pass, $0.012 per task at the listed price. Composer 2.5 used 2.1% of Cursor Pro's monthly limit per pass, $0.023 per task at the listed price. Per task, Claude Opus 5.5 is about 1.9x cheaper ($0.012 vs $0.023). Composer 2.5 is faster on real-world issues: a median task takes 1m 21s against 2m 18s. Both finished every task on it. Reasons to pick Composer 2.5 anyway: it is faster on real-world issues (1m 21s vs 2m 18s median).
Changed since W38: Composer 2.5: spec planning D- to D.
| Dimension | Claude Opus 5.5 | Composer 2.5 | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 60% | 50% | +10% (Claude Opus 5.5 leads) |
| Median task time | 2m 18s | 1m 21s | 57s faster (Composer 2.5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.015 / task | $0.023 / task | $0.007 / task lower (Claude Opus 5.5 leads) |
Claude Opus 5.5: 16.0% of Claude Max 5x (16.0% / 5h, 1.0% / 1w) per run. Its weekly limit holds about 14.6 of the week's 33.6 5h windows. Composer 2.5: 1.7% of Cursor Pro (1.7% / 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 Opus 5.5 913 vs Composer 2.5 59 suite runs per month (Claude Opus 5.5 leads); per plan-dollar: 9.13 vs 2.94 (Claude Opus 5.5 leads). Work figures compare outputs, so unlike quota shares they are comparable across plans.
| Dimension | Claude Opus 5.5 | Composer 2.5 | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 69% | 45% | +24% (Claude Opus 5.5 leads) |
| Median task time | 3m 45s | 1m 50s | 1m 55s faster (Composer 2.5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.010 / task | $0.022 / task | $0.012 / task lower (Claude Opus 5.5 leads) |
Claude Opus 5.5: 6.0% of Claude Max 5x (6.0% / 5h) per run. Its weekly limit holds about 14.6 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 Opus 5.5 2435 vs Composer 2.5 227 suite runs per month (Claude Opus 5.5 leads); per plan-dollar: 24.35 vs 11.35 (Claude Opus 5.5 leads). Work figures compare outputs, so unlike quota shares they are comparable across plans.
| Dimension | Claude Opus 5.5 | Composer 2.5 | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 85% | 23% | +62% (Claude Opus 5.5 leads) |
| Median task time | 2m 27s | 1m 55s | 32s faster (Composer 2.5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.046 / task | $0.031 / task | $0.015 / task lower (Composer 2.5 leads) |
Claude Opus 5.5: 0.8% of Claude Max 5x (0.8% / 5h, 0.2% / 1w) per good solve. Its weekly limit holds about 14.6 of the week's 33.6 5h windows. Composer 2.5: 0.2% of Cursor Pro (0.2% / 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 Opus 5.5 18263 vs Composer 2.5 656 good solves per month (Claude Opus 5.5 leads); per plan-dollar: 182.63 vs 32.78 (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 Opus 5.5 or Composer 2.5?
Claude Opus 5.5 clears higher: tier 4 of 5 versus tier 2 for Composer 2.5 on real-world@v3, our private suite of real-world coding problems. Latest measurement 2026-09-23.
Which is cheaper per task, Claude Opus 5.5 or Composer 2.5?
Claude Opus 5.5 used 1% of Claude Max 5x's weekly limit per pass, $0.012 per task at the listed price. Composer 2.5 used 2.1% of Cursor Pro's monthly limit per pass, $0.023 per task at the listed price. Per task, Claude Opus 5.5 is about 1.9x cheaper ($0.012 vs $0.023).
Which gives more coding work per dollar, Claude Opus 5.5 or Composer 2.5?
Claude Opus 5.5 delivers more benchmark work per subscription dollar: 9.13 suite runs per plan-dollar versus 2.94 for Composer 2.5 (at $100/month priced 2026-07-27, and $20/month priced 2026-07-20). Work figures compare outputs, so unlike raw quota shares they are comparable across plans.
What do Claude Opus 5.5 and Composer 2.5 cost a month?
Claude Opus 5.5 runs on Claude Max 5x at $100/month (public price as of 2026-07-27). Composer 2.5 runs on Cursor Pro at $20/month (public price as of 2026-07-20).