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Claude Sonnet 5 vs Claude Haiku 4.5
A straight cost comparison of Claude Sonnet 5 (Anthropic) and Claude Haiku 4.5 (Anthropic), per 1,000,000 tokens, verified October 2026.
Rate-by-rate comparison
| Metric | Claude Sonnet 5 | Claude Haiku 4.5 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Input / 1M | $2 | $1 | Claude Haiku 4.5 |
| Cached input / 1M | $0.20 | $0.10 | Claude Haiku 4.5 |
| Cache write / 1M | $2.50 | $1.25 | Claude Haiku 4.5 |
| Output / 1M | $10 | $5 | Claude Haiku 4.5 |
| Context window | 1,000,000 | 200,000 | Claude Sonnet 5 |
| Batch API | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Long-context tier | None | None | — |
For per-token metrics, the lower number wins. For context window and batch support, the higher or broader option wins. A dash means the provider does not publish that rate: a missing cache-write fee means writes are not billed per token, while a missing cached-input rate means cache hits bill at the full input rate.
Blended cost: 1M input + 250K output
| Model | Blended cost | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Sonnet 5 | $4.50 | +$2.25 |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | $2.25 | Cheaper |
Three workloads, two bills
| Workload | Claude Sonnet 5 | Claude Haiku 4.5 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support chat 1,000 requests · 4K input / 600 output | $14 | $7 | Claude Haiku 4.5 |
| RAG with caching 1,000 requests · 50K input (45K cached) / 1K output | $29.10 | $14.55 | Claude Haiku 4.5 |
| Nightly batch job 10,000 requests · 10K input / 2K output | $200 | $100 | Claude Haiku 4.5 |
Which one should you pick?
Claude Sonnet 5 wins on none of the three workloads above, while Claude Haiku 4.5 wins on support chat, cached RAG, nightly batch job.
Beyond price, the two differ on input rate ($2 vs $1); output rate ($10 vs $5); cached-input rate ($0.20 vs $0.10); cache-write rate ($2.50 vs $1.25); context window (1,000,000 vs 200,000).
Batch mode is available on Claude Sonnet 5 and Claude Haiku 4.5, which halves the nightly job. Both publish cached-input discounts, so a stable system prompt is worth caching on either.
FAQ
Is Claude Sonnet 5 cheaper than Claude Haiku 4.5?
On a blended 1M-input-plus-250K-output workload, Claude Haiku 4.5 is cheaper by 50% ($2.25 vs $4.50). The gap changes for cache-heavy prompts and for batch jobs, as the workload table shows.
Which handles longer prompts, Claude Sonnet 5 or Claude Haiku 4.5?
Claude Haiku 4.5 has the larger context window (1,000,000 vs 200,000 tokens). Neither model publishes a long-context surcharge.
Do both models support prompt caching?
Claude Sonnet 5 bills cached reads at $0.20 per 1M; Claude Haiku 4.5 at $0.10.