claude-opus-5 vs claude-sonnet-5
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.
| Dimension | claude-opus-5 | claude-sonnet-5 | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 60% | 50% | +10% (claude-opus-5 leads) |
| Median task time | 3m 57s | 4m 22s | 25s faster (claude-opus-5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.010 / task | $0.005 / task | $0.005 / task lower (claude-sonnet-5 leads) |
claude-opus-5: 11.0% of Claude Max 20x (11.0% / 5h, 1.0% / 1w) per run. claude-sonnet-5: 6.0% of Claude Max 20x (6.0% / 5h, 1.0% / 1w) 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 1328 vs claude-sonnet-5 2435 suite runs per month (claude-sonnet-5 leads); per plan-dollar: 6.64 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 | 63% | 39% | +24% (claude-opus-5 leads) |
| Median task time | 5m 10s | 4m 38s | 32s faster (claude-sonnet-5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.014 / task | $0.010 / task | $0.003 / task lower (claude-sonnet-5 leads) |
claude-opus-5: 4.0% of Claude Max 20x (4.0% / 5h, 1.0% / 1w) per run. claude-sonnet-5: 3.0% of Claude Max 20x (3.0% / 5h) 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 3653 vs claude-sonnet-5 4870 suite runs per month (claude-sonnet-5 leads); per plan-dollar: 18.26 vs 24.35 (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 | 69% | 34% | +35% (claude-opus-5 leads) |
| Median task time | 4m 59s | 5m 17s | 18s faster (claude-opus-5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.011 / task | $0.008 / task | $0.003 / task lower (claude-sonnet-5 leads) |
claude-opus-5: 0.8% of Claude Max 20x (0.8% / 5h, 0.2% / 1w) per good solve. claude-sonnet-5: 0.6% of Claude Max 20x (0.6% / 5h) 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 18263 vs claude-sonnet-5 24350 good solves per month (claude-sonnet-5 leads); per plan-dollar: 91.31 vs 121.75 (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-opus-5 clears higher: tier 4 of 5 versus tier 2 for claude-sonnet-5 on real-world@v3, our private suite of real-world coding problems. Latest measurement 2026-08-18.
Which gives more 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 6.64 for claude-opus-5 (at $200/month priced 2026-08-05, and $200/month priced 2026-08-05). Work figures compare outputs, so unlike raw quota shares they are comparable across plans.
How much do claude-opus-5 and claude-sonnet-5 cost?
claude-opus-5 runs on Claude Max 20x at $200/month (public price as of 2026-08-05). claude-sonnet-5 runs on Claude Max 20x at $200/month (public price as of 2026-08-05).