Claude Opus 5 vs Claude Sonnet 5
Claude Opus 5 was superseded by Claude Opus 5.5. Claude Sonnet 5 is no longer on the leaderboard. The grades below are the last ones measured, so read them as history rather than as this week's board. See the current roster.
Claude Opus 5 leads overall, C to D. The two cost about the same per task. By suite, Claude Opus 5 takes real-world issues (C- to D+) and spec planning (C to D). The data gives no reason to pick Claude Sonnet 5 over Claude Opus 5 this week.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 Sonnet 5 vs Claude Opus 5
Claude Opus 5 leads overall, C to D. By suite: Claude Opus 5 takes real-world issues, C- to D+ (57% vs 53% capability); Claude Opus 5 takes spec planning, C to D (66% vs 44% capability); Claude Opus 5 takes vibe coding, C+ to F (72% vs 31% capability). Claude Opus 5 used 2% of Claude Max 5x's weekly limit per pass, $0.024 per task at the listed price. Claude Sonnet 5 used 2% of Claude Max 5x's weekly limit per pass, $0.024 per task at the listed price. Per task the two cost about the same ($0.024 vs $0.024). Claude Opus 5 is faster on real-world issues: a median task takes 1m 56s against 3m 35s. Both finished every task on it. The data gives no reason to pick Claude Sonnet 5 over Claude Opus 5 this week.
Changed since the previous graded week: Claude Opus 5: real-world issues usage 3% to 1% of the weekly limit; Claude Sonnet 5: vibe coding D+ to F.
| Dimension | Claude Opus 5 | Claude Sonnet 5 | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 57% | 53% | +3% (Claude Opus 5 leads) |
| Median task time | 1m 56s | 3m 35s | 1m 40s faster (Claude Opus 5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.015 / task | $0.015 / task | Even |
Claude Opus 5: 21.0% of Claude Max 5x (21.0% / 5h, 1.0% / 1w) per run. Its weekly limit holds about 13.8 of the week's 33.6 5h windows. Claude Sonnet 5: 12.0% of Claude Max 5x (12.0% / 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 Opus 5 696 vs Claude Sonnet 5 1218 suite runs per month (Claude Sonnet 5 leads); per plan-dollar: 6.96 vs 12.18 (Claude Sonnet 5 leads). Work figures compare outputs, so unlike quota shares they are comparable across plans.
| Dimension | Claude Opus 5 | Claude Sonnet 5 | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 66% | 44% | +22% (Claude Opus 5 leads) |
| Median task time | 2m 9s | 5m 12s | 3m 3s faster (Claude Opus 5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.057 / task | $0.057 / task | Even |
Claude Opus 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. Claude Sonnet 5: 5.0% of Claude Max 5x (5.0% / 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 Opus 5 2435 vs Claude Sonnet 5 2922 suite runs per month (Claude Sonnet 5 leads); per plan-dollar: 24.35 vs 29.22 (Claude Sonnet 5 leads). Work figures compare outputs, so unlike quota shares they are comparable across plans.
| Dimension | Claude Opus 5 | Claude Sonnet 5 | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 72% | 31% | +41% (Claude Opus 5 leads) |
| Median task time | 2m 51s | 4m 31s | 1m 39s faster (Claude Opus 5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.011 / task | $0.007 / task | $0.004 / task lower (Claude Sonnet 5 leads) |
Claude Opus 5: 1.6% of Claude Max 5x (1.6% / 5h) per good solve. Its weekly limit holds about 13.8 of the week's 33.6 5h windows. Claude Sonnet 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 Opus 5 9131 vs Claude Sonnet 5 14610 good solves per month (Claude Sonnet 5 leads); per plan-dollar: 91.31 vs 146.10 (Claude Sonnet 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 or Claude Sonnet 5?
Claude Sonnet 5 clears higher: tier 3 of 5 versus tier 2 for Claude Opus 5 on real-world@v3, our private suite of real-world coding problems. Latest measurement 2026-09-21.
Which is cheaper per task, Claude Opus 5 or Claude Sonnet 5?
Claude Opus 5 used 2% of Claude Max 5x's weekly limit per pass, $0.024 per task at the listed price. Claude Sonnet 5 used 2% of Claude Max 5x's weekly limit per pass, $0.024 per task at the listed price. Per task the two cost about the same ($0.024 vs $0.024).
Which gives more coding work per dollar, Claude Opus 5 or Claude Sonnet 5?
Claude Sonnet 5 delivers more benchmark work per subscription dollar: 12.18 suite runs per plan-dollar versus 6.96 for Claude Opus 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 Opus 5 and Claude Sonnet 5 cost a month?
Claude Opus 5 runs on Claude Max 5x at $100/month (public price as of 2026-07-27). Claude Sonnet 5 runs on Claude Max 5x at $100/month (public price as of 2026-07-20).