Claude Opus 5 vs Composer 2.5
Claude Opus 5 was superseded by Claude Opus 5.5. 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, real-world issues is even at C- and Claude Opus 5 takes 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
Claude Opus 5 leads overall, C to D. By suite: real-world issues is even at C- (57% vs 57% capability); Claude Opus 5 takes spec planning, C to D (66% vs 48% capability); Claude Opus 5 takes vibe coding, C+ to F (72% vs 23% capability). Claude Opus 5 used 2% of Claude Max 5x's weekly limit per pass, $0.024 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 the two cost about the same ($0.024 vs $0.021). Composer 2.5 is faster on real-world issues: a median task takes 1m 34s against 1m 56s. Both finished every task on it. Reasons to pick Composer 2.5 anyway: it is faster on real-world issues (1m 34s vs 1m 56s median).
Changed since the previous graded week: Claude Opus 5: real-world issues usage 3% to 1% of the weekly limit; Composer 2.5: real-world issues D+ to C-.
| Dimension | Claude Opus 5 | Composer 2.5 | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 57% | 57% | Even |
| Median task time | 1m 56s | 1m 34s | 21s faster (Composer 2.5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.015 / task | $0.021 / task | $0.006 / task lower (Claude Opus 5 leads) |
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. 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 Opus 5 696 vs Composer 2.5 63 suite runs per month (Claude Opus 5 leads); per plan-dollar: 6.96 vs 3.15 (Claude Opus 5 leads). Work figures compare outputs, so unlike quota shares they are comparable across plans.
| Dimension | Claude Opus 5 | Composer 2.5 | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 66% | 48% | +18% (Claude Opus 5 leads) |
| Median task time | 2m 9s | 1m 8s | 1m 1s faster (Composer 2.5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.057 / task | $0.022 / task | $0.035 / task lower (Composer 2.5 leads) |
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. 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 2435 vs Composer 2.5 225 suite runs per month (Claude Opus 5 leads); per plan-dollar: 24.35 vs 11.23 (Claude Opus 5 leads). Work figures compare outputs, so unlike quota shares they are comparable across plans.
| Dimension | Claude Opus 5 | Composer 2.5 | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 72% | 23% | +49% (Claude Opus 5 leads) |
| Median task time | 2m 51s | 1m 37s | 1m 15s faster (Composer 2.5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.011 / task | $0.022 / task | $0.011 / task lower (Claude Opus 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. 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 Opus 5 9131 vs Composer 2.5 920 good solves per month (Claude Opus 5 leads); per plan-dollar: 91.31 vs 46.02 (Claude Opus 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 Composer 2.5?
Claude Opus 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 2026-09-21.
Which is cheaper per task, Claude Opus 5 or Composer 2.5?
Claude Opus 5 used 2% of Claude Max 5x's weekly limit per pass, $0.024 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 the two cost about the same ($0.024 vs $0.021).
Which gives more coding work per dollar, Claude Opus 5 or Composer 2.5?
Claude Opus 5 delivers more benchmark work per subscription dollar: 6.96 suite runs per plan-dollar versus 3.15 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 and Composer 2.5 cost a month?
Claude Opus 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).